Skins Golf Game Rules
Skins is the simplest and most exciting golf side game. Every hole has a prize. Win the hole outright, win the skin. Tie, and the value carries over to the next hole. Big moments can happen on any green.
What is a Skins Game in Golf?
In a skins game, each hole is worth a predetermined value called a "skin." The player with the lowest score on a hole wins that skin. If two or more players tie for the lowest score, no one wins the skin and its value carries over to the next hole, making it worth double (or more).
Skins works with any number of players from two to an entire foursome. It is one of the few golf side games that scales effortlessly with group size. The PGA Tour even runs a Skins Game exhibition format, which speaks to its universal appeal among golfers of every level.
Quick Example
How to Play Skins: Step by Step
Set the skin value
Before the round, everyone agrees on the value of each skin. This could be a dollar amount per skin (e.g., $1 per skin) or a total pot divided by 18 holes. Common values range from $1 to $5 per skin for casual play.
Play each hole
On every hole, compare scores among all players. The player with the outright lowest score wins the skin. You can play gross (actual scores) or net (with handicap strokes applied), depending on what the group prefers.
Carry over ties
When two or more players tie for the low score, no one wins the skin. The value carries forward to the next hole, where the winner claims all accumulated skins. This is what creates the big moments in a skins game.
Settle up
After 18 holes, total up each player's skins and multiply by the per-skin value. If skins are still carrying over on hole 18, decide in advance whether they go to the last hole's winner or are split.
Carryovers Explained
Carryovers are the heart of what makes skins so exciting. When no one wins a hole outright, the skin rolls forward. It is not uncommon to see 3 or 4 skins stacked up on a single hole, turning a routine par-4 into the most valuable hole of the round.
The drama builds naturally: everyone knows the next hole is worth more, so the pressure mounts. A birdie on a hole worth 4 carried skins at $2 each delivers an $8 windfall and usually generates the best stories of the round.
What Happens on Hole 18?
Groups handle carried skins on the last hole differently. The three most common approaches: (1) Whoever wins hole 18 takes all carried skins, (2) Carried skins go back into an equal split among all players, or (3) Play a sudden-death playoff hole to settle remaining skins. Agree on the rule before teeing off.
Skins Variations
Escalating Skins
Skin values increase as the round progresses. Holes 1 through 6 are worth $1 each, holes 7 through 12 are worth $2, and holes 13 through 18 are worth $3. This front-loads the fun and keeps the back nine high-stakes.
No-Carryover Skins
If no one wins a hole outright, the skin simply disappears. This variation keeps the math cleaner but removes the dramatic buildup that makes traditional skins so memorable.
Validation Skins
To win a skin, you must "validate" it by making par or better. Winning a hole with a bogey does not earn the skin -- it carries over instead. This rewards good play, not just the least bad play.
Team Skins
Two-on-two format where the best ball of each team is compared. The team with the lower best ball wins the skin. Ties still carry over. Great for groups of four with varied skill levels.
Skins Strategy Tips
Aggressive play pays off: In skins, a tie is as bad as a loss -- neither player wins anything. Going for birdie putts rather than playing safe for par makes more sense than in stroke play.
Track the carryover: Know how many skins are on the line at all times. When the pot is big, it changes how you approach risk on approaches and putts.
One great hole can define the round: You do not need to play well on every hole. One birdie when four skins have carried over is worth more than winning four individual skins.