Doubling game · head-to-head or 2v2

How to play Hammer

Throw the hammer, double the stakes. The other side can take the new bet, throw it back at you for double-double, or just concede and pay the old one. It's the doubling cube from backgammon, brought to the golf course, and it turns a quiet hole into a real decision.

Players
2 (1v1) or 4 (2v2)
Format
Match play with doubles
Structure
Hole-by-hole or match-long
Stake basis (2v2)
Per man
The basics

How Hammer works

It's match play with one extra button. Anyone can throw the hammer at any point. From there, three options, no other rules.

1

Set the base stake

Pick a starting number, like $5 per hole. That's the hammer's base. Every throw doubles it, every re-hammer doubles it again. The starting number sets the ceiling, and the ceiling moves fast.

2

Throw the hammer

Anytime during the hole (or match), one side calls "hammer." The stake doubles. The other side now has to choose: accept and play on, decline and pay, or re-hammer back. Throwing is a tool, not an obligation.

3

Respond: accept, decline, or re-hammer

Accept means you take the new stake and play on. Decline means you concede the hole (or match) immediately and pay the old stake. Re-hammer doubles again and sends it back, the original thrower now has to choose. Each cycle doubles.

4

Settle when the hole (or match) is decided

Whoever wins the hole (or match) collects the current stake from the other side. In hole-by-hole mode, the next hole resets. In match-long mode, the doubling cube stays on the table for the rest of 18.

The two modes

Hole-by-hole vs match-long

Two structurally different games. Pick one for the round; mixing them is more confusing than fun.

Structure

Hole-by-hole

Every hole is its own match. Throw the hammer on hole 4, win or lose hole 4, settle, move on. The stake resets every hole. More throws, smaller maximum damage, more action.

Structure

Match-long

One 18-hole match. The stake stays alive the whole round and the doubles compound. One throw on hole 2, one re-hammer on hole 9, one more on hole 14 and the stake is 8× the base by 18.

Players

1v1

Two players, head-to-head. The simplest setup. The decisions are pure: you against them, nothing to hide behind.

Players

2v2 (best ball)

Two teams of two, best-ball scoring per hole. Stake is per-man against each opponent: a $5 base hammer in 2v2 means $5 to each of your 2 opponents, so each player on the losing team pays $10 and each winner collects $10. The throws are team decisions; partners talk it through.

Toggle

Auto-press (match-long only)

Optional. When one side goes a set number down in match-long mode, the stake doubles automatically once per match. Caps the damage from no one wanting to throw a real hammer late in a lopsided round.

In the app

What it looks like in FLOG

FLOG keeps the hammer always-visible on the score-entry screen. One tap to throw, accept, decline or re-hammer; the match score footer updates instantly and the Hole Ledger color-codes every entry from your point of view.

🔨 Hammer · Hole 9 (match-long) Base: $5 · Current: $40
H7: AK threw → MH accepted (×2 → $10)
H8: MH threw → AK re-hammered → MH accepted (×4 → $40)
Match: MH +$10 · 9 holes to play

The Hammer action card. Always expanded on score entry. Throw, accept, decline, or re-hammer with one tap. Breadcrumb above shows the throw chain; the match score updates live.

Play smart

Strategy & etiquette

The hammer is information, not aggression.

The right time to throw is the moment your position gets meaningfully better than your opponent's: you stuff a wedge, they're in a fairway bunker, the hole flipped. Throwing a hammer because you're frustrated is a fast way to lose money. The cube rewards reading the situation.

Questions

Hammer FAQ

What is Hammer in golf?
A match-play side game built around a doubling mechanic borrowed from backgammon's cube. Either side can throw the hammer at any point, which doubles the current stake. The other side accepts and plays on, declines and pays the old stake, or re-hammers and doubles it back.
What are the three responses to a hammer throw?
Accept (take the new doubled stake and play on), decline (concede the hole or match immediately and pay the previous, un-doubled stake), or re-hammer (double again and bounce it back at the original thrower, who now faces the same three options).
What's the difference between hole-by-hole and match-long?
Hole-by-hole resets the stake every hole; each hole is its own miniature match. Match-long plays the entire 18 as a single running match with the stake compounding from any throws or re-hammers across the round. Hole-by-hole is more action and lower variance; match-long is fewer decisions but bigger swings.
How does 2v2 Hammer work?
Two teams of two, best-ball scoring per hole (the lower partner score is the team's score). The hammer mechanic is the same. The stake is per-man against each opponent: a $5 hammer in 2v2 means each player owes $5 to each of the 2 opponents. So a losing team's players each pay $10 total, and each winning team player collects $10. Throws are team decisions; the convention is to talk it through with your partner.
What is the auto-press?
An optional setting available in match-long mode. When one side goes a set amount down (configurable, often 2 or 3 holes), the stake auto-doubles once per match. The "once per match" cap is on the AUTO trigger only. Players can still throw manual hammers on top of an auto-press at any time, the auto just won't fire again. Off by default.
Can you throw the hammer on the first hole?
Yes. There's no minimum-hole rule. Throwing on hole 1 just doubles the first hole's stake (or the whole match's stake in match-long). Some groups house-rule a minimum wait of a few holes; that's not the default.
What happens if there's a tie on the hole?
In hole-by-hole mode, a tied hole pushes and the stake doesn't change hands. In match-long mode, a tied hole keeps the running match score where it was, and the cube stays on whatever multiplier it's at.
How is Hammer different from Wolf?
Wolf is a rotating-partner game with built-in multipliers (Lone, Blind, Pig) that you choose before the drives. Hammer is a doubling cube on top of a regular match. Wolf decides the multiplier at one moment per hole; Hammer lets either side decide a multiplier any moment. Both reward strategy, but they're different games.

Throw the hammer. We'll track the cube.

FLOG keeps the hammer one tap away on every hole, color-codes the ledger from your perspective, and shows the throw chain in the breadcrumb so no one can lose track of the stake.

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