Blog · Rules
Wolf and Skins: Golf Games for a Foursome
Four friends, one tee time, and a round that needs a bit of edge. Wolf and skins are the two classic games for a foursome. Both work for any mix of abilities, both keep every hole interesting, and both can be played for points, pennies or pride.
Wolf golf rules
In Wolf, partnerships change on every hole. One player is the Wolf, and they choose a partner (or go it alone) based on how everyone's tee shots turn out.
Setting up
- Decide the order on the first tee, by throwing a tee in the air, for example. Say it's A, B, C, D.
- The Wolf rotates. On hole 1, A is the Wolf; on hole 2, B; on hole 3, C; on hole 4, D; and then it repeats.
- The Wolf tees off last on their hole (some groups have the Wolf go first; agree before you start).
Picking a partner
After each player hits their drive, the Wolf must decide straight away whether they want that player as a partner, before the next player tees off.
- Say yes, and it's the Wolf and that player against the other two.
- Say no, and that player is out of the running. The Wolf watches the next drive.
- If the Wolf passes on all three, they play Lone Wolf: one against three.
Lone Wolf and Blind Wolf
- Lone Wolf: the Wolf chooses to play alone after seeing the drives. It's riskier, so it's worth more.
- Blind Wolf: the Wolf declares Lone Wolf before anyone tees off. It's the biggest gamble, and worth the most.
Scoring Wolf
There are many points systems. This one is simple and common:
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Wolf and partner win the hole | 2 points each to the Wolf and partner |
| The other pair win the hole | 3 points each to the winners |
| Lone Wolf wins | 4 points to the Wolf |
| Lone Wolf loses | 1 point each to the other three |
| Blind Wolf wins | 6 points to the Wolf |
| Tie | No points (or the points carry over, if agreed) |
Each side's score on a hole is its best ball: the lowest score by either partner. A Lone Wolf's score is compared with the best of the other three.
The last two holes
Over 18 holes, four players share 16 Wolf holes evenly. A common rule for 17 and 18 is that the player in last place gets to be the Wolf, which gives them a chance to catch up.
Wolf tips
- If the first drive is great, take it. Waiting for a better one is how you end up with a partner in the trees.
- Go Lone Wolf on a hole that suits you, not when you're desperate.
- Watch the scores. If you're well ahead, a safe partner beats a heroic Lone Wolf.
Skins rules
Skins is simpler: every hole has a prize (a "skin"), and the lowest score on the hole wins it outright.
How skins work
- Every hole is worth one skin (or a set amount of money or points).
- The lowest score wins the skin, but only if nobody else matches it.
- If two or more players tie for the lowest score, nobody wins, and the skin carries over to the next hole.
- Carried-over skins pile up until someone wins a hole outright.
Skins example
| Hole | A | B | C | D | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | A and B tie: the skin carries over |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | A wins 2 skins |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | All tie: the skin carries over |
| 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | Three tie: carries over again |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | B wins 3 skins |
That's why skins get exciting late in a round: a run of tied holes can put five or six skins on one putt.
Common skins variations
- Validation: to win carried-over skins, you must at least tie the next hole too. This stops someone collecting a pile of skins with one lucky hole.
- Net skins: handicap strokes are taken off on the stroke index holes, so everyone can win.
- Final-hole carryover: if skins are still carried over after 18, play a chip-off or putt-off, or split them.
- Pot skins: everyone puts in the same amount; at the end, the pot is divided by the number of skins won.
Wolf or skins?
| Wolf | Skins | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Exactly 4 (5-player versions exist) | Any number, 2 or more |
| Teams | Changing partners every hole | Everyone for themselves |
| Strategy | Who to pick, when to go alone | Steady golf; carryovers make late holes huge |
| Complexity | Medium | Simple |
New group? Start with skins. Played together for years? Wolf adds the table talk.
Play skins online
Skins works in Mashy too. Get your foursome to play the daily course (same pins, same wind for everyone), then compare scorecards hole by hole. Lowest score on each hole takes the skin, and ties carry over. It's the easiest way to keep a group game going between real rounds.
More formats for groups: scramble golf rules, the Nassau bet and Stableford scoring.