How a Nassau is settled
Three bets at one stake: the front nine, the back nine and the full 18.
Each is its own match, decided by holes won, and a bet that finishes all square is a push. A $5 Nassau is $5 on each bet, so $15 is in play before any presses. In the round on this page, from our Nassau guide, one player took the front and the overall and the other took the back. With three presses, six bets and $30 were in play, and the round still settled for one unit: $5.
A press is a new bet at the same stake. It starts on the next hole and runs to the end of the nine being played, alongside the bet it was called in.
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Front nine
Holes 1 to 9. One bet.
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Back nine
Holes 10 to 18. One bet.
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Overall
All 18 holes. One bet, and rarely pressed.
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Press
A new bet from the next hole to the end of that nine, usually called when 2 down.
Agree the stake, whether presses are automatic, and whether the overall can be pressed before you tee off.
Questions
How do you settle a Nassau bet?
Work out who won each of the three bets, add any presses, and count. Every bet won is worth the stake and a bet that finishes all square pays nothing. If one player won three bets and the other two, one stake changes hands.
What does a $5 Nassau mean?
$5 on each of the three bets: front nine, back nine and overall. That is $15 in play, and the most one player can lose before any presses.
How do presses work in a Nassau?
The side that is behind, usually 2 down, calls a press. It is a new bet for the same stake that starts on the next hole and runs to the end of that nine. The original bet carries on, so both are live at once, and a press can itself be pressed.
What is an automatic press?
A press that opens without being called, whenever a side goes 2 down. In this calculator an automatic press opens when a side goes 2 down in the front, the back, or the latest press on that nine. None starts on the 9th or the 18th, and the overall bet is not pressed.
How does a team Nassau work?
Two teams of two play best ball: the lower score on each team counts on every hole. Each player on the losing side pays the stake for each bet lost, and each player on the winning side collects it. With handicaps, each player gets 90% of their course handicap and the strokes come off the lowest player.