Nassau Golf Game: Rules, Presses, Payouts

A Nassau is a golf betting game that splits one round into three separate wagers of equal value: the front nine, the back nine and the overall 18 holes. A “$2 Nassau” simply means $2 is riding on each of those three, so the base bets are worth up to $6 for the round.

That structure is the whole genius of the game. By carving a single match into three, a Nassau keeps everyone interested even when one side runs away with the front nine, because the back nine and the overall bet are still up for grabs. Add the optional “press,” and it becomes one of the most popular money games in golf. Here is exactly how it works.

The three bets that make a Nassau

Every Nassau is really three matches happening at once over the same round of golf. Each is settled on its own.

• Front nine: whoever wins holes 1 through 9 wins this bet.
• Back nine: whoever wins holes 10 through 18 wins this bet.
• Overall 18: whoever wins the most holes across all 18 wins this bet.

Most Nassaus are played as match play, meaning you count holes won rather than total strokes. You could win the front nine, lose the back nine, and still take the overall bet, so all three stay meaningful until late in the round.

How the stakes add up

The dollar figure in a “Nassau” is the amount on each segment, not the total. That is the detail newcomers most often get wrong.

Nassau stake	Per segment	Maximum base payout
$2 Nassau	$2	$6
$5 Nassau	$5	$15
$10 Nassau	$10	$30
$20 Nassau	$20	$60

So a $5 Nassau is not a $5 bet; it is three $5 bets. Sweep all three segments and you collect $15 before any presses come into play. Split them and the money can nearly cancel out.

The press: how a Nassau really gets interesting

The press is an extra bet a losing player or team can start mid-match to try to win their money back. The most common trigger is being 2 down: the trailing side may “press,” opening a brand-new wager on the remaining holes of that segment, usually at the same stake as the original.

• A press runs alongside the original bet, it does not replace it.
• Presses can be optional, called by the losing side, or automatic, triggered whenever a side falls 2 down.
• Each press is its own mini-match settled on the holes left.

Presses are why a modest $2 Nassau can end with a larger swing than $6. If a match seesaws and several presses are opened, the settlement adds up each of those side bets separately. Agree in advance whether presses are automatic and whether they can be pressed again, or the math at the 19th hole gets contentious.

Setting the ground rules before you tee off

The single most important part of a Nassau happens on the first tee, before anyone hits a shot. Because the format has several optional layers, disputes almost always come from things that were never agreed. Settle these up front.

• The stake: confirm the per-segment amount, and that everyone understands it applies to each of the three bets.
• Presses: decide whether they are automatic at 2 down, optional, or off entirely, and whether a press can itself be pressed.
• Handicaps: agree whether you are playing straight up or applying strokes, and on which holes.
• Ties: confirm that tied segments push, or set a carryover rule instead.

Five minutes of clarity here prevents an hour of arguing later. Experienced groups often keep it deliberately simple, a small straight-up stake with automatic presses, so no one has to make decisions mid-round.

Why the Nassau has lasted a century

The reason this game has survived since the early 1900s is that it solves a real problem: keeping a match meaningful even when it is one-sided. In a single winner-take-all bet, a golfer who loses the first few holes has nothing left to play for. The Nassau’s three-bet structure, plus the safety valve of the press, guarantees there is almost always something on the line right down to the 18th green. That is why it remains the default wager in weekend fourballs and member-guest events across the world.

A quick worked example

Say two players agree to a $10 Nassau. Player A wins the front nine, so that is $10 to A. On the back nine Player B falls 2 down, presses, then rallies to win both the back-nine bet and the press. Player A still takes the overall 18 by a hole. Settling up: A wins the front ($10) and the overall ($10), B wins the back nine ($10) and the press ($10). The bets cancel to zero, and everyone had a live match down to the last green. That balance is exactly what the format is designed to produce.

Where the Nassau fits among golf games

The Nassau is the classic starting point, but it is one of several ways golfers put a little on the line. If you play in bigger groups, our guides to the golf skins game rules and the Vegas golf game rules cover two popular team formats, while a golf scramble is the go-to for events and outings. For a stroke-based scoring twist, see what Stableford is in golf.

The short version: a Nassau is three equal bets, front nine, back nine and overall 18, the dollar figure applies to each one, and the press lets a losing side reopen the wager to claw back money.