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A Golf Betting Tip To Save You Money

The form that a golf betting tip takes depends very much on the kind of bet involved. There are two forms of betting in golf. There are bets with bookmakers on the outcome of games, and on-course bets between buddies playing against each other.

If you are placing a bet on the outcome a match or round, then the best golf tip is to know the game well. Get to know the golf course involved well, and also the strengths and weaknesses of the main players involved. It’s all very well knowing how to play golf, but money is made, not through what you can do, but through what you know about the game.

Before Betting Check Out The Field

Before each tournament check out the field. Make a list of all the players who have even a slight chance of winning, then make a note of their strengths and weaknesses, Are they long hitters, are they afraid of water, do they handle sand traps well? That information can make the difference between winning and losing.

Then check out the course. Is it long or short. Does it have a lot of hazards, and is the rough particularly long or coarse. Does it tend to get windy, and also check out the weather forecast. Look up the history of past winners. What type of player tends to win this particular tournament: is it normally the favorite, or do the underdogs frequently do well. Is it the long hitters that normally win, or is there any trait or characteristic shared by the majority of past winners.

Having assessed all of the information available to you, then place your bet. If you want to be bold, you can go for the winner, but more money is made on place bets, or even the top 10 or simply making the cut. If you have noticed that a particularly favored Masters competitor has been a bit off color lately, bet on him missing the cut since he will have a good chance of finding the water a couple of times.

Try To Make Money Without Losing Your Shirt

Bet enough to make a reasonable sum without losing your shirt. Remember, it’s not always the big bets that win the big money, but a few dollars on each of two or three underdogs who fit the course could earn you more than a single bet on Tiger Woods to win. Bet on the three other guys for the top ten, and you could clean up with the big odds.

A good bet to make money with, especially if you spot an underdog on form for the course, is to pick three players and bet on the outcome of each round between them. If you know your golf you pick a likely looking underdog and a couple of good pros that seem a bit off form, or big hitters playing on a short course, that you could make a killing from. If you miss out on the first round, you can choose another threesome for the next. That can bring in good money if you know your golf.

The other type of betting is more fun, when you play a round with your foursome and have a few dollars on the outcome. It needn’t be just on the result, and there are some favorite bets like Sandies where you automatically win if you make par after hitting a sand trap, or Woodies where you win if you make par after hitting a tree. The amount you get from each of your buddies is decided at the start of the round. The only tip here is to make sure you land in the easiest trap to get out of, or hit the tree a glancing shot that takes you back to the fairway!

In Arnies you get paid if you make par without hitting the fairway. That’s a skilled shot, and you have to make sure that you miss the fairway in a place that gives you a good open second to the green! Even though these are fun games, there are still a few tips on how to take advantage of the rules.

The Tactics Can Make The Difference

Nassau is another, but is a bit more traditional. Here you bet your opponent on who will win each nine plus the whole, round. You can bet anything, though most buddies tend to bet $2 on each part of the bet. While this seems a straightforward bet, there is something called ‘pressing’. If you are behind after the first five, for example, you can press the bet by betting another $2 on the next four holes, 6 – 9. If you win that you are all square. You can press at any time for the first nine, the back nine or the whole 18 holes.

Whatever type of betting you get involved in, the best golf betting tip I know is that if you don’t know much about golf, the golf courses or the players, then don’t bet!

Mike Pedersen
Golf Performance Coach

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