Betting on golf in 2024 and beyond is a dynamic and fun way to interact with arguably the greatest sport in the world. If you’ve never placed a bet on a golf tournament, here’s your how to bet on golf guide to help you get started. If you are new to sports betting and reading odds, first check out our betting 101 guide.
What Are The Types Of Golf Bets?
There are countless ways to bet on professional golf. You can place a bet on who will win a tournament, or you can bet on how players will fare head to head. There are also longer bets on how a player will do over time. And let’s not forget the fun prop bets. We’ll cover the big ones here.
Finishing Position Bets
When betting on golf, one of the ways to do it is by wagering on a final position at the end of a tournament. In that sense, you are betting whether the player will finish in the top 5, top 10, or top 20. So, if you are betting on a major tournament and placing a bet for a certain player to rank in the top 10, your bet will win if they finish 10th or higher.
Of course, if they rank lower than that, 11th, for example, your bet is a losing one. You don’t get any boosted or better odds if a player ranks higher than predicted. They can win the tournament, and the odds and payout will be the same for you.
However, in the case of a tie, when one or more players finish in the same position, sportsbooks apply a dead heat rule. This means cutting the golf betting odds based on the number of players tied for a certain position.
Head-To-Head Matchups
When you bet on golf online, you can also bet on a head-to-head performance between two players. You simply pick two players participating in a tournament and bet which one will perform better.
The wager is based on the players’ scores relative to each other, regardless of the performance on the rest of the field. However, if the matchup ends in a tie, the wager is void.
Each Way Bet
In golf betting, each-way betting is a type of split bet. One part of the bet goes to the golfer to win the tournament, while the other part goes to them to finish, for example, in the top 5. This basically means that your bet may be a winning one even if a player does not win but finishes in the position you choose them to be.
For instance, if the odds are 20/1 for a player to win the tournament, and you place a $100 bet on them to do that, your wager will result in $50 being placed at 20/1 odds on them to win the competition, and 4/1 odds on them to finish in the top 5. If they win, you can get a $1,200 payout. But if they also rank in the top 5, you can get another $200.
Top Nationality Bet
Top nationality betting in golf is a prop type of bet. Usually, in a certain tournament, there will be players from various countries like the USA, Britain, Ireland, Canada, etc. These players will be grouped based on their nationality, and your job is to pick the player who will rank highest from a certain group.
For example, you get a list of all Canadian participants and their odds. You pick one of them and hope that they perform better than all the rest of the Canadians on the list. They don’t have to win the tournament, nor does it matter in which position they eventually finish. Your bet is going to be a winning one only if they rank better than all his fellow Canadians.
Betting On A Player To Win
The easiest and most popular way to bet on golf is to place a wager on a single player to win a tournament. Armed with your odds sheet and all the homework you’ve done (or maybe you have a gut feeling), you simply place your bet for a player to win.
So if Rory McIlroy is 5-1 to win and you place a $100 wager, and McIlroy wins the tournament, you’d profit $500. Underdogs do win from time to time but take a second look before placing a wager on a +40,000 to win.
Betting On The Field
If you look at the odds and don’t see a clear winner in the group, you can choose to place a wager on the field. This means that you’re betting that one of the golfers not given individual odds will win the tournament.
Golf Future Bets
A future bet is made on events that will happen in the future. In theory, there is no limit to the number of future bets that could be made. In reality, however, the oddsmakers create odds for future events that bettors can wager on. A popular future bet is on the number of major tournaments a player will win in a given year.
Golf Prop Bets
Prop bets are considered fun bets that keep things interesting during a tournament. Did you know you can bet on the coin flip of the Super Bowl? Prop bets in golf can be on anything from a player making the cut or the winning margin in a tournament. Your guy to win might not have made the cut, but you can still enjoy watching to see if the tournament winner will cry on the 18th hole.
In-Play/Live Bets
It’s now possible to bet on a golf tournament in real-time by live betting. This means you can make bets during the round while it’s happening. This is possibly the most exciting bet in golf because it captures momentum swings from one hole or shot to the next.
Golf Terms You Should Know
Our golf betting guide wouldn’t be complete without us explaining some basic golf terms. If you are a person who is only starting out and is interested in learning the rules of the game, you have to understand a few phrases that are going to come in handy one day. Here is a breakdown of some of them.
- Ace: Also known as a hole-in-one, it happens when a golfer sinks the ball in a hole in just one shot.
- Albatross: You may also hear it called a double eagle; it is an occurrence when a player completes a par-5 hole in two shots.
- Eagle: An occurrence when you finish a hole two strokes below its par rating.
- Par: The number of strokes a golfer is expected to use on a certain hole.
- Fairway: This refers to the short-mown area located between the tee box and the green, or basically where you would want your tee shot to land.
- Backswing: Basically a type of a golfer’s windup. It is an initial part of a golfer’s swing. It involves taking the club back and setting yourself up for a downswing.
- Handicap: It is used to measure the number of strokes above par during a single round, making it possible for players of different skill levels to compete.
How To Bet On Golf – Tips And Tricks
If we go back to the notion that betting on golf should be fun, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do a little homework. A lot of information goes into creating the moneyline for a tournament, so it makes sense to make choices based on the best information. There are a number of factors to consider when betting on a golf tournament.
- Playing Trends – Even the best golfers are streaky. Which players are coming into the tournament blazing hot, and which big names are ice cold? You can measure this in wins or top-five finishes over recent weeks or months, but you’re looking for a player who has the game and the mindset to win.
- The Course Setup – A great player can score (and win) on any course, but certain courses set up better for some players than they do for others. If the tournament is being played on a long, wide-open course with forgiving rough, look for long hitters currently playing lights out to win. If it’s an older, tighter course, maybe one of the veterans who has played well on the course for years will pull off the big upset.
- Weather – Every golfer plays the same course, but the weather can play a huge factor in the outcome of the tournament. Some players play well in windy conditions, while others struggle. Cold, wet conditions favor golfers accustomed to the toughest conditions, while some of the older guys with years of wear and tear will likely struggle in the worst weather conditions. Log onto your weather app and look at the tournament forecast.
- Putting it all together – You might keep it simple and place a bet on a player because it just feels right. But as long as golf tournaments are played by humans on unique golf courses out in the elements over the course of several days with millions of dollars at stake, almost anything can happen. As lovers of the game, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
What Are The Major Golf Events?
When betting on golf tournaments, you have to know how important they are and which are the participating players. As in other individual sports, there are lots of competitions that are ranked higher than the others, while the rest are not viewed in so much high regard.
Understanding the importance of a tournament as well as knowing its history is a crucial part of your betting strategy. Plus, you can make a schedule by determining in advance when these competitions take place.
The Masters Tournament
The Masters tournament is an event that usually takes place at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. It is a yearly event that usually happens in the first week of April. It is the first major golf tournament of the year.
The Masters consists of four rounds at 18 holes each. Compared to other tournaments, it has a relatively small number of players, with competitors playing in groups of three for the first two rounds.
PGA Championship
Unlike the Masters, the PGA Championship is held at a different course every year. It used to be held in mid-August and served as the fourth and final major golf tournament of the season. However, in 2019, the date was changed to May, just before Memorial Day weekend.
The format of the competition involves a standard 72-hole format of 18 holes per day for four days.
U.S. Open
The US Open is considered the most difficult major golf tournament of the year. Also held at a different venue each year, it is the third major tournament of the year, usually taking place in June.
It offers 72 holes of stroke play (4 rounds on an 18-hole course), and the winner of the competition is the player with the lowest total number of strokes.
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, also known as the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament out of all of the major ones. It was first held in 1860 with the location being Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. But since then, the venue has changed, and is now happening in different courses all across the UK.
After moving the US Open to May, it chronologically became the last major tournament of the season. Usually taking place in mid-July, it gathers both professional and amateur players from all around the world.
Legal States Where You Can Bet On Golf
Unfortunately, not all states in the US allow you to bet on golf. There are a total of 38 states that currently allow some form of legalized sports betting, but 30 of them offer online sports betting. However, if you are lucky enough to be from one of those states, you can only bet on golf by being physically present in some of those states.
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Wyoming
- Arkansas
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Nevertheless, some places still allow in-person betting in retail locations at various brick-and-mortar sportsbooks or casinos. These states include Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Bet Responsibly On Golf
No matter if you prefer to bet on golf or any other sport, you still have to bet responsibly. Betting can be addictive, and in order to do it right, there are some best practices that you have to follow. If you do everything correctly, you will have no trouble betting on golf. Make sure to:
- Determine your budget for a specific timeframe.
- Keep consistent with a unit size and maintain your standard wager amount.
- Consider sports betting as a type of paid entertainment.
- Don’t invest funds that you don’t have in order to bet.
- Set limits on your deposits and your daily or weekly bets.
- Never ever chase your losses.
- Never bet while being under the influence of alcohol or any other substances.
The basic idea is to never go over your head. You should never go beyond the amount you are willing to lose.
Closing Tips
With a love of golf and a little knowledge of the odds, it’s easy to place a bet on a golf tournament. Do your homework (or don’t) and start with a simple bet on the golfer you think will win the tournament, then sit back and watch it unfold.
Once you’re more comfortable with the process, you can begin exploring other types of wagers, including live, in-play bets that capture the ebb and flow of the action. Have fun and bet responsibly.
However it is important to note, the content on this page is for informational purposes only. Us-bookies.com makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of information given or the outcome of any game or event.
Golf Betting FAQ
For a few more insightful tips and pieces of information, check out some of the offered answers below.
There isn’t a universal and sure way to win by betting on golf. What you can do is try and follow the best practices like keeping a betting diary, following the results, and creating your own statistics so you can get a certain edge.
The two most popular golf bets are picking the tournament winner and betting on the round leader.
An each-way type of bet on golf is when you bet on the winner of the tournament, and the player to finish in the top 5 or top 10 at the same time.
Yes, it is legal to bet on golf. However, you can only place bets in states where online sports betting was made legal.
The honor and the away rule is determined by whose player’s ball is closest to the hole. If your ball lands closer to the hole, you are deemed as the “honor,” meaning that you are the one who hits the ball first. If your ball is further from the hole, you are given the title of “away” and get to hit the ball second.
The first hit of the match is a Teeup.
