Golf Trip Side Games and Calcutta Rules Explained

Side games are what turn a group golf trip into a rivalry people talk about all year. You don't need to be a scratch golfer to enjoy them — most run on net scores so the whole group has a shot. Here are the classics and exactly how to run them.

Skins

Each hole is worth a 'skin.' The player with the lowest score on a hole wins that skin. Tie the hole and the skin carries over to the next one, which is where the drama builds. Settle up at the end based on total skins won.

• Play gross for even fields or net (using handicaps) for mixed groups.
• Carry-overs make late holes worth a fortune — great for keeping everyone in it.

Nassau

A Nassau is three bets in one: front nine, back nine, and overall 18. It's the most popular match-play wager because a bad front nine doesn't ruin your whole round — you can still win the back and press.

Closest to the pin & longest drive

Designate a par 3 for closest-to-the-pin and a wide par 5 for longest drive. Small pots, big bragging rights, and easy for anyone to win. Perfect low-stakes add-ons to the main game.

The Calcutta: the big one

A Calcutta is an auction where players (or the group) bid on who they think will win the trip. It sounds complicated but the rules are simple.

1. Before the trip, hold an auction. Each player (or team) is put up for bid.
2. Anyone can bid to 'buy' a player — the highest bidder owns them.
3. All the auction money goes into one pot.
4. After the final round, the pot pays out based on where each owned player finishes (e.g. 60% to the winner's owner, 30% to second, 10% to third).
5. A common courtesy rule: the player being auctioned can 'buy back' half of themselves to have a stake in their own performance.

The Calcutta is the great equalizer — even the worst golfer in the group gets interesting when someone paid good money to own them.

Keep the Calcutta friendly

Cap the bids or set a fixed buy-in if you want to keep stakes light, and always agree the payout split before the auction starts. Write it down so there are no disputes when the money's on the line.

Track it all in one place

The one thing that kills side games is losing track of who owes what by Sunday night. Keep the scores and the pots visible to the whole group so settling up takes minutes, not an argument.

The bottom line

Start with skins or a Nassau, sprinkle in closest-to-the-pin, and add a Calcutta once your group is ready for a real rivalry. Set the rules and payouts before round one, keep everything visible, and let the trash talk write itself.