Vegas
Pair up, mash your two scores into one number, and play the difference.
4 players
Vegas is a high-variance four-player team game. Two teams of two combine their scores on each hole into a single two-digit number: the lower score goes first (the tens) and the higher score second (the ones). So a 4 and a 5 becomes 45.
The difference between the two teams' numbers is the points won on that hole, and those differences add up fast. One blow-up hole can swing a fortune, which is exactly why it's called Vegas.
How to play Vegas
- 1Form two teams of two
Split the foursome into two pairs. You'll combine each pair's scores every hole.
- 2Build your team number
Put your pair's lower score in the tens and the higher in the ones. A 4 and a 6 becomes 46.
- 3Play the difference
Subtract the lower team number from the higher. That difference is the points the lower-scoring team wins on the hole.
- 4Watch the birdie flip
If the opposing team makes a birdie, your number gets flipped so the higher score leads (46 becomes 64), inflating your total against you.
- 5Total the points
Add up the point differences across the round and settle at an agreed value per point.
A single Vegas hole
- Your team scores 4 and 5, so your number is 45.
- The other team scores 5 and 6, so their number is 56.
- 56 minus 45 is 11, so your team wins 11 points on the hole.
- At 25 cents a point, that one hole is worth $2.75.
Common variations
A birdie by either team flips the other team's number to high-low, a big swing. Some groups turn the flip off to tame the variance.
If a player makes 10 or more, the double-digit score usually leads the number (a 10 and a 4 becomes 104), which can be devastating.
Because differences add up, Vegas is usually played for a small amount per point. Set it low unless you like big swings.
Frequently asked questions
How do you score the Vegas golf game?
Each two-player team combines its scores into a two-digit number with the lower score first. The difference between the two teams' numbers is the points the lower team wins on that hole.
What is the birdie flip in Vegas?
When a team makes a birdie, the opposing team's number is flipped so the higher score leads, inflating it. It's a big momentum swing and is optional.
Why is Vegas so high-stakes?
Point differences accumulate hole after hole and a single bad hole, especially a double-digit score, can produce a huge number, so totals swing wildly. Keep the per-point value small.
Skip the 18th-green math
Three Putt scores Vegas for you and shows exactly who owes who. Everyone can score from their own phone, or one person can handle it. Nothing to download.
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