Golf Games for 3 Players
The fourth cancelled at 9pm and the tee time stands. Good news: a threesome isn't a broken foursome — some of the best betting games in golf are built for exactly three. Here's what to play, ranked.
Why threesomes need their own games
Most partner formats (Vegas, Sixes, team Nassau) assume four. With three you want every-golfer-for-themselves formats — games where nobody needs a partner and nobody sits out a bet. That constraint happens to produce some of golf's most entertaining action.
1.Nines (5-3-1)
Nine points per hole: 5 for low score, 3 for middle, 1 for high — with ties splitting the pool. Designed for three players, and it shows: every hole produces a result, nobody can hide, and the math is the cleanest in golf. If you play one game from this list, play this one. Full Nines rules →
2.Wolf, 3-player
The Wolf rotates each hole, tees off first, then decides: take a partner for a 2-on-1 hole, or go Lone Wolf against both for double the money. With only two drives to judge, the Lone Wolf temptation comes up constantly — which is exactly the fun. Full Wolf rules →
3.Skins
Same classic game — win the hole outright, win the skin; ties carry — but with three players, outright wins come easier and pots turn over faster. Use net scoring if handicaps differ. Full Skins rules →
4.Banker
The low scorer becomes the Banker and carries a separate bet against each opponent, with presses to double mid-hole. With three, you're the Banker often — everyone gets their turn in the hot seat. Full Banker rules →
5.Bingo Bango Bongo
First on the green, closest once everyone's on, first to hole out — three points a hole that any skill level can win, because order of play levels the field. The pick when your threesome spans a 20-handicap spread. Full Bingo Bango Bongo rules →
6.DOTS
Earn dots for fairways, greens, sand saves, one-putts, birdies — you're competing against the course, then settling dot-for-dot. No partner math, works perfectly with any headcount. Full DOTS rules →
7.Landmines
Low score collects, high score pays — plus penalty points every time you find water, sand, or three-putt. With three players there's nowhere to hide from your mistakes. Not for the faint of heart. Full Landmines rules →
Stack a par-3 game on top
Threesomes move fast, so most add a bonus layer: Greenies on the par 3s, Sandies for bunker saves, or Closest to the Pin. They ride alongside the main game without slowing anything down.
What about Nassau or Match Play with 3?
Both are two-sided bets, but a threesome can run them round-robin: three simultaneous 1v1 matches, each pair with its own bet. It works — the catch is you're now tracking three ledgers at once, which is exactly the kind of bookkeeping that ruins a scorecard. (That's an app's job. See below.) Full rules: Nassau · Match Play.
Keeping a threesome's books
Three players, rotating Wolves, split points, maybe a round-robin Nassau on top — the ledger gets messy faster than a foursome's. SideAction Saloon runs every game on this page (several at once if you like) from one score entry and ends the round with a single settlement screen: who owes who, in dollars. Skins and DOTS are in the free tier, so a threesome can play tonight for nothing.
SideAction Saloon — The Side Game AppBuilt for threesomes too. We do the math, you handle the trash talk.