A mainstay in the weekend warriors arsenal of games. Chances are if you play golf regularly then you have dabbled in the game of Wolf. If you haven’t… What are you waiting for?
Disclaimer: There is no shortage of ways to play and score. We will do subsequent posts on other ways to play but this post will cover how my regular group plays.
First and foremost, Wolf is great for all skill levels. This becomes particularly true when your foursome has a broad spectrum of handicaps.
Wolf Overview
What makes Wolf refreshing is that every hole provides an opportunity for different team combinations. Gone are the days of being paired with your buddy who can’t find the club face for 18 holes. If you are the anchor of the group then this game is perfect for you!
Best played with 4 players.
Wolf Game Play
Now let’s get into the meat of it.
The first step in Wolf is to determine the tee-off order. This order will be followed on every tee box until you get to the 17th and 18th holes. More on that later.
On the first hole, the player who was selected to go first will tee off followed by the remaining players in the order they were selected.
After the first player has teed off they need to make a decision… Will they either
A) Decide to lone wolf or
B) Choose to play with a partner. If they decide to lone wolf then it will be them vs the 3 other players in the group.
Big kudos to anyone who drops their nuts on the tee box and goes lone wolf on the first hole.
If the wolf for that hole decides to partner with someone else they will watch each tee shot and pick which player they want to partner with for that hole only.
Important Note: You must select your partner before the next player tees off. Do you trust your hack friend who finally hit a good tee shot to finish off the hole? The number of beers to that point will aid in that decision.
Regardless of whether a player chooses to go lone wolf or play with a partner, the winner is decided by net best ball.
Wolf Scoring
Try to keep the score simple to start
Every hole is worth 3 points, 1 point, or 0 points.
3 points for if someone decides to lone wolf. Either the wolf or the threesome will receive the points
1 point if you are playing as a team of two
0 points if there is a tie
The one caveat is that if a gross birdie wins the hole then the points double.
You can then decide the value of each point. Most guys I play with keep it friendly and make it $1 a point. And then I have other friends who won’t get out of bed unless they are playing for more. Decide what works best for your group. As much as we all like gambling on the course, don’t be the person pressuring others to play for more than they are comfortable with.