Nassau

What is a Nassau in golf?

A Nassau is three separate golf bets played over one round: one on the front nine, one on the back nine, and one on the overall 18 holes. Each bet is settled independently, so you can win one, lose another, and tie the third. It is normally scored as match play, and a losing side can add a side bet called a press.

What does a "$5 Nassau" or "2-2-2" mean?

The number is the stake on each of the three bets, not the total. A $5 Nassau means $5 on the front nine, $5 on the back nine, and $5 on the overall — $15 at stake before any presses. "2-2-2" is the same shorthand for a $2 Nassau, and the three numbers are always front, back, overall in that order. Groups that want to reward a consistent round sometimes weight the last bet, as in $5-$5-$10.

How It Works

The Three Bets

Front Nine (Holes 1-9): A separate bet for the first nine holes
Back Nine (Holes 10-18): A separate bet for the second nine holes
Total 18: A bet covering all 18 holes

Each bet is independent, so you can win, lose, or tie each one separately.

Player Counts

2 players: head-to-head match play (most holes won takes each bet)
4 players: 2v2 best-ball match play with teams
3 or 5+ players: WINNER-TAKE-ALL — lowest net total for the segment collects the bet from every other player. If two or more tie for low, one tie, all tie: the segment is a push and nobody pays.

Scoring

Uses net scores (gross score minus handicap strokes)
Can be played as match play (hole by hole) or stroke play (total score)
In match play, each hole is won/lost/tied individually
The player/team winning the most holes wins that bet

Handicap Strokes

Strokes are allocated based on the hole handicap rating (1-18)
The difference between players' course handicaps determines who gets strokes
Example: If Player A has CH 10 and Player B has CH 4, Player A gets strokes on the 6 hardest holes

Example

Players:

Tom (Course Handicap: 12)
Griffin (Course Handicap: 8)

Tom receives strokes on holes handicapped 1, 2, 3, and 4 (4-stroke difference).

Front Nine Results:

Tom wins holes 1, 3, 5, 7
Griffin wins holes 2, 4, 6
Holes 8 and 9 are tied
Tom wins Front Nine bet (4 holes to 3)

Back Nine Results:

Griffin wins holes 10, 11, 13, 15, 17
Tom wins holes 12, 14, 16
Holes 18 tied
Griffin wins Back Nine bet (5 holes to 3)

Total 18:

Tom: 7 holes won
Griffin: 8 holes won
Griffin wins Total 18 bet

Payout

In a $10 Nassau, each of the three bets is worth $10, so $30 is at stake:

Tom wins the Front Nine: Griffin pays Tom $10
Griffin wins the Back Nine: Tom pays Griffin $10
Griffin wins the Total 18: Tom pays Griffin $10

Griffin won two bets and lost one, so the three settlements net out to a single payment.

Final: Griffin +$10, Tom -$10

What is a press in Nassau?

A press is a new side bet that a losing player or team starts when they are down by 2 or more holes. It runs alongside the original bet, covers only the remaining holes of that segment, and starts level at all square — so the trailing side gets a fresh chance to win money back without the original bet going away.

Press Rules

Can be initiated when down 2+ holes
Creates a new independent bet
Original bet continues alongside the press
Common types: Front 9 press, Back 9 press

Press Example

If Griffin goes up 2 holes on the front nine after hole 5:

Tom can initiate a "Front 9 Press" starting from hole 6
Now two bets are active: Original Front 9 AND Press (holes 6-9)
If Tom wins holes 6-9, he wins the press but might still lose the original Front 9

How do you play a Nassau with 4 players?

With 4 players you play 2v2 team Nassau:

Uses best ball scoring (best net score from each team counts)
All three bets still apply (F9, B9, Total)
Teams are typically determined before play begins

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nassau match play or stroke play?

Nassau is normally played as match play — you count holes won rather than total strokes, and whoever is ahead when a segment ends wins that bet. There is no governing body for Nassau, so some groups settle the three bets on total net strokes instead; agree which one you are playing before the first tee.

What happens if the front nine ends tied?

A tied segment is halved and no money changes hands on that bet. The back nine and the overall are unaffected — the back nine always starts level regardless of what happened on the front.

Can you win the front nine and back nine but lose the overall?

No. The overall bet covers all 18 holes, so a side that is ahead at the end of both nines is also ahead over 18. What does happen often is the reverse: you can split the two nines and still win or lose the overall, because it is scored across the full round rather than as a tiebreak between the two segments.

What does "dormie" mean in a Nassau?

Dormie means a side is ahead by exactly as many holes as remain — 3 up with 3 to play. They can no longer lose that bet, but the opponent can still halve it by winning every hole left.

How do handicap strokes work in a Nassau?

Strokes come from the difference between the players' course handicaps, and they are allocated by the hole's stroke index (its 1-18 difficulty rating on the scorecard), not by hole number. If Tom is a 12 and Griffin is an 8, Tom gets one stroke on each of the four holes rated stroke index 1 through 4. Hole 1 is not necessarily stroke index 1 — check the card.

Can you play a Nassau with 3 players?

Yes. In Fairway Funds a 3-player Nassau (and any group of 5 or more) is scored winner-take-all: the lowest net total for a segment collects the bet from every other player. If two or more players tie for low, one tie ties all and the segment is a push, so nobody pays.

How much money is actually at stake in a Nassau?

Three times the stated stake before presses — a $5 Nassau puts $15 on the line. Each press adds another bet of the same amount to the segment it was called in, so a round with one press on each nine puts $25 at stake instead of $15.