Greenies Rules

    Greenies

    Overview

    Greenies is a simple side bet for par 3 holes. The player whose tee shot lands closest to the pin (and stays on the green) wins the greenie for that hole.

    Basic Rules

    Eligibility

    • Only applies to par 3 holes
    • Ball must be on the green after the tee shot
    • If no balls land on the green, no winner and the bet carries over

    Winning Conditions

    • Closest ball to the pin that stays on the green wins
    • Ball must still be on the green after all players tee off
    • If your ball was closest but you knock it off the green, you lose the greenie

    Carryovers

    When no one hits the green or there's a tie:

    • The bet amount carries over to the next par 3
    • Carryovers accumulate until there's a winner
    • Next par 3 is worth base bet + all accumulated carryovers
    • If the round ends with the LAST par 3 unclaimed, the carried money dies — no payout, next round starts fresh

    Measurement

    • Distance is typically measured by eye (honor system)
    • In contested situations, use:

    - Putter lengths

    - Laser rangefinder

    - Phone measurement apps

    Example Round

    Course has 4 par 3s (holes 3, 7, 12, 16)

    Bet: $5 per greenie

    Hole 3 (Par 3):

    • Griffin: 15 feet from pin (on green)
    • Tom: 8 feet from pin (on green)
    • Yann: In bunker
    • JJ: 20 feet from pin (on green)
    • Tom wins $5 from each player

    Hole 7 (Par 3):

    • Griffin: In rough
    • Tom: Just off the front of green
    • Yann: Over the green
    • JJ: In water
    • No winner, $5 carries over

    Hole 12 (Par 3):

    • Now worth $10 ($5 base + $5 carryover)
    • Griffin: 6 feet (on green)
    • Tom: 4 feet (on green, but putts before measuring and knocks it off!)
    • Yann: 12 feet (on green)
    • JJ: 25 feet (on green)
    • Tom hit it closest but knocked it off, so Griffin wins $10 from each player
    • Carryover resets to $0

    Hole 16 (Par 3):

    • Griffin: 10 feet (on green)
    • Tom: 3 feet (on green)
    • Yann: 8 feet (on green)
    • JJ: 5 feet (on green)
    • Tom wins $5 from each player

    Payout Summary

    • Tom: +$5 (won hole 3) -$10 (lost hole 12) +$5 (won hole 16) = $0
    • Griffin: -$5 -$5 +$10 -$5 = -$5
    • Yann: -$5 -$5 -$10 -$5 = -$25
    • JJ: -$5 -$5 -$10 -$5 = -$25

    Wait, that doesn't add up! Let me recalculate:

    Correct Payout:

    • Hole 3: Tom wins $5 from 3 players = +$15, Others -$5 each
    • Hole 12: Griffin wins $10 from 3 players = +$30, Others -$10 each
    • Hole 16: Tom wins $5 from 3 players = +$15, Others -$5 each

    Final Totals:

    • Tom: +$15 -$10 +$15 = +$20
    • Griffin: -$5 +$30 -$5 = +$20
    • Yann: -$5 -$10 -$5 = -$20
    • JJ: -$5 -$10 -$5 = -$20

    Strategy Tips

    • Know the wind and green conditions
    • Aim for center of green on hard par 3s
    • Don't get greedy - on the green is better than close but in trouble
    • Remember: You must KEEP it on the green to win