Side games
Nassau: rules, scoring and a free calculator
A Nassau is three matches in one round: the front nine, the back nine and the full eighteen. Win each one and you get paid for each one.
2 players, or two teams of 2
How Nassau works
- Agree the stake for one match, for example $5. A full Nassau is three matches, so the most you can lose without presses is three times that.
- The front nine is one match. The back nine is another. The whole eighteen is a third. (On a nine hole round there is just one match.)
- Play match play: on each hole the lowest score wins the hole. The side that wins more holes in a match wins that match.
- With teams of two, each side takes the better of its two scores on every hole (best ball).
On each hole
- Play the hole and compare scores. Lowest wins the hole. A tie halves it.
- Keep track of each match: who is up and by how many.
- When a match has been won by more holes than remain, it is over. A 3 up lead with 2 to play ends it.
- At the end, each match you won pays one stake. The calculator does the adding for you.
Presses
A press is a new match that starts partway through a nine. The side that is losing asks for it, usually when 2 down, and it runs to the end of that nine.
It is worth the same stake as the match it came from. If you press twice on the front nine, you now have three matches going there.
Automatic presses remove the argument: a new match starts any time a side goes 2 down. The calculator has this switch.
In a Nassau across 18 holes, an overall press runs to the 18th hole. Presses never run past the end of the round.
Common variations
- Two-down automatic presses (the most common).
- Presses by hand only, when the losing side asks and the other side accepts.
- Best ball Nassau for four players, two against two.
- Net Nassau: handicap strokes are given on the hardest holes so a mixed group plays an even game.
- Different stakes for the front, back and overall (for example $2, $2 and $4).
Nassau calculator
Add your players and type the strokes for each hole. You get the standings, who won what and who pays whom. It uses the same game engine as the Pocket Looper live card.
Handicap strokes (optional)
| Hole | Player 1 | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 |
Enter scores to start
Not started
- The nineNot started
Who won what
Settle up
Nobody owes anything.
Questions golfers ask
What is a Nassau in golf?
A Nassau is three matches played at once: one for the front nine, one for the back nine and one for all eighteen. Each match has its own winner and its own stake.
How do presses work in a Nassau?
A press is a new match that starts when a side is losing, usually when it goes 2 down. It runs to the end of that nine and carries the same stake as the match it came from.
What does a $5 Nassau mean?
Each of the three matches is worth $5. A player who wins all three collects $15. If you split the front and back and tie the overall, you break even.
Can you play a Nassau with more than two players?
Yes. Four players usually play in two teams of two, taking the better score on each hole (best ball).
Is a Nassau stroke play or match play?
Match play. You win a hole by having a lower score on it. Total strokes do not decide the matches.
More side games
Get this on every shot
Pocket Looper keeps Skins, Nassau, Wolf and more for your group on the live card, works out the settle-up as you play, and it is free.