Golf Drinking Games: 3 Ways to Turn Any Round Into a Party

Golf is already a game of small disasters: the three-putt, the shank into the trees, the "I'll just play a provisional." A good golf drinking game doesn't change any of that. It just gives everyone a reason to laugh about it together. Here's how to turn any round, golf trip or pub night into a proper competition, with three ready-made formats and ideas for making your own house rules.

What makes a good golf drinking game?

The best golf drinking games have three things in common:

• They use real golf scoring. Birdies, pars and bogeys are a language every golfer already speaks, so nobody needs a rulebook explained twice.
• They don't slow down play. Anything that holds up the group behind you is a bad game. Quick moments between holes work best.
• They have a payoff. A winner, a loser and a forfeit that everyone remembers.

That's exactly what Cup Golf was built around: a cup marked with coloured target lines (Hole-in-One, Birdie, Par and Bogey) and a Start Line. Fill to the Start Line, drink down, and wherever the drink settles is your score.

Game 1: The Boozy Round

Same game, less serious golf. Everyone plays their normal round, but each player gets one Cup Golf cup and one nomination for the whole round. At any point, you can pull out your cup and nominate another player to take the Cup Golf challenge on that hole. Wherever their drink finishes is added to their score as penalty strokes.

The tactical bit: save your nomination for when someone is having a great hole. Your mate is about to make birdie, you nominate them, they land on Birdie (+2) and… #BirdieTurnsIntoABogey.

Game 2: On The Course

For groups who want Cup Golf on several holes. Before teeing off, pick which holes include Cup Golf (the final hole always counts). At the end of each selected hole, once everyone has putted out, each player takes one Cup Golf shot. Your Cup Golf score is added to your golf score for that hole, and the lowest combined total after the final hole wins.

The loser has a forfeit: combine everyone's leftover drinks into one cup and finish it to complete the #CupGolfChallenge.

Game 3: For the Party

No clubs needed. This version brings golf scoring to the pub, the backyard or the beach. Decide how many "holes" to play (1 hole for a party starter, 3 for a quick round, 6 for a standard game, 9 for the pros), fill to the Start Line and take turns drinking down to a target line. Keep a scorecard, lowest total wins, highest total takes the forfeit.

Make your own house rules

The three formats above are just the starting tee. Some ideas groups use to make it their own:

• Mix formats: play The Boozy Round on the front nine and On The Course on the back nine.
• Add a "mulligan" token that lets a player retake one Cup Golf shot.
• Make the 19th hole a team round at the clubhouse using the For the Party rules.
• Let the day's best golfer pick which holes count.

Whatever you invent, share it with #CupGolfChallenge.

Play responsibly

Cup Golf is for adults of legal drinking age only. Never drink and drive (that includes the golf cart, where local rules apply), follow your course or venue's rules, and remember you can play with any drink, including non-alcoholic ones.

Ready to play? See the full rules on the How to Play page, or grab a 2 Pack or 4 Pack for your next round.