How to Play
Skins
The complete guide to the skins game in golf — rules, carryovers, scoring, and variations.
What Is a Skins Game?
A skins game is the simplest and most popular golf side bet. Each hole is worth one "skin." The player with the outright lowest score on a hole wins the skin. If two or more players tie for the lowest score, no one wins and the skin carries over to the next hole, adding to its value.
Skins is the format you see on TV specials (The Match, PGA Tour skins events) and the one your Saturday morning group most likely plays. It works with any number of players from two to twelve, creates drama on every single hole, and can be explained in one sentence: low score wins the hole, ties carry.
Basic Rules
Before the round, the group agrees on a dollar value per skin. Common amounts are $1, $2, $5, or $10 per skin. Then:
- Each hole is worth one skin. Eighteen holes = eighteen skins available.
- Lowest score on a hole wins the skin. If Player A makes par and everyone else makes bogey or worse, Player A wins the skin.
- If two or more players tie for low score, the skin carries over. Nobody wins that hole. The skin rolls to the next hole, making it worth two skins. If the next hole also ties, it carries again and the following hole is worth three skins.
- When someone finally wins a hole outright, they win all the carried-over skins. This is what creates the massive swings — a skin that has been carrying for four holes is worth four times the base amount.
- If the last hole ties, the carried skins go to the last outright winner. Some groups play "carryover skins stay dead" on the last hole. Agree on this before you play.
Example: At $5/skin, if the skin carries from hole 7 through hole 10 and a player wins hole 11 outright, that player wins 5 skins (holes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11) = $25 from each other player in the group.
How Carryovers Work
Carryovers are the heart of a skins game. Without them, skins would just be a per-hole lowest-score contest. With carryovers, every tie increases the stakes on the next hole, creating a building tension that can explode on one shot.
Here is how a carryover sequence plays out:
| Hole | Scores (4 players) | Result | Skins on Next Hole |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4, 4, 5, 6 | Tie — carry | 2 |
| 2 | 3, 3, 4, 5 | Tie — carry | 3 |
| 3 | 5, 4, 5, 6 | Player B wins outright | 1 (reset) |
Player B wins 3 skins (holes 1, 2, and 3 combined). At $5/skin, that is $15 from each of the other three players = $45 total. On one hole.
This is why skins creates the most dramatic individual moments of any golf side game. You can play seventeen mediocre holes and then birdie the eighteenth when five skins are riding on it and walk away the biggest winner of the day.
Carryover Math
With more players, ties happen more often, which means longer carryover chains and bigger payouts when someone finally wins. In a six-player game, it is not unusual to see five or six skins carry into one hole.
In a two-player game, ties happen less often (only one other score to match), so carryovers are less frequent. Some twosomes play without carryovers, treating each hole as its own independent bet.
Gross Skins vs Net Skins
There are two ways to run skins with players of different handicaps:
Gross Skins (No Handicaps)
Everyone plays off scratch. The actual score determines who wins the skin. This rewards the better golfer and is typical in groups where everyone is within a few strokes of each other. If a 5-handicap and a 20-handicap are in the same skins game playing gross, the 5 is going to win most of the skins.
Net Skins (With Handicaps)
Each player receives handicap strokes on the appropriate holes based on the stroke index. A 20-handicap gets a stroke on the twenty hardest holes. If the gross scores are Player A: 4, Player B: 5, and Player B has a stroke on that hole, the net scores are 4 and 4 — a tie and a carryover.
Net skins levels the playing field and is the better choice for groups with a wide range of handicaps. It makes the game fair for everyone and gives higher-handicap players a realistic chance of winning skins.
Which should you play? If everyone in the group is within 5 strokes of each other, gross skins works great. If the range is wider than that, play net skins. bagboy lets you choose gross or net when you set up the game.
Full 18-Hole Skins Example
Four players: Alex, Ben, Chris, and Dana. $5/skin, gross skins. Here is how the round plays out:
| Hole | Alex | Ben | Chris | Dana | Winner | Skins Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Carry | — |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Carry | — |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Ben | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Carry | — |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | Chris | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Alex | 1 |
| 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Carry | — |
| 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Carry | — |
| 9 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | Dana | 3 |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Ben | 1 |
| 11 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Carry | — |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Carry | — |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Carry | — |
| 14 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Alex | 4 |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Chris | 1 |
| 16 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Carry | — |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Carry | — |
| 18 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Ben | 3 |
Final Tally
| Player | Skins Won | Winnings (at $5/skin) |
|---|---|---|
| Alex | 5 (holes 6, 14×4) | +$25 from each of 3 opponents - owes for 13 = net varies |
| Ben | 7 (holes 3×3, 10, 18×3) | Biggest winner |
| Chris | 3 (holes 5×2, 15) | Mid-range |
| Dana | 3 (holes 9×3) | Mid-range |
In this round, 18 skins were available and all 18 were distributed. Ben won the most (7) largely by winning holes with big carryovers — his birdie on 3 was worth three skins, and his birdie on 18 was worth three. Alex's birdie on 14 was the single biggest swing: four carried skins at once.
In skins, each player's payout is calculated independently. For each skin won, every other player pays you the skin value. For each skin someone else wins, you pay them. bagboy handles the netting automatically.
Skins Variations
No-Carryover Skins
If a hole ties, the skin is simply dead — it does not carry to the next hole. This reduces variance and makes each hole worth exactly one skin. Good for groups who want consistent, predictable payouts.
Validation Skins
To win a skin, you must score par or better. If you make the lowest score with a bogey, the skin carries. This rewards good play and prevents someone from winning a skin with a 6 when everyone else made 7.
Team Skins
Two teams play best ball. The team with the lower best-ball score wins the skin. Ties carry. This works well for foursomes who want a team element.
Progressive Skins
The skin value increases as the round goes on. Holes 1-6 are worth $2, holes 7-12 are worth $5, and holes 13-18 are worth $10. This front-loads the cheap skins and makes the closing stretch much more valuable.
How bagboy Runs Skins
Skins is simple enough to track on paper for the first few holes, but carryover chains get confusing fast. After a four-hole carryover, nobody agrees on how much is riding on the current hole.
bagboy tracks it perfectly:
- Real-time skin tracking. After each hole is scored, the app shows whether someone won the skin or it carried. The current carry value is always visible.
- Gross or net. Choose when you set up the game. Net skins apply handicap strokes automatically.
- Running totals. Each player's skin count and dollar total update after every hole. You always know where you stand.
- Clean settlement. At the end of the round, bagboy nets everyone's skins and shows exactly who owes who.
Stack it. Skins runs alongside any other game in bagboy. The most common combo is Nassau + Skins — the Nassau for the match, the skins for individual-hole drama. Set both up when you create the round.
Skins FAQ
How many players can play skins?
Any number from two to twelve (or more, in a tournament). The game scales naturally. More players = more ties = bigger carryovers = more drama.
What happens to carried skins on the last hole?
If skins are carrying into hole 18 and it ties, the most common rule is that the carried skins go back to the last player who won a skin outright. Some groups play "dead skins" where they simply disappear. Agree on this before the round.
Should we play gross or net skins?
If the handicap spread in your group is more than 5 strokes, play net skins. It keeps the game competitive for everyone. If everyone is a similar skill level, gross skins is cleaner.
Can you play skins with teams?
Yes. Two teams play best ball, and the lower team best-ball score wins the skin. Ties carry just like individual skins.
What is a typical payout in a skins game?
In a four-player, $5/skin game, the biggest winner usually walks away $30-60 up. The biggest loser is usually $20-40 down. Wild carryover games can push these numbers higher.