How it plays
- 1Play the round as normal match play or low score by section.
- 2Match one is the front — over nine holes we play it as the first four holes.
- 3Match two is the back — holes five through nine.
- 4Match three is the overall, decided by the full nine.
- 5Each section is scored and won independently. Winning two of three wins the day.
Scoring and handicaps
- Three separate results: front, back, overall. Ties in a section are halved.
- The press: a player who is down in a section may 'press' to start a new side bet over the remaining holes. Optional, and it accelerates everything.
- In the league, section wins are converted into the finishing order and then paid as 10 / 6 / 3 / 1.
- Net play applies strokes by stroke index within each section.
Over nine holes
Splitting nine holes 4 and 5 keeps the Nassau structure intact and gives the round two natural resets — a bad start costs you one of three matches instead of the whole day.
How to actually win it
- The press is the whole format. If you are two down after three holes, press and reset the pressure.
- The overall match is usually decided by whoever avoids the blow-up hole, not by whoever makes birdies.
- It is the easiest format to explain to a guest, because it is really just three normal matches.
Questions people ask
What is a Nassau bet in golf?
A Nassau is a single round divided into three separate matches — the front nine, the back nine and the overall eighteen — each worth the same stake. A common '$5 Nassau' therefore risks $15 in total, and lets a player who lost the front still salvage the day.
What does it mean to press in a Nassau?
Pressing means a player who is losing a section starts an additional bet covering only the holes that remain. It is normally offered when a player goes two down, and it can be accepted or declined depending on the group's house rules.
How do you play a Nassau over 9 holes?
Split the nine into two sections and keep the overall. The Sandbaggers League plays front 4, back 5, overall — three results, same structure, half the time.
Watch it played
We film Nassau live, badly, every season
Five friends, one camera, nine holes, and a forfeit waiting for whoever finishes last. The full round card for every Nassau week is on this site the day the episode drops.