One of the best things about playing golf with a group of buddies is the fun betting games you can play against each other. One of the most entertaining golf games is Wolf, which can be a refreshing break from standard stroke play.

If you’ve never played Wolf before, you’re in for a treat! Let’s go over the rules and basic strategies of this incredible game.

How to Play The Wolf Golf Game

Wolf is a type of match play where each hole is worth a set amount of points or dollars. Because of this type of scorekeeping, no person or team is ever really out of the match. There are many variations of Wolf, but let’s cover the basic rules first.

1. Decide The Wolf Rotation

Line up your crew on the first tee box and toss a tee into the air. Whichever golfer it points to gets to be the wolf on the first hole. Continue throwing the tee until the rotation is set. This will remain the same until the end of the round.

2. The Wolf Tees Off

After hitting his tee shot, the first player gets to decide if he wants to play as the lone wolf or with a wolf partner. If he chooses the partner route, he’ll then watch the second golfer tee off.

After that shot is completed, the wolf must decide whether to partner with that person or to pass and watch the third player hit. If the wolf doesn’t like the tee shot of the third player, he’s automatically paired with the fourth player.

3. If Partner Format is Chosen, Each Team Plays Their Best Ball

You know what Best Ball means if you’ve ever played in a golf scramble. If not, it simply means that you and your teammate will hit your shots and play whichever ball is the best.

4. The Team or Player With the Lowest Score Wins the Hole

So, if Team 1 scores a 3 on the hole and Team 2 scores a 4, Team 1 is declared the winner, and each player will receive 1 point. No points are awarded if there is a tie, whether in team format or lone wolf format.

5. Lone Wolf Holes Are Worth Triple

Now, before you get cocky and choose to go lone wolf each time you can, remember that each lone wolf hole is worth triple the points. This means that if the lone wolf wins, he’ll receive 3 points while his other non-wolf partners will get 0.

However, the inverse is also true. If the lone wolf doesn’t win the hole, the other three golfers get 3 points while the wolf gets 0. In other words, going the lone wolf route is a huge gamble.

How Many Players Do You Need to Play Wolf?

The Wolf golf game is typically played with four golfers, but some variations allow for three golfers to play. All that’s needed is a few modifications to the rules. With three golfers, there’s no predetermined order for who’s going to be the wolf.

After all golfers hit their tee shots, the one with the second longest drive automatically becomes the wolf. The other non-wolf partners become the wolf hunters. The rules are slightly different for par 3 holes, however, as the wolf is awarded to the player that is the second closest to the hole.

The scoring system for a threesome is also a bit different. After all three golfers have finished the hole, the wolf’s score is doubled and then compared to the combined score of the wolf hunters.

The team with the lowest net score wins. If the wolf wins, he gets two points, but if the non-wolf golfers win, they get one point each.

Players can also decide if they want the points to carry over in the case of a tie. For example, let’s say the wolf and the wolf hunters tie on the second hole. Those points will carry over to the third hole and make it worth double the amount.

3 Tips to Help You Win at Wolf

Now that you know how to play Wolf, the next step is to learn how to win! We’ve compiled this list of 3 tips to help you win more often at Wolf. If you take these tips to heart, you’ll win more bets on the golf course.

1. Play with Confidence

Playing wolf on the golf course is a lot like playing poker at the casino. The golfer who isn’t afraid to take big risks exudes lots of confidence. This can psych out the other golfers in the crew and make them even more nervous.

One way to show confidence is to announce yourself as the blind lone wolf before you even hit your tee shot. This is known by many in the golfing world as the wolf hammer, and it carries a 4x multiplier of points instead of just 3x! This will shake your buddies up and let them know that you aren’t messing around.

2. Team Up with a High Handicapper

This tip only applies if you are playing Wolf with full handicaps involved. When that rule is instilled, it makes a lot of sense to team up with a high handicapper because they’re given at least one stroke per hole.

That means if the high handicapper scores a 5 on a hole, their score is actually recorded as a 4. This can make it easier for you to rack up points, especially if you happen to hit a poor tee shot as the wolf.

3. Don’t Take The Game Too Seriously

This may be the most important tip of all. While there’s nothing wrong with being competitive, remember that Wolf is supposed to be much more fun than regular stroke play. You aren’t playing for millions of dollars like on the PGA Tour, so just lighten up and have a good time out there!

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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If you’re looking for something to mix up your standard fourball round and add a bit more jeopardy to proceedings, then a wolf golf game might be for you.

In wolf, each hole is different. Your group of four is separated into two teams, with one player designated the ‘wolf’. Their role is to determine the teams and decide whether to partner up or take on the other three players on their own.

One of wolf’s best characteristics is that it keeps a round fresh from start to finish. No two holes are the same, with teams and stakes constantly changing.

Some people will play a wolf golf game for cash, others for points. Whatever you choose, you’ll be sure to discover a new way of playing golf, and it just might become one of your favourites.

How to play wolf golf

As mentioned, wolf golf is played with four players, all of whom should be numbered. This determines the order in which each will become the wolf. For example, player one is the wolf for the first hole, before player two is the wolf for the second, player three for the third, and so on. Once everyone has been the wolf, the rotation begins again. 

The role of the wolf

It’s the wolf’s job to decide who their partner for the round will be. There are multiple variations to the game, but typically, the wolf will tee off first. From there, they have a small window to decide which player, if any, will be their partner.

After a player tees off, the wolf must decide whether they will partner up with said player before the following player tees off.

So, once player two tees off, the wolf must decide whether to partner up with them before player three begins their turn. If they decide not to join up with player two, the same process begins again between players three and four. The reason for this is so that the wolf can’t just wait for the best shot and pick them as their partner.

If the wolf then picks player four as their partner, players two and three would join together and make up the other team. 

The lone wolf

However, the wolf may instead opt to go it alone and partner up with no one, becoming the lone wolf in the process. This increases the stakes, meaning the wolf will either win double points or be forced to owe double points to all of the opponents.

The wolf can even take this a step further by becoming the blind lone wolf. This is when they declare their solo status before anyone has teed off, including themselves. Then, points would be tripled instead of doubled.

It’s important to remember that all of this is only the case for one hole at a time. Each hole makes up its own mini contest, keeping the game fresh from start to finish. 

Points scoring in a wolf golf game

The exact figures for points (or cash) available in a game of wolf golf can vary.

As a general rule, each hole is decided in accordance with the better-ball scoring format, whereby the team’s score for a hole is decided by the best score from one of its players.

For example, if players one and four were in a team together and player one finished with a birdie while player four finished with a bogey, the team’s score would be a birdie.

If a team wins, both players would earn one point (or, for example, £1 if there was money involved). The other team would win nothing or be made to give the cash in the event of betting. However, if the lone wolf won, they’d win two points. If the blind lone wolf won, they’d win three. In the event of a tie, the points or money would carry over to the next hole.

This is just one variation. In others, the lone wolf could win as many as three or five points. Another great aspect of a wolf golf game is that you have a lot of freedom to score it however you’d like.

Ultimately, the winner of the entire game is the player who has accumulated the most points (or cash) across 18 holes. 

Why play a wolf golf game?

Wolf golf adds a different dynamic to standard fourball or foursomes rounds.

By making each hole a distinct contest, you’ll find yourselves gripped by all 18 competitions. Everything is different from hole to hole: the score, the stakes, the winner, the teams, and even the number of players on each side.

There might not be a more constantly refreshing system by which to enjoy a round, which is what makes wolf a one-of-a-kind game.

It’s all about freedom and choice, too. You can choose whether to play for cash, a prize, or simply pride. You can choose by which system you award points, and you can choose exactly how a hole plays out when you’re the wolf. No two groups will ever play an identical game of wolf, and that’s one of the things that’s so great about it. 

Final thoughts and tips

In a wolf golf game, it’s important to be strategic as well as bold. For example, while you have a limited window to pick a partner when you’re the wolf, it would be ill-advised to dive in and pick someone without properly considering your options. Sometimes, it is genuinely advantageous to play as the lone wolf, so don’t rush into picking a partner just because you feel like you have to.

It’s also important that everyone understands the rules before you begin. For a format which has so many different scoring systems and ways of playing, there is potential for arguments and disagreements if everyone’s not on the same page beforehand.

Remember, wolf golf is all about having fun in a friendly setting. Don’t feel the need to play in any way you’re not comfortable with, and have a good time with your friends. You might just find you want to return to a wolf golf game time and time again!

Now you know all about wolf golf, read up on match play and stroke play golf, too. 

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