How to Play Rabbit in Golf

Updated March 2026 · 5 min read

The Rabbit game is a classic golf side bet that adds a fun layer of competition to any round. It's sometimes called "Chase the Rabbit" and the concept is simple: win a hole outright to "catch" the rabbit, then try to hold onto it. Whoever holds the rabbit at the end of hole 9 wins the front-nine pool, and whoever holds it at hole 18 wins the back-nine pool.

What Is the Rabbit Game?

Think of the rabbit as a token that moves around the group. At the start of the round, the rabbit is "loose" — nobody has it. The first player to win a hole outright (lowest score, no ties) catches the rabbit.

Here's the key: if another player wins a hole while you're holding the rabbit, the rabbit is set free — it goes back to being loose. It does not transfer directly to the new winner. The rabbit must be recaptured by winning a subsequent hole outright.

This creates great tension: the entire group is rooting against whoever has the rabbit, and even winning a hole doesn't guarantee you'll catch it — you just freed it for anyone to grab next.

How to Set Up

1. Set the points: Each player puts a set amount into the pool (typically 2–10 points). There are two pools — one for the front nine, one for the back nine.
2. Decide on ties: Ties don't change anything. If the hole is tied, the rabbit stays exactly as-is — still held by whoever has it, or still loose if nobody does.
3. Front nine and back nine: The standard game plays two separate rabbits. The front-nine rabbit pays out at hole 9, then the rabbit resets to loose and a new chase begins at hole 10, paying out at hole 18.
4. Carry over: If nobody holds the rabbit at hole 9, most groups carry that pool over to the back nine, making it worth double.
5. Gross or net: Decide whether to use handicap strokes. Net scoring is more fair for mixed groups.

How Scoring Works

Here's a step-by-step walkthrough of how the rabbit moves:

1. Hole 1: Player A shoots 4, everyone else shoots 5. Player A wins outright and catches the rabbit.
2. Hole 2: Everyone ties with 4. The rabbit stays with Player A — ties change nothing.
3. Hole 3: Player C shoots 4, Player A shoots 5. Player C wins the hole outright — the rabbit is set free! Nobody has it now. (Player C does NOT get it automatically.)
4. Hole 4: Everyone ties again. Rabbit remains loose.
5. Hole 5: Player B wins outright. Player B catches the freed rabbit.
6. Holes 6–8: Ties and Player B wins. Player B keeps holding the rabbit.
7. Hole 9: Player B still holds the rabbit — Player B wins the front-nine pool!

What Happens at the End of Each Nine?

Whoever holds the rabbit at the end of hole 9 wins the front-nine pool. Then the rabbit resets to loose and a completely new chase begins on hole 10. Whoever holds the rabbit at the end of hole 18 wins the back-nine pool.

If nobody holds the rabbit at a payout hole (it's loose), that pool goes unclaimed. Most groups carry the unclaimed pool over to the back nine, doubling its value.

Popular Variations

Direct Steal

Instead of setting the rabbit free when someone else wins, the new winner takes the rabbit directly. This keeps the rabbit in someone's possession more often, making payouts more likely.

Kill the Rabbit

If you make a birdie (or better) while someone else holds the rabbit, the rabbit is "killed" — not just freed, but eliminated. The holder loses extra points, and a new round starts. This raises the intensity dramatically.

Progressive Rabbit

The pool grows each time the rabbit is freed. If no one holds it through the nine, the value keeps increasing, creating bigger and bigger rewards.

Three Legs

A variation where you need to hold the rabbit for three consecutive holes to "close it out" and win immediately, rather than waiting until hole 9 or 18. If closed out early, a new rabbit starts for the remaining holes.

Strategy Tips

You don't need to catch it early — you need to hold it at 9 or 18. The only moments that matter are the payout holes. Catching the rabbit on hole 8 is far more valuable than catching it on hole 1.

Play defense when someone else holds it. If an opponent has the rabbit, everyone should be gunning for a win to set it free. Take a few more risks than usual.

The back nine rabbit is often worth more. If nobody holds the front nine rabbit, the carry-over pool makes the back nine extra valuable.

Ties are your friend when you have the rabbit. A tied hole means the rabbit stays put. You don't need to win — you just need to not lose.