3 person golf games make a threesome much more interesting than simply playing a normal round and keeping score. Yes, three people can play a full round of golf without ever needing a fourth. In fact, a lot of golfers will tell you a threesome is one of the best group sizes there is: fast pace, no waiting on a slow partner to line up a putt, and a handful of games that were built specifically around three players instead of being stretched to fit.
If you and two friends are standing on the first tee wondering what to actually play, this guide covers it all. You’ll find the 3 person golf games designed just for a threesome, the best 3 person golf betting games if you want some money on the line, a few good options if you’d rather skip the gambling altogether, and a simple breakdown of how to set everything up before you tee off. A threesome can also move faster than a full foursome, so if you’re planning your tee time around it, our guide to how long is a game of golf is worth a look too.
What Are 3 Person Golf Games?
A 3 person golf game is any format built to keep exactly three players engaged on every hole, without anyone sitting out or feeling like the odd one out. Some formats, like Nine Point and Split Sixes, only work with three players. Others, like Wolf, Nassau, and Skins, were originally built for bigger groups but adapt easily to a threesome.
The short answer to “what golf games can you play with 3 players” is this: Nine Point, Split Sixes, Wolf, Nassau, Skins, Stableford, and Bingo Bango Bongo. The first two are made for three players specifically. The rest flex to fit.
Best 3 Person Golf Games at a Glance
| Game | Betting | Difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nine Point (5-3-1) | Yes | Easy | All-around threesome game |
| Split Sixes | Yes | Easy | Groups who like higher variance |
| Wolf | Yes | Medium | Strategy and partner decisions |
| Three-Way Nassau | Yes | Medium | Traditional match betting |
| Skins | Yes | Easy | Hole-by-hole action |
| Stableford | Optional | Easy | Mixed skill levels |
| Bingo Bango Bongo | Optional | Easy | Casual, no-pressure rounds |
3-Player Golf Games Built for a Threesome
Nine Point (5-3-1 or “Nines”)
This is the game most golfers reach for first, and it’s easy to see why. Nine points are handed out on every hole based on how the three of you score it, so nobody is ever completely out of a hole.
How it works:
- Low score on the hole: 5 points
- Middle score: 3 points
- High score: 1 point
Ties split the points evenly. If all three players tie, it’s 3-3-3. If two tie for the low score, it’s 4-4-1. If two tie for the high score, it’s 5-2-2.
Some groups also play a bonus rule where winning a hole outright with a birdie or better takes 7 points instead of 5, leaving the other two players with 1 each. It’s a nice way to reward good golf without complicating the scoring much.
Nine Point is normally played with net scores based on handicap, with the lowest handicap in the group playing scratch and the other two getting the difference. That keeps things fair without every player stroking on every hole.
Split Sixes
If Nine Point sounds a little too forgiving, Split Sixes is the higher-variance alternative. It’s also built specifically for three players, and it rewards big wins more aggressively.
How it works: each hole is worth 6 points total.
- Low score: 4 points
- Middle score: 2 points
- High score: 0 points
If two players tie for low, they split the points 3-3 and the third player gets nothing. If a player wins the hole outright by two strokes or more, some groups award all 6 points to that one player, which makes comebacks and blowouts both more dramatic than in Nine Point.
Nine Point vs Split Sixes
| Feature | Nine Point | Split Sixes |
|---|---|---|
| Points per hole | 9 | 6 |
| Winner gets | 5 | 4 |
| Middle gets | 3 | 2 |
| Last place gets | 1 | 0 |
| Consolation point for last | Yes | No |
| Overall style | More forgiving | More aggressive |
If you want everyone to stay engaged even on a rough day, go with Nine Point. If your group likes higher stakes and doesn’t mind a bad hole actually costing something, Split Sixes is the better fit.
Wolf for Three Players
Wolf usually gets described as a four-player game, but it actually rotates more cleanly with three, since 18 divides evenly by three and each player gets to be the Wolf exactly six times.
How it works: on each hole, the Wolf watches the other two players tee off, one at a time, and decides after each drive whether to take that player as a partner for the hole. Once a player is passed over, the Wolf can’t go back and choose them. Pass on both, and the Wolf plays the hole alone as the “Lone Wolf,” one against two, usually for a bigger payout if they win.
Wolf has more house-rule variations than almost any other golf game, so it’s worth agreeing on partner selection, Lone Wolf bonuses, and point values before you start rather than sorting it out mid-round.
3 Person Golf Betting Games
If you’re specifically after 3 person golf betting games, the easiest formats to run are Nine Point, Split Sixes, Nassau, Wolf, and Skins. Here’s how the betting side works for each.
Three-Way Nassau
Nassau is one of the most common golf bets around, and a threesome plays it as three separate one-on-one matches running at the same time: Player A vs B, Player A vs C, and Player B vs C. Each of those matches carries three bets of its own, the front nine, the back nine, and the overall 18, which adds up to nine total bets running off one scorecard.
The appeal for a threesome specifically is that losing badly to one opponent has no bearing on your match against the other. You can have a rough day against your buddy and still walk away even, or ahead, against the third player.
Skins
In a skins game, every hole is worth one “skin,” and the lowest score wins it outright. If two players tie for low, nobody wins the hole. Many groups add a carryover rule, where a tied hole rolls its skin into the next one. Tie the first hole and the second is worth two skins, tie that and the third is worth three, and so on until someone finally wins a hole alone.
Skins works well in a threesome because ties happen less often than they do in bigger groups, so the pots that build up actually tend to get paid out rather than carrying all the way to the 18th hole.
Snake (side bet)
A snake is a simple three-putt side bet that pairs nicely with any of the games above. Set a dollar amount, and whoever three-putts last at the end of the round pays each of the other two players that amount for every three-putt anyone made all day. It’s a small addition that keeps players honest on the greens right through the last hole.
Fun 3 Person Golf Games Without Betting
Not every group wants money involved, and there are plenty of solid options if you’d rather keep it casual.
Stableford scores points relative to par instead of counting every stroke, which rewards steady play and softens the blow of one bad hole. It also works well when players of different skill levels are in the same group.
Bingo Bango Bongo hands out a point for three separate achievements on each hole: first ball on the green (Bingo), closest to the pin once everyone is on (Bango), and first ball in the hole (Bongo). It levels the field between long hitters and short, accurate players, since anyone can win a point regardless of how far they drive.
Match play, adapted for three, works the same way as a three-way Nassau but without the money. You track separate head-to-head results against each of the other two players and see how you stand at the end.
3 Person Golf Games for Money
If dollar amounts are the main draw, here’s how the betting typically gets structured for each format.
| Game | Betting method |
|---|---|
| Nine Point | Dollar amount per point |
| Split Sixes | Dollar amount per point |
| Nassau | Fixed stake per match (front, back, overall) |
| Skins | Dollar amount per skin |
| Wolf | Points or a fixed stake per hole |
| Snake | Fixed amount per three-putt |
Whatever you choose, agree on the value of a point or a skin before the first tee shot. It saves an awkward conversation on the 18th green.
How to Handle Different Handicaps
If your group has a wide spread of handicaps, decide upfront whether you’re playing gross or net scores. According to the USGA, a player’s Handicap Index is used to calculate a Course Handicap, which determines how many strokes they receive relative to the rest of the group.
Nine Point is most commonly played net off the lowest handicap in the group, meaning that player plays scratch and the other two get the stroke difference. Split Sixes, Skins, and Nassau all work the same way. It keeps a mixed-ability threesome competitive instead of one player running away with every point.
Golf Games for 3 or 4 Players
Some formats survive perfectly well whether you end up with three players or a fourth joins partway through the round:
Work with either group size: Wolf, Nassau, Skins, Stableford, Bingo Bango Bongo
Built specifically for three: Nine Point, Split Sixes
If there’s a real chance a fourth player might show up late, it’s worth picking from the flexible list so you don’t have to restructure the game mid-round.
How to Choose the Right Game
Rather than ranking these as one objective “best,” it helps to think about what your group actually wants:
- Want simple, forgiving scoring? Nine Point
- Want more aggressive, higher-stakes scoring? Split Sixes
- Want strategy and partner decisions? Wolf
- Want traditional head-to-head betting? Three-Way Nassau
- Want hole-by-hole action? Skins
- Don’t want betting at all? Stableford or Bingo Bango Bongo
Setting Up a 3 Person Golf Game
A quick checklist before you head to the first tee:
- Decide gross or net scoring.
- Agree on each player’s handicap.
- Pick the game (or stack more than one, since most run off the same raw scores).
- Set the dollar value per point, skin, or hole if you’re betting.
- Confirm how ties are scored.
- Decide whether carryovers or presses apply.
- Keep one scorecard and record scores after every hole.
- Settle up at the end of the round.
FAQ
What are the best 3 person golf games?
Nine Point and Split Sixes are the two formats built specifically for three players. Wolf, Nassau, and Skins are also strong options that adapt well from bigger groups.
What golf games can you play with 3 players?
Three players can play Nine Point, Split Sixes, Wolf, Nassau, Skins, Stableford, and Bingo Bango Bongo. Nine Point and Split Sixes are designed around three-player scoring specifically, while the others adapt to a threesome.
Can you play golf with only 3 people?
Yes. A threesome is a common and often faster group size, and several golf games are built specifically around it.
What is the best 3 person golf game for money? Nine Point is the most commonly played betting game for three, mainly because its scoring rewards consistency and never fully eliminates anyone from a hole.
Can you play Wolf with 3 players?
Yes. The Wolf role rotates between all three players, and since 18 holes divides evenly by three, each player gets to be the Wolf exactly six times.
Can you play Nassau with 3 players?
Yes, by running it as three separate matches: Player A vs B, A vs C, and B vs C, each with its own front nine, back nine, and overall bet.
Can three players play skins?
Yes. Skins works well in a threesome since three-way ties happen less often than in bigger groups, so pots tend to get paid out rather than carrying to the final hole.
Is Nine Point or Split Sixes better for three players?
Nine Point is more forgiving since even the worst score on a hole earns a point. Split Sixes is higher variance, since the high scorer on a hole gets nothing.
Should a threesome play net or gross?
Net, unless everyone in the group plays off a similar handicap. Net scoring keeps a mixed-ability threesome competitive.
Can you play more than one game at once with 3 players?
Yes. Most of these games score off the same raw scores you’re already recording, so a Nine Point game, a Nassau, and a skins game can all run at the same time off one scorecard.
Final Thoughts
A threesome isn’t a group short a player, it’s a group with its own set of 3 person golf games built just for it. Nine Point and Split Sixes give you formats made for exactly three, Wolf and Nassau bring in more strategy and traditional betting, and Skins keeps things simple with money on the line hole by hole. Pick one, agree on the rules before you tee off, and you’ll never need to wait around for a fourth again.
