As the demand for betting on sports continues to grow, the increase in golf betting has been noticeable. Between the PGA, LPGA, LIV, and the majors, betting on golf is a year-round activity that can be quite lucrative for those who master the craft. And, in turn, many new users may be wondering how to bet on golf.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about betting on golf, including common online bets, different kinds of props, futures betting, research tips and top stat sources, and the top bookmakers to open a golf betting account.
How to bet on golf: Complete guide for beginners
Outright winner
Betting on an outright winner is about as straightforward as it gets, hence why it's one of the most popular forms of golf betting. You simply bet on the golfer you predict will win the tournament, with corresponding odds similar to backing a winner in team sports.
Each tournament's outright winner odds open around 2-3 days ahead of the first day of action. With major tournaments like the Masters and the Open, odds may be revealed earlier as betting interest is particularly high. You can typically bet on the outright winner even after the event has begun, albeit with much shorter odds when betting on the tournament leaders.
Picking a tournament winner is difficult, as TOUR events often feature player pools of 100-156 players. The most reliable golfers — like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy — tend to yield short odds, while the less consistent pros usually have odds of 100/1+.
Understanding odds
Odds are shown differently in different parts of the world. There are fractional odds, decimal odds, and American odds. Let's talk to our friends at the PGA to explain the differences in odds:
- Fractional odds read as 10/1 or 6/5, with your profit determined by multiplying your betting amount by the fraction. Bet $100 at 10/1 and get 100 x $10 back, plus your initial stake ($1,010). Bet $100 at 6/5 and win $120, plus your initial $100 for a $220 return.
- Decimal odds read as a whole number with a two-place decimal, like 2.20 or 10.00. You just multiply your stake by the odds number. So, $100 multiplied by 2.20 is $220 (it automatically includes your stake). A $100 bet at 10.00 odds would return $1000.
- How to read odds: Reading an American odds board can seem a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it you can remember a few simple rules. Odds will be shown with either a plus (+) sign before the number or a minus (-) sign before the number. So, either +150 or -150.
American odds are based on bets being $100. You don’t have to bet $100 — it’s just the unit used to base the odds math around. A minus bet ( - ) is seen as one with more probability of success, usually attributed to the favorite in a matchup.
When odds have a plus sign ( + ), it is showing you how much you would profit with a successful $100 bet. At +120 odds, if you bet $100 you will win $120 and get your initial stake back for a $220 return. When the odds have the minus sign, it represents the amount you would have to wager in order to profit $100. So, at -120 odds you would need to stake $120 to profit $100 and get the same $220 return.
This scales with your unit size. If you bet $10 at +120, you profit $12 and get $22 back. If you bet $12 at -120, you profit $10 and get $22 back."
Accumulator, acca and parlay betting on golf
Accumulators, accas, or parlays as they are known in the US, have become wildly popular over the years, even in golf betting. In short, they allow bettors to combine multiple bets (legs) in one big bet for a larger potential payout. The odds of winning are longer because all bets in the accumulator must win for the entire acca to cash out even a penny. Thus, the potential reward is greater.
Bettors only need to combine two legs to make an acca, but the most popular golf accumulators tend to be in the range of 3-5 legs. The more bets are added, the greater the risk for the bettor, so therefore the bigger the potential payout.
Bookmakers typically allow bettors to add between two and 12 legs in an acca. Some sportsbooks will also allow you to incorporate player or game-specific bets, also known as over/under stat bets.
How to calculate the payout on an accumulator
Now that you know the definition of an acca and how you can bet one, let's quickly break down how to calculate an accumulator bet value.
Once you figure out the odds for each matchup, bet, or prop, just divide what the total payout would be by the bet amount and add an initial unit stake of 1.
Let’s imagine a £10 accumulator bet on these golfers:
Scottie Scheffler to win (4/6)
Collin Morikawa to finish top 5 (7/5)
Brooks Koepka to make the cut (11/8)
Those odds can be broken down like this:
Scheffler: 4/6 means £4 payout for every £6 staked + 1 = 1.67
Morikawa: 7/5 means £7 payout for every £5 staked + 1 = 2.4
Koepka: 11/8 means £11 payout for every £8 staked + 1 = 2.38
Each of those three numbers we calculated is your multiplier. Now, just multiply those numbers to get your accumulator odds. 1.67 x 2.62 x 1.83 = 9.53904.
That final number is 9.5, meaning your winnings would work out to be £8.50 for every pound you bet on that particular accumulator. Translation: your £10 bet just turned into a £85 win.
If you hate maths or just don't want to go through the bother of calculating your accumulator odds manually each time, have no fear. Most sportsbooks do the legwork for you, and you can also find a load of independent acca calculators all over the Internet.
And when it comes to placing your acca, shop around for the firms with the best prices. One tip is that you can often get great value with the so-called lesser firms. For example, you will consistently get the best golf odds on the market with AK Bets, who are known for offering leading prices on all the major tournaments.
You should also take advantage of any welcome bonuses or free bet offers that firms may have too, but just remember to read the terms and conditions of any deal.
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Live golf betting
Live betting, also widely known as in-play betting, is a process of placing a bet when a golf tournament is ongoing.
You can find some good variance and betting value when spread betting and betting arbitrage across, tracking a variety of online sports bookmakers for the edge of the in-play markets, as prices can change quickly and often.
For instance, you could be watching a tournament where a player has just had a hot streak of birdies, that could be an ideal time to place a live or in-play bet on said player to make the cut.
Prop betting
Player prop betting has also become wildly popular. Props allow you to bet on a player going OVER or UNDER a set statistical amount.
You can bet over/under player props on all sorts of statistics with firms such as Paddy Power and Bet365. You can also bet yes/no props for various hypothetical situations, like 'Will there be a hole-in-one?' or 'Will there be an albatross?'
Top-10 finish
For those who like winning but don't mind seeing smaller payouts when they win, betting on golfers to finish in a certain range atop the tournament is a solid option. Betting on golfers to finish in the top five, 10, 20, 30, or 40 is referred to as betting the "place market." The odds and potential profits are reduced, as the likelihood of winning are much higher than betting on an outright winner.
It's important to note that some sportsbooks pay out these bets in full, but others apply “dead heat rules.” If two or more golfers are tied for the final specified bet cut-off (top 10, top 20, etc.) — say, for instance, there are three tied for 10th and your bet to finish top 10 is one of them — your potential profits could be reduced.
Make/miss the Cut
Some events have a 36-hole cut, with the top 65 (and ties) moving on to the final stages of the weekend (making the cut) and anyone below that cut line eliminated from play (missing the cut). You can usually place a bet on whether a specific player will or won’t make the cut, with odds/prices on both sides of the cut-line market.
Round leader/round finishing position
With most tournaments featuring four rounds of action (Thursday through Sunday, usually), you can also bet on who will win each specific round or where certain golfers will finish in specific rounds.
Player vs. player (head-to-head matchups)
Golf tournaments don't usually feature 1-on-1 matchups like many other sports, but golf betting still allows you to bet one golfer to beat another. Bookmakers will match up players of similar odds and/or similar tee times to offer bettors unique head-to-head experiences to wager on.
Futures betting
Another fun method of betting on golf is the futures market, which allows you to bet on whether or not something will happen in the future. You can place futures bets on players to win future tournaments and majors or to lead the rankings at the end of the season.
You can also bet on players to win awards or make a Ryder Cup team. As award futures are far more difficult to predict way ahead of time, these bets often yield longer odds and therefore carry much higher potential payouts.
What are some common golf betting terms?
- Action – Any wager, or any bet you have on any game.
- Bonus – Funds or free bets rewarded or gifted via promotions run by a sportsbook.
- Book/Bookmaker – A sportsbook, AKA an establishment that accepts bets on the outcome of sports events.
- Favourite – "Betting the favourite" is putting money on the projected winner.
- Cover – When the favourite wins by more than the required number of points or when the underdog loses by less than the required number of points (or wins outright).
- Underdog – The team projected to lose, always getting points and usually yielding plus odds.
- Futures – Bets placed on the outcome of something in the future, like an award, a championship, or a scoring title.
- Handicapper – Someone who studies and bets on sporting events.
- Handle – Total amount of bets taken on a sporting event.
- Hold – The percentage amount the sportsbook makes.
- Hedging – Betting the opposite team or side of your original wager to either try to middle the game, or to reduce the downside exposure of the original wager.
- Hook – A half-point, used by sportsbooks to avoid a push (no betting win or loss).
- Laying the Price – To bet the favourite by laying odds.
- Limit – The maximum wager accepted by the sportsbook on a particular loffering.
- Long shot – A team heavily expected to lose.
- Outright bet – A bet on the straight-up winner of a game, underdog or favourite.
- Over/Under (total) bet – A bet that applies to the final score/total points in a given contest.
- Acca/Accumulator – A combination of straight bets to increase the potential payout. All selections must win for the bet to win.
- Price – The odds of a game or wager.
- Prop bet – A wager on a specific event happening or not happening in a game, usually stats. Examples: Will Kylian Mbappe score a goal in the game? Will there be a red card in the game?
- Spread bet – A bet on the forecasted point differential between two teams. A minus (-) indicates the favorite and a plus (+) is the underdog.
Frequently asked questions for how to bet on golf
What do the plus (+) and minus (-) mean in golf betting?
The plus (+) and minus (-) in golf betting refer to either the point spread or betting odds, when using American odds.
Odds
Favourites will often have minus odds to win the longer an event goes on, unless an event is too tight to call, and several players have negative odds. Those players less likely to win will have plus odds.
What is a "unit" in golf betting?
A unit in sports betting is a measurement of the size of a given bet. It's mainly used because everyone's bankroll is different and a unit refers to the percentage of a bankroll, AKA the amount of money they are using to spend on sports betting. One unit is usually equal to one percent of a bankroll, though it's not the same for everyone.
All golf bettors — especially new ones — should establish bankrolls. You should always bet within your means and with an amount that you are comfortable or capable of losing.
Here's an example of a unit: If your bankroll is £1,000, one unit would be £10 or 1%. In this situation, if someone puts three units on a wager with a sports betting app, it would be a £30 bet. When someone recommends betting 3-5 units on a wager, they are saying they are quite confident in the win probability of that wager.
What is the 2-5 rule in betting?
Many bankroll management theories exist, so it's up to you to decide which theory or strategy works best for you. The Kelly Criterion, AKA the 2-5 rule, suggests that bettors should never risk more than 2-5 percent of their bankroll per wager.
Example: If you're starting the football season with a £500 bankroll, the 2-5 rule would dictate that your largest bet should be no greater than £25. Your bet size would then decrease as your bankroll does.
What is a good return on investment (ROI) in golf betting?
Even a professional will say that simply doubling your money on a bet is a positive. Others prefer lower-risk, lower-reward wagers in which they walk away with 10 percent or 20 percent profit. Everyone's different, just like every bankroll is different.
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Best PGA stats to use for betting
Strokes Gained Putting
Strokes Gained Putting (SG:P) reflects the performance of a golfer on all putts. It's a measurement that compares the actual number of putts taken to the expected number of strokes to hole out based on the initial distance to the pin.
Strokes Gained Approach
Strokes Gained Approach (SG:APP) is a way of breaking down a player's performance level on all shots between the drive and the green. The measurement represents all shots over 30 yards from the edge of the green on par-4s or par-5s, excluding tee shots, and par-3s, including tee shots.
Other Strokes Gained categories
- Strokes Gained Total (SG:T): Compares a golfer's score to the field total in a tournament or season.
- Strokes Gained Off The Tee (SG:OTT): Measures how many strokes a golfer gained or lost on the field off the tee on par-4s and par-5s.
- Strokes Gained Around the Green (SG:ARG): Measures how many strokes a player gained or lost on any shot within 30 yards of the green (but not on the green).
- Strokes Gained Tee to Green (SG: T2G): The total strokes gained between the tee and the green (SG:OTT + SG:APP + SG:ARG = SG:T2G).
- Strokes Gained Ball Striking (SG:BS): The total strokes gained off the tee and on approach shots (SG:OTT + SG:APP = SG:BS).
Recent form
Before you place bets on golfers, you'll want to do some preliminary research on how they have been performing in recent tournaments. The top resources for golf betting research include:
- PGA: pgatour.com
- Golf Stats: golfstats.com
- Data Golf: datagolf.com
- Latest golf news from TSN