Nassau Golf:
Rules & Presses
The definitive guide to Nassau — the three bets, pressing, auto-press rules, scoring, and settlement.
What Is a Nassau?
A Nassau is three separate match-play bets on a single round of golf: one on the front nine, one on the back nine, and one on the overall eighteen. It is the most widely played golf betting format in the world, and for good reason — the three-bet structure keeps the competition alive even when one bet is out of reach.
The Nassau was invented at the Nassau Country Club on Long Island in the early 1900s. The story goes that the club's members wanted a format where a player who was getting crushed on the front nine could still compete on the back. Over a century later, it remains the default side bet in American golf.
A "$5 Nassau" means $5 on the front, $5 on the back, and $5 on the overall — three separate bets totaling $15 in base action. With presses (more on that below), the actual amount in play can grow significantly.
The Three Bets
Think of a Nassau as three independent match-play competitions happening simultaneously:
1. Front Nine
Match play over holes 1 through 9. Each hole is won by the player (or team) with the lower net score. The player who wins more holes on the front nine wins the front-nine bet. If the front nine is tied after nine holes, this bet pushes (no one pays).
2. Back Nine
Same format, holes 10 through 18. Completely independent from the front nine. Even if you lost the front 5 and 4, you start the back at all square.
3. Overall
Match play across all eighteen holes. This is one continuous match, not the sum of the front and back. You could win the front and back but lose the overall if you dropped two critical holes during each nine.
This structure is what makes Nassau brilliant. You have three chances to win, and each segment resets independently. A player who is 3 down after six holes can still win two of the three bets if they rally on the back nine.
How Scoring Works
Each of the three bets uses match-play scoring:
- Win a hole: You go 1 up (or reduce your deficit by 1).
- Lose a hole: You go 1 down (or your opponent goes 1 up).
- Tie a hole: The match status does not change. This is called "halving" the hole.
With handicap strokes applied, each player gets strokes on specific holes based on the stroke index. On a stroke hole, the higher-handicap player subtracts one from their gross score for that hole before comparing. This is the net score.
The match status is tracked as "up" or "down" by a number of holes. If you are 2 up with three holes to play, your opponent needs to win at least two of the last three to have a chance. Here is the terminology:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| All Square (AS) | The match is tied |
| 1 Up | Leading by one hole |
| 2 Up | Leading by two holes |
| Dormie | Leading by exactly as many holes as remain (e.g., 3 up with 3 to play) |
| Closed Out | Leading by more holes than remain — the bet is decided |
Important: Even when a bet is closed out (say you lose the front nine 5 and 4), you still play all the holes. The other bets — back nine and overall — are still live, and you may have presses running.
What Is a Press?
A press is a new, separate bet that starts at the current hole and runs to the end of the segment. Pressing is what elevates Nassau from a simple three-bet format into a dynamic, constantly evolving contest.
Here is how it works: you are playing a $5 Nassau. On the front nine, your opponent goes 2 up after five holes. You press. This starts a brand-new $5 bet covering holes 6 through 9. The original front-nine bet is still running — now you have two front-nine bets active.
If your opponent goes 2 up on the press (meaning you lose two of the next three holes), you can press again, starting another $5 bet. Each press is an independent bet with its own match-play status.
Pressing is what prevents blowouts from being boring. When you are down big, pressing gives you a path back. It also increases the stakes, which means the player who is ahead cannot coast — they have to keep playing well to avoid giving back their winnings through press losses.
Press Rules and Etiquette
- You can only press when you are losing the current bet (you cannot press when you are ahead or tied).
- A press starts on the current hole and runs through the last hole of that segment (hole 9 for the front, hole 18 for the back).
- The overall bet can also be pressed, running from the current hole through 18.
- Each press is a separate bet at the agreed Nassau amount.
- You can press a press. If you press on hole 6 and then fall behind on that press by hole 8, you can press again on hole 8, creating a third bet.
Auto-Press Rules
Many groups play with automatic presses to keep the action consistent and avoid awkward conversations about pressing. The most common auto-press rule:
Auto-press at 2 down: Whenever a player falls 2 down on any active bet (front, back, overall, or any press), a new press is automatically triggered. No one has to ask for it.
Auto-press keeps the game fair and active. Without it, a player who is losing might be too proud or too timid to press, and the round becomes uncompetitive. With auto-press, the action regenerates itself.
Other auto-press variations include pressing at 1 down (very aggressive — lots of bets), pressing only on the last hole of a segment (a "last hole press"), and capping the number of presses per segment to limit exposure.
Team Nassau (2v2)
Nassau works beautifully as a team game. Two teams of two play best ball (also called four-ball): on each hole, each team counts the better of their two players' net scores. The lower team score wins the hole.
Team Nassau is the go-to format for foursomes who want to play as partners. It adds a layer of strategy because a teammate can play aggressively knowing their partner has a safe shot at par. It also reduces variance — one player's blow-up does not sink the team if their partner makes par.
Setting Different Amounts Per Bet
Some groups set different amounts for each of the three bets. For example, $5 on the front, $5 on the back, and $10 on the overall. This puts extra weight on the overall match. Others play the overall at the same amount as the front and back. There is no standard — agree before you tee off.
Payout Examples
Example 1: Clean Sweep
$5 Nassau, no presses. Player A wins the front nine (2 up), wins the back nine (1 up), and wins the overall (3 up). Player B pays Player A $15 ($5 + $5 + $5). That is the maximum loss in a no-press Nassau.
Example 2: Split Results
$5 Nassau, no presses. Player A wins the front (1 up), Player B wins the back (2 up), and the overall is halved (all square after 18). Result: Player A wins $5 on the front, Player B wins $5 on the back, overall pushes. Net: even.
Example 3: With Presses
$5 Nassau with auto-press at 2 down. Player A goes 2 up on the front after 5 holes, triggering a press. Player B wins holes 6 and 7 to square the press and pull within 1 on the original front bet. Player A wins hole 8 to go 2 up on the press, triggering a second press. Player B wins hole 9.
Results on the front nine alone:
- Original front bet: Player A wins (1 up). A wins $5.
- Press 1 (holes 6-9): Player B wins (1 up). B wins $5.
- Press 2 (holes 8-9): Player B wins (1 up). B wins $5.
Front nine net: Player B wins $5 despite losing the original bet. This is why presses make Nassau so dynamic.
Example 4: Maximum Exposure
A $5 Nassau with aggressive auto-press at 2 down can generate 3-4 presses per segment in a seesaw match. The theoretical maximum in a wild match with constant pressing is around $50-75 total, though most rounds land in the $15-35 range.
How bagboy Runs Nassau
Nassau is the second-hardest game to track by hand (after Wolf). When you have the original three bets, two presses on the front, three on the back, and one on the overall, nobody can keep it straight on a scorecard. Most groups that play Nassau on paper end up arguing about how many presses are active and where they stand.
bagboy eliminates all of that:
- Set your Nassau when you create the round. Choose the amounts for front, back, and overall. Turn auto-press on or off, and set the press trigger (2 down is standard).
- Handicap strokes applied automatically. The app calculates each player's course handicap and applies strokes to the correct holes.
- Live match status. After every hole, the app shows where each bet stands: 1 up, 2 down, all square. Press statuses are tracked separately.
- Auto-press fires automatically. When a player hits the press threshold, the app creates the press and notifies everyone.
- Clean settlement. At the end of the round, bagboy totals every bet and press and shows exactly who owes who, down to the dollar.
Set it and forget it. The only thing you need to do during the round is enter scores. bagboy handles match status, presses, handicap strokes, and settlement.
Nassau FAQ
What is a standard Nassau amount?
$5-5-5 is the most common amount for a friendly Nassau. This means $5 on the front, $5 on the back, and $5 on the overall, for a base exposure of $15 before presses.
How many people can play a Nassau?
Nassau works with 2, 3, or 4 players. With 2, it is head-to-head. With 3, you can run three separate Nassaus (one per pairing). With 4, you can play individual (six Nassaus across all pairings) or team (2v2 best ball).
Do you have to press?
No. Pressing is optional unless your group plays auto-press. Without auto-press, the losing player can choose to press or not. Some groups make pressing mandatory at certain thresholds to keep the action flowing.
Can you press the overall?
Yes. The overall is its own match-play bet, and it can be pressed just like the front or back. If you are 2 down on the overall after 12 holes, you can press the overall, creating a new bet that runs from hole 13 through 18.
What if the front nine bet is tied?
The bet pushes — no money changes hands on that segment. The back nine and overall bets are unaffected.
Can I set different amounts for each bet?
Absolutely. Some groups play $5-5-10 or $5-5-5 with $10 presses. Agree on the structure before you tee off. In bagboy, you can set each bet independently.