5 Different Types of Golf Bets to Try During the Next Major

Anyone who’s ever played golf knows that even though it seems simple, it’s actually one of the most complex and intricate sports imaginable. Similarly, anyone who bets golf regularly knows that it might look like a slow way to gamble, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you take the time to understand all of the different options available to you when you’re ready to put some skin in the game, you’ll be surprised at how many most sportsbooks offer. In this article, I’ll lay out five popular options you should try it during the next big tournament (although most will be available during any event).

1 – Overall Winner

This one is the most basic, and quite frankly, it’s one of the most difficult to win. Out of a field of more than 100 golfers, the week-to-week variance in their performance is nearly impossible to predict with any degree of accuracy. Long gone are the days when you could place a bet on Tiger or Jack and feel good about your prospects.

Instead, now the focus has shifted to getting the most value for your picks, and putting as many horses in the race as possible, so to speak.


Heading into a golf tournament, you might see the odds for even the favorite looking very enticing. For example, in the days leading up to the 2021 Players Championship, the favorite Dustin Johnson is +1200. The “longest” odds out of those in the top 5 is only +1600.

That means you bet $500, split evenly amongst the top 5, and if any one of them wins, the lowest payout you’d get is $700. Unfortunately, real money sportsbooks haven’t made any mistakes here and certainly aren’t in the business of giving out an easy win.

You don’t have to be a die-hard golf fan to know that the overall winner of a tournament, whether it’s a major or not, is often someone who nobody would have expected. If you’re thinking, “What if I pick a longshot in the middle of the pack?” My only answer to that would be: Knock yourself out, but after a few of these bets, you might get the feeling like you’re just giving your money away.

Although betting on who you think will be the overall winner has the potential to be a huge win financially, I would suggest staying away. If you do want to put in a bet on the outright champion, keep it to the low-end of your bankroll range.

2 – Head-to-Head Bets

When it comes to maximizing the excitement of a golf bet, it’s hard to beat head-to-head betting.

This type of play looks visually similar to an MLB bet at the sportsbook in the sense that you’re betting on a moneyline, and the odds are never too far shifted in one person’s favor. It differs from MLB betting because not all sportsbooks have the same matchup pairings.

Head to head bets, sometimes referred to as “matchup” or “vs,” involves two (or sometimes more) players paired together. Whichever player has the lowest score at the end of the round is the winner.

What I like most about this type of play is that you have quite a bit more flexibility to choose the options you want. Each sportsbook will likely have some differences in the bets they offer, so if you don’t see what you want on one platform, don’t be afraid to check out a different site.

Finally, the last reason that I think matchup betting is about as good as it gets with golf is that you don’t have to follow the entire field. Believe me when I say that watching golf is significantly more entertaining when you have just one or two people who you’re really rooting for to perform.

3 – Prop Bets

No matter the sport, you can always count on the “prop bet crowd” to keep things interesting. In that sense, golf is just like any other sport.

When it comes to the props offered during a golf tournament, some of the most common offerings will be: How many eagles will happen during the first round? Who will have the lowest single-round score of the tournament? Will there be a hole in one? And the list goes on.

As with matchup bets, the props offered will vary significantly from platform to platform. In fact, there’s nearly an endless number of potential options, and some sportsbooks can get creative when it comes to these types of bet offerings.

While there isn’t a tried-and-true strategy for making money off of props, I think the overall entertainment value alone makes it worth the risk. Think about the Super Bowl. You’ll likely place half a dozen or more bets on random events happening just to keep things interesting. The same can be said for golf in that it’s fun to mark down your wins and losses as you go along.

Just because prop bets are undeniably fun, it doesn’t give you an excuse to forget about the gambling basics, such as an emphasis on the value a bet option provides. Because prop bets are — by their very nature — highly random, the odds can vary significantly depending on where you look.

Some bettors might suggest that it’s in your best interest to pick your spots when it comes to prop bets, meaning selecting a few that you feel the most confident about and stick to those. I believe the opposite mindset will result in more success, meaning you should diversify your options. Bet smaller amounts on more overall plays.

Not only will the philosophy of “more bets, smaller amounts” give you the most chances to win, but it simply makes the entire experience more entertaining. And isn’t that what gambling is really all about?

4 – 5/10/20 Betting

If you like a certain golfer, but don’t necessarily feel confident enough to bet on them to win outright, perhaps a 5/10/20 bet would be more your speed.

As you can probably guess, these bets have you select a golfer and give you the opportunity to choose how much faith you have by selecting odds for a top-5, top-10, or top-20 finish. It sounds pretty basic, but it gets a little more interesting when you start deciding exactly how strongly you feel about your selection.

Obviously, the odds vary significantly based on which option—5, 10, or 20—you pick, so this is a very “pure” type of gambling in my opinion. You pick the golfer, choose the risk, and reap the reward if you get it right.

5 – Matchup Bets

Remember the head-to-head betting option? This is similar, but it adds extra golfers into the equation.

Instead of just betting on the winner of a twosome, for example, Tiger Woods vs. Dustin Johnson, you’d be given the option to select which golfer out of a group you think is going to have the best finish.

The odds might look something like this: Tiger Woods (+160), Dustin Johnson (+200), Patrick Reed (+280), Tony Finau (+250). From there, you select the player who you think will finish at the top of the leaderboard amongst the group, and if they beat the others in the group, you win.

What’s exciting about matchup bets is that, like head-to-head bets, the options vary based on where you’re getting your odds.

Also, the number of total players within a single group can vary as well. For example, you might choose the winner out of a group of four. But if you choose the winner out of a group of eight, your odds will be more favorable because the risk will be higher.

Think of group matchup bets like betting on the overall winner of a tournament but with a field that’s a fraction of the size. When you make these bets, there’s enough players to keep it interesting but not so many that you can’t keep up.

Conclusion

Betting on golf is underrated. It allows gamblers to choose their risk, their players, and their betting type in a way that’s hard to find with most other sports.

If you haven’t given it a try in the past, I highly recommend giving it a go the next time a major tournament rolls around.