Nassau Golf Game Rules

Updated February 2026 · 6 min read

The Nassau is the most popular golf competition format in the world. Named after the Nassau Country Club on Long Island where it originated in the early 1900s, this format packages three separate competitions into one tidy structure. If you play golf with friends and competition is involved, chances are you've played a Nassau — even if you didn't call it that.

What Is a Nassau?

A Nassau is three separate match-play competitions rolled into one competition:

1. Front nine: Who wins the most holes on holes 1–9
2. Back nine: Who wins the most holes on holes 10–18
3. Overall: Who wins the most holes across all 18

Each competition is for the same number of points. When someone says "let's play a 5-point Nassau," they mean 5 pts on the front, 5 pts on the back, and 5 pts on the overall — 1 pt5 total at stake. You can win all three, lose all three, or split them.

How to Set Up a Nassau

Setting up a Nassau before your round takes about 30 seconds:

1. Agree on the point value: This is the value of each of the three competitions. A "2-point Nassau" means 2 × 3 = 6 points maximum.
2. Individual or teams: A Nassau can be played one-on-one or as a two-on-two team match. In team Nassau, each team uses their best ball (lowest score) on each hole.
3. Handicap strokes: In net Nassau, players receive strokes on the appropriate holes based on handicap difference. This is the standard for most casual groups.
4. Press rules: Decide whether presses are allowed and whether they're automatic or optional (more on this below).

How Scoring Works

The Nassau uses match-play scoring, which means you're counting holes won — not total strokes.

1. On each hole, compare scores (net scores if playing with handicaps).
2. The player or team with the lower score wins that hole. If scores are tied, the hole is halved (no one wins).
3. Keep a running tally: if Player A has won 3 holes and Player B has won 1, Player A is "2 up" (leading by 2).
4. At the end of holes 1–9, whoever is "up" wins the front nine competition.
5. The back nine competition resets — the score starts fresh on hole 10.
6. The overall competition tracks all 18 holes combined.

Example: 5-point Nassau Between Two Players

Player A owes 5 points total (won 5 on front, lost 10 on back and overall).

Presses: The Nassau's Secret Weapon

A press is a new competition that starts mid-match when a player is losing. Presses are what make the Nassau truly exciting and are the reason arguments happen at the 19th hole.

How Presses Work

When a player falls 2 down (or whatever threshold your group sets) in any of the three competitions, they can "press" — starting a new competition from that point forward for the same points as the original competition.

For example, in a 5-point Nassau: if you're 2 down on the front nine after 5 holes, you press. Now there's a new 5-point competition covering holes 6–9. The original front nine competition is still alive too. If you win the press but lose the original, you split on the front.

Types of Presses

Automatic press: A press is triggered automatically whenever a player falls 2 down. No choice involved — the press just happens. This keeps the action constant.

Optional press: The losing player can choose to press or not. This gives more control but reduces action.

Press the press: If you fall 2 down in a press, you can press again, creating a press on top of a press. This is where things get wild — and where mental math gets impossible without an app.

Team Nassau

The Nassau works beautifully as a team format. In a foursome, split into two teams of two. On each hole, each team uses their best ball (the lower score of the two teammates). Everything else works the same — front, back, overall, and presses.

Team Nassau is popular because it keeps all four players involved and reduces the impact of one bad hole.

Strategy Tips

Manage your presses. If you're 2 down with 3 holes left, pressing gives you a chance to split. But if you're 2 down with 1 hole left, a press just adds risk with no real upside.

Play the match, not the course. In match play, a bogey that beats your opponent's double bogey is just as good as a birdie that beats their par. Focus on beating the other player, not shooting a number.

Don't concede holes early. In stroke play, you might pick up after a triple bogey. In Nassau match play, your opponent might also be making a mess of the hole. Stay in it.

Know your handicap strokes. If you're getting a stroke on hole 7, your net par is essentially a bogey. Play accordingly — you don't need to force a par.

Why Nassau Is the Standard

The Nassau endures because it's perfectly balanced. Three competitions mean you can always come back. Presses add drama. Match play keeps every hole competitive. And the structure is simple enough to explain on the first tee but deep enough to reward strategy over 18 holes.