Bingo Bango Bongo Golf Game Rules

Bingo Bango Bongo is the side game that gives every handicap a fair shake. Three points are up for grabs on every hole — and because two of them reward order of play instead of raw power, the shortest hitter in the group can clean up. Three points a hole, anyone can win them.

The setup

1. Agree on a stake per point — say $1. Each of the three points is worth that amount.
2. Every player is in on every hole. There are no teams and no rotating roles.
3. Play ready golf with honor on order: the player farthest from the hole plays first. That order is what makes the first two points winnable by anybody.

The three points: Bingo, Bango, Bongo

• Bingo — the first player to get their ball on the green. Often the player who's farthest out, so a short hitter playing away first can grab it.
• Bango — once everyone is on the green, the ball closest to the pin wins. A great approach or a smart lay-up pays off here.
• Bongo — the first player to hole out. Drain it first and the point is yours, no matter who's away.

How a hole plays

1. Play the hole in proper order. Watch for who reaches the green first — that's Bingo.
2. When all balls are on the green, eyeball who's nearest the cup — that's Bango.
3. Putt out in order; the first ball to drop takes Bongo.
4. Award the three points. They can go to three different players — or you can let the app auto-assign all three to the best net score, splitting evenly on a tie.

The payouts

A worked example

Four players, $1 a point. On this par 4, three stakes ($3) go into the hole's pot, split four ways — each player's share is $0.75.

• Amy is away and reaches the green first — Bingo. Her tidy approach also leaves her closest — Bango. Two points, $2 won, minus her $0.75 share = +$1.25.
• Ben drains a long putt to hole out first — Bongo. One point, $1 won, minus $0.75 = +$0.25.
• Cole and Dee win nothing this hole — each pays their −$0.75 share.

The hole nets to zero ($1.25 + $0.25 − $0.75 − $0.75 = $0), and the longest hitter didn't win a thing. That's Bingo Bango Bongo: position and timing beat brute force.

Strategy

The smart play is to embrace being away. Hit your shot first when you can — being out of position is exactly how short hitters steal Bingo. For Bango, favor the safe side of the pin so you're closest when the whole group is on. For Bongo, putt out instead of marking when you've got a tap-in — first in the cup wins. Low handicappers can't bomb their way through this one; they have to think.

Who Bingo Bango Bongo is for

This is the great equalizer — the side game for groups with a wide spread of abilities who want everyone in the action all day. Nobody's buried by the long hitters, and net scoring keeps it honest. It pairs perfectly with Skins or a running Wolf game for a full card of action.

Keeping the books straight

Three points a hole, across four players and eighteen holes, with an even-split pot to settle each time — by the back nine, tracking who won which point is a mess of mental math. SideAction Saloon records every Bingo, Bango, and Bongo, splits the pot, applies net scores, and tallies the whole round automatically — so you finish with one clean screen showing exactly who owes who.