Skins¶
What it is¶
Skins turns every hole into its own little prize — a "skin". To win a hole's skin you have to have the lowest score outright; if anyone ties you, nobody wins it and the skin carries to the next hole. Carried skins pile up, so a hole won after a few carries can be worth a fistful at once. It's a social betting game that keeps everyone interested right to the last green.
How scoring works¶
- On each hole, compare net scores across the group.
- The single lowest net wins the hole's skin. A tie for lowest means no one wins it.
- When a hole is tied, its skin carries forward and is added to the next hole's skin — carries keep stacking until someone wins a hole outright.
- Whoever wins a hole scoops that hole's skin plus everything carried into it.
- The player with the most skins at the end wins. Skins are settled on net score, so handicaps count; set everyone to scratch for a gross skins game.
Worked example¶
A three-hole stretch with three players, net scores shown:
| Hole | Par | Player A | Player B | Player C | Skin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Tied A & B — carries |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | A wins — worth 2 (hole 1 carry + hole 2) |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | B wins — worth 1 |
Player A finishes with 2 skins, Player B with 1, Player C with none. The tie on the 1st pushed its skin onto the 2nd, which Player A then won outright for a double.
When to use it¶
Best with two to four players who want a lively side-bet. It rewards bold, go-for-it golf — one great hole can sweep a pile of carried skins — and the stakes climb as carries build, so a quiet round can still come alive on the closing holes.
Variations¶
- Gross or net. Settle skins on net scores so handicaps decide each hole, or play everyone off scratch for a gross skins game where the raw lowest score wins.
Last updated: 2026-05-07