Golf Games Explained is exactly what it sounds like. You want to mix it up and try something new for once? Well, someone has to do the thankless work of playing different golf formats and telling you if it’s worth it. You can thank me later.
Looking to spice up your normal match-play game? There is a very simple, not-so-complicated way to do that. It’s time to learn about “Hammer,” the side game where the stakes can get very high, very quickly. If “Hammer” is on the agenda, we suggest a pit stop at the ATM on your way to the course.
Here’s how to play.
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Number of players required: 2 or 4.
Best for: 1 v 1 or 2 v 2 matches. Players who like to dial up the pressure early and often. Folks who like to get in each other’s heads.
How to play: Hammer is about as simple as it gets. For starters, it’s basic match play, but you and your opponent or opponents first need to decide on how much each hole will be worth, as each hole is a separate match. Let’s call it $1 for now. Keep it light.
Once the match starts, either player can “hammer” the other at any point, which doubles the bet. The idea is to hammer your opponent when they may be in a spot of bother and you feel like you have a better chance of winning the hole. So, if Player A tees off first and pipes one down the middle, then Player B pulls one into the left rough, behind a tree, it would be in Player A’s best interest to hammer Player B, making hole No. 1 now worth $2. The “hammer” now alternates to Player B if they’d like. Player A can not hammer Player B twice in a row. Say Player B hits a hero shot from the left rough onto the green, they can hammer Player A back, making the hole now worth $4. Player B can also opt not to use it until the following hole, or the hole after that. It’s Player B’s to use until further notice. Once the match reaches the following hole, that hole is now worth $1 again.
Variations: Above is the most basic explanation of the “Hammer” game, but here we’ll explain the myriad variations that you must decide on before teeing it up. The first order of business – if a hole is halved, does the bet carry over to the next hole, like it would in a skins game? That’s something that needs to be agreed upon beforehand, and most commonly it would be. So if Player A hammers Player B on the first hole ($1 bet is now $2), and Player B hammers back at some point ($2 bet now $4), and they both halve with pars, the $4 would carryover to hole No. 2, making that hole worth $5. Should a hammer be employed on that hole, that hole would then be worth $10. If that hole is won, the third hole bet would reset to $1.
Normally, the “hammers” are automatic, but those who enter the game with some trepidation can make “accepting the hammer” optional.
Perhaps the most fun and strategic element you can add is the “air hammer,” meaning that in order to use the hammer, you must yell out “hammer” when your opponent’s ball is in the air. Instead of having the luxury of seeing exactly where your opponent’s ball comes to rest and hammering based off that, you must do it after they’ve struck their shot and before it hits the ground. In this scenario, you may yell out hammer when your opponent’s ball is headed toward a bunker or water hazard or out-of-bounds, only to watch it land past the bunker or the water, or get knocked back out to the fairway off a tree. This makes players use the hammer much more wisely. This also goes for putts, too, an added wrinkle on full display in a Season 1 episode of Netflix’s “Full Swing” featuring a hammer match between Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. In their match, any birdie made also doubled the bet.
If you have any golf games or variations of golf games we haven’t covered and you’d like to explain, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X @Cpowers14.
MORE GOLF GAMES EXPLAINED
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How to play ‘Skins’: A basic guide to one of golf’s best money games
What is ‘Swat’? How to play one of golf’s most fun betting games
How to play ‘Snake’: A basic guide to golf’s most toxic putting game
How to play ‘Wad’: The golf gambling game that rewards making putts
How to play ‘5-3-1’: A guide to the perfect game for when your fourth inevitably bails
How to play ‘Umbrella’: A guide to golf’s ultimate ‘side-action’ game
How to play ‘Pinehurst’: The alternate-shot game that isn’t quite alternate shot
How to play ‘Chicago’: A fun twist on the Stableford format
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
