Money games · 2 (singles) or 4 (pairs) players
Nassau: how to play
Also known as 2-2-2, Front, back and overall
Three matches in one, with presses when you fall behind.
A Nassau is three bets in one round: the front nine, the back nine and the full eighteen, each played as its own match. Lose the front badly and you still have two live bets, which is exactly why it is the classic money game for a two-ball or a pairs match.
The press is what gives a Nassau its edge. A side that falls behind can press, starting a fresh match from the next hole to the end of the nine they are losing. Presses can be pressed again, and a group that plays automatic presses at two down can have half a dozen bets running by the sixteenth.
Score Nassau in Golf Daddy
Pick Nassau on the first tee and the app applies the strokes, keeps the live leaderboard and settles the points for the whole group. Free on iPhone and Android.
Nassau rules
- 1.Front 9, Back 9 and Overall are three separate match-play bets.
- 2.Each hole is won by the lower score; tied holes are halved.
- 3.A match ends when a side is up by more holes than remain.
- 4.The trailing side can press: a new match from the next hole to the end of the one being pressed.
- 5.Presses can themselves be pressed.
- 6.Optional auto-press: a new press starts whenever a side goes two down.
- 7.Each match won counts one unit; halved matches are void. Played over 18 holes only.
How handicaps work
Holes are decided on net scores, with strokes given off the lower handicap as in any match. Golf Daddy applies the strokes to the right holes and keeps every open press on the scorecard so you can see the state of each bet.
Worked example
A £2 Nassau: you lose the front 9, win the back 9 and halve the overall, and your opponent wins one press. You are down one unit: £2.
Tips and variations
- Decide before you tee off whether presses are automatic or by request, and whether the loser or the leader can call them.
- Pairs usually play the Nassau as better ball (Four Ball); singles play it as straight match play.
- Keep the stake small; the presses multiply it quickly.
Nassau FAQs
What is a press in a Nassau?
A new match started by the side that is behind, running from the next hole to the end of the nine (or the round) being pressed. The original bet continues alongside it.
Can you play a Nassau over nine holes?
No. The format needs a front nine and a back nine, so Golf Daddy only offers it on 18-hole rounds.
How do handicaps work in a Nassau?
Exactly like match play: the difference in course handicaps becomes strokes on the lowest stroke-index holes, and each hole is decided on net score.
Related formats
Match Play
2 (singles) or 4 (pairs) players
Skins
2 to 4 players
Four Ball (Better Ball)
4 (two pairs) players
Play Nassau this weekend
Download Golf Daddy and let the app do the maths while you do the talking. Guests who haven't got the app can play too.