Golf Sixes

What is Sixes?

Sixes — sometimes called "Hollywood" or "Round Robin" — is a 4-player betting game that breaks 18 holes into three separate 6-hole segments, each with a different team pairing. The beauty of the format is that by the time you reach the 18th hole, you've been partners with every other player in your group at least once.

Each 6-hole segment plays as its own mini match: the team that wins more holes takes that segment's bet. Because the teams change, a player who had a rough first six holes has fresh teammates — and a fresh chance — on the next segment. Nobody is mathematically eliminated until the final putt drops.

It's the most social team format in golf and one of the best for groups of four where the skill levels are a bit mixed. Your good holes always help someone, and your bad holes never hurt the same teammate twice.

How Scoring Works

1. 1

   Label your four players A, B, C, and D. The standard team rotation is: Holes 1–6: A&B vs C&D · Holes 7–12: A&C vs B&D · Holes 13–18: A&D vs B&C.

2. 2

   Each hole within a segment is scored like match play. The team whose best (or combined, depending on your variant) score is lower wins the hole. The team with more holes won at the end of the 6-hole segment wins that segment's money.

3. 3

   A segment that ends tied 3–3 is a push — no money changes hands for that segment. Or your group can agree to carry the push money into the next segment, creating a bigger pot.

4. 4

   After 18 holes, each player's net result is the sum of their wins and losses across all three segments. Players on the winning team for a segment split the losers' buy-in for that segment.

Setting Up the Wager

Set a dollar amount for each segment — typically $10 to $20 per segment. Each player can win or lose up to $30 total across three segments. Because the teams rotate, the maximum swing is limited, which makes Sixes a friendly game for groups that don't want anyone to get crushed.

Some groups also add a per-hole side bet within each segment — say, $2 per hole won outright. This keeps every individual hole interesting even when a segment's outcome feels settled. Strokes & Stakes tracks all of it and shows exactly who owes what at the end.

Pro Tips

• Write down the team pairings before you tee off — holes 1–6, 7–12, 13–18. It avoids any confusion mid-round about who's on whose team. Strokes & Stakes shows the current pairing at the top of the scoring screen.
• Don't give up after a bad first segment. Sixes is designed for comebacks — your new partner on segment 2 may be the hottest player in the group.
• Use handicaps if your group has a wide skill range. Net scoring means the weaker player still contributes, and it keeps the team match competitive in every segment.
• Decide your push rule upfront: does a tied segment result in a push (no money), carry over, or require a sudden-death playoff hole? Most casual groups just push, which keeps things clean.
• The player who is A typically ends up with the most consistent experience — paired with B (the "stronger" partner by convention), then C, then D. Mix up the assignments if you want to randomize the dynamics.

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