The Golf Trip Rules Sheet: 10 Rules to Agree Before You Leave
Ten golf trip rules every buddies group should agree before the first tee: gimmes, mulligans, pace, bets, handicaps and more.
Every golf trip argument starts the same way. "Wait, I thought we said..."
Fix it before you leave. Write ten rules. Send them to the group. Make everyone read them once.
Here are ten we would put on any buddies trip sheet. Change the details to suit your group.
1. Gimmes
Tip: Anything inside the leather is good. Leather means the length of a putter grip. No gimmes on the final hole of a match.
Gimmes speed up play. Without a rule, someone will want to putt out a 6-inch tap-in to win a hole and someone else will call it rude.
2. Mulligans
Tip: One mulligan per player on the first tee of each round. None after that.
The first-tee mulligan keeps people relaxed. A limit stops it turning into a free-for-all.
3. Pace of play
Tip: Ready golf. Max five minutes to look for a ball. If a group falls a hole behind, they pick up when out of a hole.
Slow play is the number one fun-killer on a trip. One clear rule prevents most of it.
4. Maximum score
Tip: Max score on any hole is double par.
It keeps pace moving. It also stops one disaster hole from ruining a whole round in stroke play.
5. Handicaps
Tip: Handicaps are set before the trip and do not change during it.
Agree the numbers in the group chat a week before. Do not renegotiate after round one.
If someone plays way above their number, that is next year's problem. Or this year's award.
6. Bets
Tip: Side bets are optional. Max stake is set before the trip. All bets are settled on the last night.
Bets are fun until they are not. A cap keeps them friendly. Settling once keeps it simple.
7. Scoring
Tip: One app is the official score. If it is not in the app, it did not happen.
This might be the most important rule. Two scoring methods means two answers. Pick one tool, and make it final.
8. Rules calls
Tip: When in doubt, play two balls and decide at the end of the hole. The trip captain makes the final call.
You do not need to know every rule of golf. You need a fair way to settle disagreements fast.
9. Team obligations
Tip: Everyone plays every team round. If you cannot, your captain picks your replacement score: double bogey on each hole.
This stops a player sitting out a tough session to protect their record. It also makes it clear what happens if someone gets hurt.
10. House rules
Tip: First person up makes coffee. Last person to finish a round buys the first drink. Losing team cleans the kitchen on the last morning.
Every trip needs a few silly rules. They become traditions.
How to share the sheet
- Write it as a numbered list, like this.
- Send it at least a week before the trip.
- Ask for objections by a set day.
- Then lock it.
Print a copy for the house. Somebody will want to check rule 6 at midnight.
What to leave out
A rules sheet should be short. Leave out:
- Full golf rules. Nobody will read them.
- Rules for things that never happen. Keep it to real problems.
- Anything that targets one person. It feels personal, even as a joke.
Rules and your scoring app
Some rules depend on your app. Check before you write them.
- If your app scores Skins, your skins rules should match how it handles ties and carryovers.
- If you play Hammer, agree how many times a team can hammer on one hole.
- If your app does not support a game, decide how you will track it, or drop it.
MATCHUPS scores Stroke, Match, Best Ball, Scramble, Skins, High/Low and Low/Low, plus the Hammer side game. It does not support Nassau, Wolf or Stableford. If those are on your sheet, see the other options in our golf buddies trip app comparison.
Who enforces the rules?
Pick one trip captain before you leave. Their job is small but important.
- Answer rules questions quickly.
- Keep pace of play moving.
- Make the final call on disputes.
Pick someone calm. Not the person with the most money on the line.
Copy this version
- Gimmes inside the leather. None on the last hole of a match.
- One first-tee mulligan per round.
- Ready golf. Five-minute ball search.
- Max score double par.
- Handicaps locked before the trip.
- Bets optional, capped, settled on the last night.
- The app is the official score.
- Unsure? Play two balls. Captain decides.
- Everyone plays every team round.
- Losers clean the kitchen.
Paste it into your group chat. Edit three things. Send it.
Planning the days themselves? Use our 3-day golf buddies trip itinerary.
We are the MATCHUPS team. Our app runs the scoring, teams and side games for a buddies trip on iPhone and Apple Watch. It is free to download. App Store | matchupsgolf.com
FAQ
What rules should a golf trip have?
Agree gimmes, mulligans, pace of play, max score, handicaps, bets, the official scoring app, rules calls and a few house rules.
How do you settle bets on a golf trip?
Cap the stakes before the trip and settle everything once, on the last night.
What is a gimme in golf?
A short putt everyone agrees is good without being holed.