How to play Skins

How it works

Every hole is worth one skin. The player with the lowest score on the hole wins it. If two or more players tie for the lowest, nobody wins and the skin carries over to the next hole, so the next hole is worth more.

Scoring

Play it gross or net. Net lets higher handicaps compete, with strokes given on the hardest holes first, by stroke index.

An example

Holes 5 and 6 are tied, so nobody wins them. On hole 7, Dave makes a net 4 and everyone else makes a net 5. Dave wins the hole 7 skin plus the two that carried over: three skins.

Tips

• Carryovers build fast, so a par 3 late in the round can be worth several skins.
• Agree before you start whether you play net or gross, and what happens to a skin still carrying after the 18th.
• Groups vary the rules, so agree the details on the first tee.