Three Golf Trip Games for Threesomes!

Had somebody pull out of your golf vacation at the last minute, leaving a gaping hole in your foursome? Never fear -- there are still plenty of games that you can play as a threesome at America's top golf courses. We check out some suggested rule setups for three different threesome games: Niner, Bingo Bango Bongo, and Wolf.

Niner

This game starts off as traditional stroke play -- just hit your own ball until it is in the cup. Then handicaps are awarded -- five points for the person with the lowest net score, three points for the next lowest person, and one for the highest scorer, to make a total of nine points for every hole. Each player will get three points if there is a three way tie; for a winner and a tie for second place, award five, two and two points; for a tie for winner and a last place, award as four, four and one point. Tally the points at the end of the round.

Bingo Bango Bongo

The odd scoring system for Bingo Bango Bongo means that many players get a bit frustrated with it! However, if you’re on your golf vacation for the fun of it (and you wouldn’t really be competing with your friends, would you?), it's a great game. There are three points available per hole, and while the etiquette is standard (in terms of who plays next and who tees first), the scoring is definitely not. The first person on the green gets one point; the person closest to the hole once all players on the green gets one; the person with the longest holed putt (or first in the hole) gets the final point.

Wolf

In this game for threesome golf trips, on player is the wolf and the other two are hunters. The longest of the three drives becomes the wolf and the other two are hunters. When the hole is completed, the score of the wolf will be doubled, and the result compared against the combined score of the hunters. If the wolf wins the hole, he gets two points -- if the hunters win, they get one each. If it is a tie, the round is declared no blood, and scores are carried over to the next hole until somebody wins.

"I Play Heaps But Never Improve!" 3 Most Important Tips for Beating the Plateau

If you're like many golfers, you hit a time in your progression when you plateau. A typical movement from beginner to pro involves a steep learning curve and rapid improvement when you start getting lessons; a more gradual improvement thereafter which usually evens off after a while. For some people, no matter how much they play, they never quite seem to get past this point. Often they assume it is just their natural best, and never try to get past it. It is after this time that many people give up the game … out of boredom. There is almost always more you can do to improve, though -- today we go through the most critical tips for getting over the hump in your game while on a golf vacation.

Look over the stats

If you just muddle along, you'll never get an accurate picture of exactly where your game is falling down. Make your next golf trip more worthwhile by incorporating a little more math -- play the same course every second day, and take notes about the shots you constantly play less well than you'd like to. This way you can go to a coach with an accurate idea of where you need help.

Get a coach!

The last point makes this obvious -- you need a coach to get past whatever mental or scoring block you have. The human brain is amazing, and can figure out many things by itself … but we are not omniscient! Use your upcoming golf vacation as an excuse to book in some tuition -- the change in scenery often helps encourage solid learning.

Grip, stance and tempo

80% of problems begin with either the grip, your stance or the tempo with which you swing. The internet offers plenty of advice on these issues - use it as a starting point. However, professional instruction really is the gold standard -- they can look at your individual body and see exactly what it is doing … and then correct it to help you play your best game on your next golf vacation.