Wolf is the thinking golfer's bet. Every hole there's a new Wolf, and the Wolf gets a choice: watch the tee shots and grab a partner, or wave everyone off and take on the whole group alone for double the money. Read it right and you clean up.
One player holds all the power each hole, and a clock to use it.
Set a tee order on hole 1. Each hole a different player is the Wolf, the one with the decision to make. Over 16 holes everyone is Wolf four times; holes 17 and 18 have a twist (below).
In the traditional version the Wolf tees off first, then watches the other three drives in order. Right after a player's tee shot, the Wolf can claim them as a partner, but must decide before the next player hits. Pass on a good drive and it's gone for the hole. (Some groups play "Wolf last" instead, see variations below.)
Pick a partner and it's 2-on-2 for the hole. Like nobody's drive? Decline all three and play Lone Wolf for double stakes. Want bigger swings? Call Blind Wolf right after your own drive (sight unseen on the others), or Pig before you even tee off (sight unseen on everyone). Less information means a higher multiplier.
Best net score on each side wins the hole for that team. Everyone on the winning side collects the bet from everyone on the losing side, multiplied if the Wolf went it alone.
The Wolf can commit to playing alone at three escalating moments. The earlier you call it, the less you know, and the bigger the multiplier.
Called after seeing all three other drives. The Wolf turns everyone down and plays one against three. Stakes double. The standard "I've got this" move.
Called right after the Wolf's own tee shot, before anyone else hits. The Wolf has seen one drive (their own) and commits sight unseen on the others. Triple stakes for the early commit.
Called before the Wolf even tees off. No drives seen, not even your own. Quadruple stakes, the maximum swing on the card.
A popular alternative: the Wolf hits last and sees every other drive before committing. Easier read, less drama. Blind and Pig don't really fit this version, since the Wolf has full information by the time they pick. Agree on which version you're playing before the round.
On the closing holes the player in last place becomes the Wolf, a built-in catch-up so the game stays live to the 18th green.
A pushed hole pays nobody, but its value can carry to the next hole, stacking the stakes until someone wins one.
Pick a per-opponent amount, say $5. You settle with each player on the other side, so a 2-on-2 hole is $10 a head. Lone, Blind and Pig multiply that by 2, 3 and 4.
FLOG tracks who's Wolf each hole, the partner pick or lone call, the multiplier, and the running money.
A live Wolf card: partner holes, a busted Lone Wolf, a Blind Wolf payday, and a carryover.
Each drive you watch is information you didn't have before. The discipline is resisting the urge to grab the first decent shot, then committing the moment a better one shows up. Sometimes the right play is to wait for a bomb; sometimes it's to wave everyone off and pounce alone.
FLOG tracks every Wolf, every partner pick, every lone call and multiplier, so you can focus on reading the tee shots.