House rules vary. This is the common way to play Nassau. Settle the details (points, stakes, handicaps) on the first tee, before anyone has hit a shot they'd like to renegotiate.
The three bets
A Nassau is three separate bets of the same size:
- The front nine (holes 1 to 9)
- The back nine (holes 10 to 18)
- The overall 18
So a "$2 Nassau" means $2 on the front, $2 on the back and $2 on the full round: the most anyone can win or lose without presses is $6. It works one-on-one or as two teams of two using best ball.
Scoring each bet
Most Nassaus are played as match play: each hole is won, lost or halved, and you track who is "up". After nine holes the side that has won more holes wins the front bet. The overall works the same way across 18 holes.
You can also play a Nassau as stroke play (lowest total score for each nine and for 18). Match play is more common because a blow-up hole costs you only one hole, not the whole bet.
Presses explained
A press is a new bet, the same size as the original, that starts on the next hole and runs to the end of that nine (or the round, for the overall). It gives the side that's behind a way back in.
- Manual press: the side that's down can ask for a press. The other side can accept or decline, depending on your rules.
- Automatic 2-down press: a very common rule. When a side goes 2 down in any active bet, a new bet starts automatically on the next hole.
- Presses can stack. If you go 2 down in a press, that can trigger another press. This is where the money adds up, so agree on a limit.
- Last-hole press: some groups allow a press on 9 or 18 even when only 1 down. Agree first.
Handicaps
For fair matches, the higher handicap usually gets the difference in strokes, applied on the holes ranked hardest on the scorecard (stroke index 1, 2, 3 and so on). In a Nassau you can also give strokes per nine: half the difference on each side.
Etiquette
- Agree on the stakes, presses and handicaps on the first tee. Not on the 7th.
- Keep the stakes friendly. The point is a better game, not a bad drive home.
- Settle up at the end, not hole by hole.
Example. You lose holes 2 and 4 and are 2 down after four. With an automatic 2-down press, a new front-nine bet starts on hole 5. You win 5, 7 and 9 and halve the rest. The press (holes 5 to 9) is yours 3 up, and the original front bet finishes 1 up to you too (lost two holes, won three). Two front-nine bets won from a bad start: that is why people love the press.
The scorecard
Nassau match card
Official-ish scorecardPick the result of each hole. Front, back and overall update as you go. Everything stays in your browser; nothing is saved or sent. Your secrets are safe.
Questions people actually ask
What does a $5 Nassau cost?
Up to $15 without presses: $5 each for the front nine, back nine and overall.
Is a Nassau match play or stroke play?
Usually match play, though some groups play it as stroke play. Agree first.
What is a press?
A new bet of the same size that starts on the next hole, usually offered or triggered when a side is 2 down.
Playing for money? Keep it friendly and legal where you live. The best stake is one nobody minds losing.