Whole-group · points by finish

How to play the Points game

Every hole hands out a fixed pot of points, split by where you finish. Post the low net and you grab the most; everyone else takes a share on down the line. Nobody is ever out of a hole, and one good swing on 18 can still flip the day.

Players
3–6
Format
Whole-group, per hole
Scoring
Net, by finish position
Also known as
9-point game
The basics

How the points game works

A set pile of points on every hole, divided by finish. Simple to play, satisfying to track.

1

A pot of points, sized to the group

Each hole puts a fixed pot of points up for grabs, scaled to how many are playing: 9 for a threesome, 16 for a foursome, 25 for a fivesome, 36 for a sixsome. The bigger the group, the more points on the line.

2

Finish order splits the pot

Lowest net score on the hole takes the biggest slice, the next lowest takes fewer, on down to the highest. It's played net, so handicap strokes are baked in and everyone competes on level terms.

3

Ties split their share

When players tie for a position, they split the points for the spots they cover. No coin flips, no arguments, the math just divides it evenly.

4

Total the points and settle

Add up everyone's points over 18 holes. Set a dollar value per point and FLOG settles each player against every other on the difference. The steady earner usually wins; the blow-up holes just cost a few points, not the round.

House rules

The options worth knowing

The base game is dead simple. These are the wrinkles groups add.

Pot size

9 / 16 / 25 by group size

The points pot scales automatically with the field, so a threesome and a foursome both feel right. More players, more points per hole.

Money

Dollar per point

Pick a value per point. With more players the effective stake per hole climbs, since the pot is bigger. FLOG shows the live per-point math as you set it.

House rule

Sweepers

Beat the whole group by two or more net strokes on a hole and you sweep every point on it, not just first place. A reward for truly running away with a hole.

House rule

Last place can up the value

Let whoever's trailing raise the stakes to claw back, the classic comeback wrinkle. Turn it on for a livelier back nine.

Participation

Opt players in or out

In a fivesome where a guy doesn't want in, leave him out and the pot resizes to the players actually competing. The rest play on cleanly.

Handicap

Off the low or off the card

Allocate strokes relative to the lowest handicap in the group, or give every player their full handicap off the scorecard. Set it once at setup.

In the app

What it looks like in FLOG

FLOG splits the pot on every hole, tracks the running points, and settles the per-point money so nobody is doing arithmetic on the cart.

⭐ Points · Foursome · 16/hole · $2/pt Final · 18 holes
Teddy K. 82 pts +$80
Michael H. 76 pts +$32
Scott C. 69 pts −$24
Marc S. 61 pts −$88
288 points dealt 16 per hole × 18 holes $2 / point

Foursome, 16 points a hole, 288 dealt across the round. Teddy's steady scoring stacked up; the gaps in point totals drive the settle.

Play smart

Strategy & etiquette

Every hole pays, so never give one away

Unlike a Nassau or skins, the points game pays something on every hole. Even a middling score banks a slice of the pot, so there's no such thing as a dead hole. Grind out your share and let the gaps build over 18.

Questions

Points game FAQ

How does the golf points game work?
Each hole has a fixed pot of points split by finishing position. The low net score takes the most, the next takes fewer, on down to the highest. The pot scales with the group: 9 for three players, 16 for four, 25 for five. Total the points over 18 and settle on the differences.
Why 9, 16 and 25 points?
The pot is sized to the field so every position is worth playing for. Three players split 9 a hole, four split 16, five split 25, six split 36. More players means more points up for grabs.
What happens on a tie?
Players who tie for a position split the points for the spots they cover, divided evenly. No tiebreaker needed, the math just shares them out.
What are sweepers?
An optional rule where beating the whole group by two or more net strokes on a hole wins you every point on it, not just first place. It rewards a genuinely dominant hole.
Do handicaps count?
Yes, the points game is played net. Strokes are allocated by hole index so everyone competes on level terms. FLOG lets you play off the low handicap or off the full card.

Split the pot. We'll keep the count.

FLOG deals the points on every hole, handles sweepers and ties, and settles the per-point money to the dollar, for your foursome and across every group at the course.

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