Green Ball Game

Green Ball Game- One of the best golf trip games to play. Try this game when there are two or more groups playing. The object of this game is to accumulate more points than the other teams, while coming in with at least one green ball.

How to Play- Each team is given a sleeve of three green or yellow golf balls. Players will rotate using one green ball for an entire hole. Designate the rotation before play. Usually you will have your "A" golfer hit first, then "B" golfer second, "C" golfer third, and the "D" golfer fourth.
Although you may want to strategize the rotation, so certain golfers hit the green ball on certain holes. For example, you may want to order the rotation for your long hitter to play the green ball on a certain par five.

When it is your turn to hit the green ball, you must use the green ball for every shot until the hole is finished. If you LOSE a green ball, you MUST grab another green ball and finish the hole with it. If you do not have any more green balls left, your team is automatically disqualified. Keep score as you would regularly. You guys may have other games going on at the same time (skins, par 3's, etc...).

How to Score- Our group plays this game with a points system. Anytime we play a points system we score like this: Double Eagle/Hole in One=16pts. Eagle=8pts. Birdie=4pts. Par=2pts. Bogey=1pt. Anything worse than bogey gets zero pts. You can adjust your point system to the skill level of your group.

In this game, always take the score from the green ball and the next best score. If the green ball is the best score, then you use it twice. So if the green ball comes in with Par (2 pts) and the next best score is a bogey (1pt.), your group would score 4 pts. If the green ball comes in with a triple bogey(0 pts.), and the next best score is a par(2pts.)- your group scores 2pts.

How to Win- The winning team will have at least one green ball left and the highest point total for 18 holes.

Tips and Strategy- You may want to put a time limit on searching for a lost ball. Some people do not like to give up their ball, especially if it is a green ball. We don't have a specific time limit set, but if the group behind us has been waiting for ten minutes, it's time to cut the cord and move on.

Before play starts, pick your rotation based on the strengths and weaknesses of the group. If you have a golfer who normally hits good approach shots, place him in order to hit a difficult par 3. Sometimes you can line it up so he gets a chance to hit the green ball on multiple par 3s. Your weakest golfer should hit the green ball on easier holes. This doesn't always pan out for the entire round, but you should be able to cherry pick some of the holes.

Utilize every player in the group. Many times we will send out members of the group to watch where the green ball might land. For example, on a blind tee shot, we will let the green ball player hit last. The first three players (who have already hit) will find spots down the fairway to watch where the green ball lands. This takes a little more time upfront, but eliminates searching time.

Variations- You may want to adjust a few things based on the level of play in your group. For scratch golfers, it would be more challenging to start with only one or two green balls. For the higher handicappers, you may want to start with four or five green balls. It also depends on how hard the course is. You can also change the way you score. Maybe allowing the top three scores instead of two. Or, put more pressure on the green ball player, take actual scores and do not use the points system. We usually play this game along with a skins pot and a par three pot. This keeps some excitement for the team that has lost all of their balls.


Fun Stuff- This is one of my favorite games to play on golf trips. Especially if you have a bunch hackers in the group! There is nothing like watching a grown man tremble over his green ball, when he is faced with a 180 yard par 3 over a pond. I have seen guys smoke three cigarettes on one hole just to fight off the nerves. Tension seems to constantly grow throughout the match, especially when you are down to the last green ball and there are still six holes to play! The only relief is when you finish the hole and turn over the green ball to your teammate.

I hope your group has as much fun with this game as we do. We have enjoyed playing this game for many years. It is always one of the games we play on our trips.