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How to Bet on Golf: Full Betting Guide Tips, Odds & Best Golf Sites for 2024
By Scott Bowen,Editor at online-gambling.com
Scott Bowen
Editor at online-gambling.com
| Rules Diffuculty | Easy |
|---|---|
| Betting Types | 22+ |
| Payout | 84%-92% |
| How to Win | Tips?& Strategies |
| Where to Bet | Unibet |
How to Bet on Golf: Betting Guide
One of the most popular sports across the world today is golf. There are professional tournaments taking place every week in various regions. Therefore, you also have some action as a bettor. There are many different ways in which you can bet on golf.
You will come across a pile of different online golf betting sites, with some being better than others. This golf betting guide will take you through the best bookmakers in the space, as well as outlining some of the best golf betting tips and strategies. The end goal is to provide you with information that can be put to good use when placing your wagers.
Best Online Golf Betting Site for Real Money Bets:
Top Offer
Our main recommended golf betting bookie is an ideal fit for beginners and experienced bettors alike. There is a great welcome offer that you can take advantage of, with a huge range of different golf betting markets to check out.
Common Golf Betting Rules
There are many different ways in which you can approach a golf tournament from a betting point of view. There are tons of markets to select from, so choosing the correct market for each situation is going to be important.
As you build up your knowledge base, you will be able to see what golf betting strategies work best for you. We have outlined some of the common rules of thumb that you can keep in mind when it comes to golf betting.
| Rule | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Utilize Live Betting | Live betting can be a useful tool for many golf tournaments. After the first day or two of an event, a lot of players will be way out of contention. There might only be a handful of viable candidates left competing for the title, with live bets allowing you to get in the thick of the action. |
| Cash-Out | If you are doing well with your golf bets and there is only one round or a few holes left in a tournament, you might want to consider cashing out some of your winnings ahead of time to lock in some profits. A lot can quickly change in golf, so it is a good idea to partially cash out in certain scenarios. |
| Finding value | With golf betting, you want to find the golfers that represent good value. As golf betting odds are significant, there will often be large variations between the odds for a player across different sites. Therefore, shopping around for the best price is imperative. |
| Quality Over Quantity | As there are so many golfers in a field, it can be easy to back many different golfers. However, it is usually better to focus your resources on a few strong candidates. |
| Each-way betting | Trying to pick out a single golfer to win an event when there are usually more than 150 players taking part can be difficult. Each-way betting is a good way to get a return if a player finishes high on the leaderboard, while also benefiting if they win. |
If you utilize these tips with your golf betting, you can maximize your chances of having a successful time. Over time, you will start to see what is working well for your betting and what can be eliminated.
Types of Golf Betting
Golf is a sport that has a lot more markets than many other sports that you can place bets on. There are so many different participants during a regular tournament and so many different things that can happen, so you will never be short of a good opportunity.
The best golf betting websites will make sure that even for the less popular tournaments that you have access to many of these different markets. Here is a look at some of those betting types that are particularly popular when it comes to golf betting:
| Betting Type | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Event Winner | Perhaps the most obvious bet in sports is the winner market. In golf, you are betting on what golfer you think will be victorious by the end of the week. |
| Each Way | The each-way bet combines a place bet and a winner bet together. Half of your stake will be for each of these respective markets. The number of places covering the each-way portion varies from operator to operator. Bigger events like majors usually payout on more places. |
| First Round Leader | A popular market is betting on who you think will be the event leader after round one. You can place each-way bets for this market like you would for the tournament overall betting. |
| Finishing position | You will get access to many different markets relating to a player’s finishing position. You can place a wager on if they will or won’t make the cut, as well as finishing in the top 10, top 20 and so on. |
| 3-Balls/2-Balls | You can place bets on what player you think will come out on top over the course of 18 holes between the other members of their playing group. |
| Group betting | Bookies will often group together a few players and allow you to bet on which of those players you think will perform the best in the tournament. |
| Nationality Betting | Another popular type of golf betting market is based on the nationalities of the participants. For example, you can bet on who will be the best finishing American golfer. |
| Winning margin | You will come across markets that relate to how much you think the winner will be victorious by. Sometimes there will be a runaway winner, whereas others can go to a play-off. |
These are just some of the great betting markets for golf that you will come across. By trying them out for yourself, you will be able to see exactly how they work and how they might fit into your overall strategy. The best sports betting sites will always do their best to cater to any and all needs.
Popular Golf Betting Terms
For most people, you will be pretty familiar with the common terms associated with golf betting. However, there are certain betting terms that have different names depending on what region you are in. For example, a parlay bet will be called an ‘accumulator’ in the UK. The selections that make up this multi-bet will be called legs or lines. Here are some other betting terms to keep in mind:
- 3-Ball: A 3-Ball represents the three players who will be playing together during a given round of a tournament. This betting market allows you to bet on who you think will perform the best in this group.
- Spread Bet: You will come across certain golf betting markets that offer over/under betting. This could be the tournament winner winning by over/under a number of shots.
- Accumulator: A parlay bet is also called an accumulator. This is a popular type of bet in many sports, but will not be as prominent when it comes to golf.
Thankfully, the terms seen with golf betting are usually self-explanatory if you have experience playing the game. There are tons of great tournaments available for you to place these bets on.
Odds & Payouts for Golf Events
As a golf bettor, you always have the potential to do well and possibly profit from your betting. There is research that is required in order to find the best opportunities. However, a lot of people see great success from this type of betting.
Generally, you will find a wide range of markets, better odds, and great golf betting promotions when it comes to the bigger events. Here are some of the leading tournaments that are part of the golfing calendar each season or two:
| League/Tournament | Nation | Continent | Payout % |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Masters | US | North America | 84%-91% |
| British Open | Great Britain | Europe | 84%-91% |
| US Open | US | North America | 84%-92% |
| USPGA Championship | US | North America | 84%-91% |
| Ryder Cup | US or Europe | North America | 84%-91% |
| Players Championship | US | North America | 84%-91% |
The four major championships are at the top of this list as they are usually the best events to bet on. As the fields are stacked, you will get plenty of value in the golf betting odds. This can help maximize your winnings.
The Biggest Golf Tournaments
One of the best things about the golf calendar is that there are regular high-profile events during the year that attract strong fields. Naturally, the four major championships are going to stand out from the rest. These are the pinnacle of the sport and everyone is looking to capture these titles.
Most of the big tournaments will take place either in the UK or the United States. Both countries are known for producing very strong players, as well as having great courses. Here are some of those biggest events for golf betting:
US Masters
The US Masters is one of the best aspects of golf. Even casual observers are enthralled with the pure green fairways and bunkers filled with white sand. The green jacket is highly coveted, with the best of the best battling it out.
For bettors, the US Masters field is smaller than most other events, boosting your chances of finding a winner. This is also the only major that takes place at the same venue each year, so course form is vital.
British Open
The British Open is the only major to take place outside of the United States. It has a very rich history and has been taking place longer than any other. It presents a unique challenge, with the courses being beside the sea, lending itself to strong winds and often poor conditions. Those golfers who have a track record of performing well in links-style golf will be preferred.
US Open
The US Open is one of the toughest challenges in golf. The winning score is often around level par thanks to the tight fairways and penalizing rough. It is a true grind for 72 holes, with the winner managing to survive. Accuracy is imperative if you are trying to pick out the best challengers.
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup comes around every couple of years and it is a match between the twelve best players from Europe and the United States. It is a match play-based event that is full of passion, excitement, and drama. It offers a different type of betting opportunity for punters and is always a highly anticipated event.
Best Sites to Bet on Golf
There is a wide selection of golf betting websites on the market today. It is a popular sport for bettors around the world, so you are spoilt with choice. Here are a few of the better options that you can start looking at in 2024:
Here are the Top 5 Golf Online bookmakers for 2024:
| Golf Betting Site | Welcome Bonus | Pros and Cons | Test Score | Trusted Link | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betiton | Get ￡10 | Loyalty Program , Cash Out , No Bet Builder | 97% | www.betiton.com | New customers only. max one ￡10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 2.00 or greater. Skrill, Neteller & Paypal are not eligible. T&C's apply. 18+ |
| Bet365 | Get ￡50 | Countless Markets , Great Odds , Drab design | 96% | www.bet365.com | Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. Registration Required. Min deposit $5. Bet Credits available to use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bets and payment methods exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and full Terms and Conditions apply. |
| 888Sport | Get ￡30 | Good Welcome Offer , Long-Running Site , Limited Live Streams | 96% | www.888sport.com | Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. The bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least once with cumulative odds of 1.5 or greater. Wagering must be cleared within 90 days. This offer may not be combined with any other offer. Withdrawal restrictions and full Terms and Conditions apply. |
Each of these operators will also have extensive offerings in place for other sports, including tennis betting and football betting. Therefore, you will be able to get your hands on great offers, superb golf markets, and plenty of other sports.
Golf Bookmaker Offers & Bonuses
An enjoyable aspect of signing up for a bookmaker account will be the welcome offer. This will usually be some sort of free bet deal. This allows you to add to your account balance without often having to risk any real money.
The type of free bet offers can differ. For the likes of major championships, you will come across plenty of great golf-related offers. These could be the bookie paying out on extra places for each way bets or moneyback if the favorite wins.
| Golf Betting Site | Bonus* | Wagering Requirement | Min Odds | Min Deposit | Top Payment Method | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betiton | Get ￡10 | 1x | 2.00 | ￡15 | Mastercard | New customers only. max one ￡10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 2.00 or greater. Skrill, Neteller & Paypal are not eligible. T&C's apply. 18+ |
| Bet365 | Up to ￡50 | 1x | 1.20 | ￡10 | Skrill | Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. Registration Required. Min deposit $5. Bet Credits available to use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bets and payment methods exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and full Terms and Conditions apply. |
| 888Sport | Up to ￡30 | 1x | 1.50 | ￡10 | Neteller | Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. The bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least once with cumulative odds of 1.5 or greater. Wagering must be cleared within 90 days. This offer may not be combined with any other offer. Withdrawal restrictions and full Terms and Conditions apply. |
| William Hill | Up to ￡30 | 1x | 1.50 | ￡10 | MasterCard | Full T&Cs apply. Enter the P30 promo code when depositing for the first time. Minimum ￡10 deposit. Maximum ￡15 x2 free bets. Free bets expire 30 days from issue. New customers only. |
| Unibet | Up to ￡40 | 3x | 1.40 | ￡1 | Visa | Full T&Cs apply. Make your first cash bet on any event. If your first settled bet loses, you will receive a refund in bonus money to your account equal to the amount of your losing wager (up to $250). You will receive the refund within 72 hours. Promotion Period - October 29th, 2019 – Onward. Players that are awarded a bonus for the Risk-Free Bet refund, will not be eligible for the 100% Casino Match Deposit. When depositing, players have to select the “Sportsbook | 2x $10 Free Bets & $250 Risk Free Bet” offer in the ‘Select your bonus’ section. |
Thankfully, you will have access to all sorts of betting for the best golf events. This includes pre-event betting, in-play wagering, and the ability to bet from your mobile on the go.
Live Golf Betting
The process of placing prevent bets is enjoyable, but if things don’t go well, then you might have no golfers left in contention as the tournament progresses. This is where in-play betting can come in. You are able to back someone who is higher up the leaderboard and clearly playing well that given week.
Top for Live Betting
A bonus offer can be used often on these live markets, so you can put it to good use. No matter what event it might be, the best sportsbooks usually offer many in-play markets for golf.
Best Golf Betting Apps
People enjoy the easiness of just making a bet through their mobile. They might be out and about or lying in bed and what to get their wager put in place asap. Whatever the case may be, most operators have very good mobile apps and sites these days.
The best part of the leading mobile offerings is that it is very easy to navigate despite the smaller screen size. You can also add and take out funds in a matter of seconds, as well as get your golf bets placed.
The welcome offer will be open for the mobile bettors to activate, with some operators even providing dedicated bonuses for their mobile bettors. This showcases how much those bookies care about their mobile user base. Some of the bookmakers that also offer online casino games like slots will also have a mobile app for their offering.
New Golf Betting Sites
New betting sites are regularly hitting the market. While some of them are only around for a short period of time, others last for many years. They often will bring something different to the table. They can be something fresh and a good way to experience a new side of betting.
Having kept a close eye on the new options hitting the market, we have found a couple of standout options. These cover all bases for golf bettors, as well as being simple to use, and having some nice offers.
Where to Legally Bet on Golf
The laws regarding gambling are going to change depending on what country you are currently residing in. It is a good idea to be aware of what the specific rules might be in your jurisdiction. This allows you to be prepared for any eventuality. Here are the legal situations in some of the bigger gambling markets in the world today:
| Country | Legal Age | Online Golf Betting |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 18 | Yes |
| United States | 18 or 21 | Varies By State |
| France | 18 | Yes |
| Spain | 18 | Yes |
| Italy | 18 | Yes |
| Malta | 18 | Yes |
The United States legal framework varies depending on the state. Sports betting is now an activity that is legal federally, but each state will decide if they want a regulated market.
In most European countries, you will be able to access online betting sites. Everything is usually legal for bettors and they often hold licenses with very respectable regulatory authorities.
Tips and Strategies for Betting on Golf
There are many different strategies that people take when it comes to golf betting. It is usually a good idea to be flexible and open to new ideas. By trial and error, over time you should be able to create a good performing strategy that holds you in good stead. Here are a few of the most relevant tips when it comes to betting on golf:
- Course form: When it comes to golf tournaments, course form matters a lot. Golfers tend to have certain courses that fit their eye. Even if a player does not have a record of playing at a given course, you can look to see if they have performed well on courses with similar layouts.
- Current form: There are some golfers that blow hot and cold. They can miss cut after cut and win the next week. There are also those players who need to be in a good stretch of form to compete strongly.
- Be flexible with your bets: As golf offers so many different unique betting markets, they can all play a useful role at certain times. Choose the best bet types for given situations to boost your chances of profiting.
- Bankroll management: It is important that you have good bankroll management when it comes to golf. As the fields are so big, it can be easy to place too many bets. Allocate a certain amount for each tournament and stick to that plan.
- Focus on the bigger events: The more notable golf events will generally have better odds, lucrative promotions, and an abundance of markets. These all add to a better experience for bettors.
As well as general tips, there are some particular strategies that certain bettors will take when it comes to golf. These are some of the common types of approaches you will come across if discussing matters with fellow bettors:
| Strategy | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Hedging | Hedging is a common strategy in golf, particularly due to the long odds in play a lot of the time. Golf bettors often use betting exchanges as a way to hedge their bets that are going well. |
| Value betting | Some bettors will seek out those golfers who have been unfairly priced by the bookies. If a golfer has a 20/1 chance to win in your opinion but they are priced at 50/1 by the bookies, this represents a value bet. |
| Combo bets | Certain golf bettors prefer to combine selections into the same bet in an effort to win bigger sums. This goes for creating parlays for 3-Balls or combining each way bets across different tournaments in the same week. |
| D’Alembert | This is a strategy that is based on the idea of units. You are able to adjust it to your given bankroll and staking plan. When you lose a bet, it will see you increasing the betting stake next time by a single unit. |
| Confidence approach | A common approach that golf bettors will take is focusing on one main bet each week. This selection will be the one whereby the bettor is most confident about and this tends to be their biggest bet. They will usually also have some smaller bets to spread their chances. |
As you can see, a lot of these strategies are pretty straightforward to follow. By starting to implement them into your own betting, you might start to see some good results.
History of Golf Betting
Betting on golf has been around for many years, but the overall experience has constantly improved. This has occurred as technology has evolved and many more things are now possible. Here are some of the biggest events that have helped golf turn into what it is today for bettors:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Live betting really got properly up and running around 2007. This allowed people to quickly and easily place different types of bets while rounds and tournaments were ongoing. |
| 2007 | Smartphones began to take off in 2007, providing a huge amount of computing power into the hands of bettors. It didn’t take long for sportsbooks to start accepting bets made through mobile phones on the internet. |
| 2007 | The UK Gambling Commission is a gambling regulator that has one of the best reputations in the world today. It was created in 2007 and continually monitors all of its licensees. |
| 2018 | In May 2018, the federal ban for sports betting in the United States was ended. This freed up each state to legalize betting if they wished to do so. |
| 2020 | The PGA Tour started to embrace betting in recent years, signing deals in 2020 with numerous betting operators in the United States. It also has deals whereby it provides exclusive live data to sportsbooks during events. |
| 2020 | The UK government began a review in December 2020 to assess the country’s Gambling Act that was developed in 2005. The aim of the review is to take the legislation into this digital age. |
There are tons of great advancements that have been made in recent years in the betting world. It looks like there is no end in sight for these developments.
Final Thoughts
Betting on golf has never been easier thanks to the top-quality sportsbooks that are on the market today. They allow you to enjoy many different features, as well as giving you access to plenty of bonus offers. There are certainly many great golf betting sites for you to try out.
Top Offer
Our team of experts at online-gambling.com has spent a lot of time researching and testing out all of the best sports betting sites. This takes the hard work out of your hand, so you can focus on the betting.
FAQs
Golf betting can be simple in a lot of ways if you are familiar with the game, but there may be one or two aspects that you might not be clear about. Here are some of the questions that crop up a lot of the time:
1. What is the best online golf betting site?
The best golf betting sites is a question that will have different answers depending on certain situations. You should figure out what is going to be most important for you when it comes to a betting site. You might want to have access to a particular transaction option, the best golf betting odds, or access to in-play live streaming. Whatever the case is, these priorities will dictate your chosen sportsbook.
2. How to make money betting on golf?
There is certainly the chance for you to make money as a result of your betting on golf. Over time, you can develop a strategy that will fit your needs. Your ability to find profitable opportunities will also likely improve as you learn more about what it takes to be a successful golf bettor.
3. Are there any golf betting tips and strategies?
As this article has showcased, there are a lot of different strategies and tips that can come in handy for your golf betting. Every bettor will be different, so you need to tailor your approach depending on your own strengths and weaknesses. Over time, you can take a look at your historical betting records to see what types of bets you generate the most profits with.
4. Can I place in-play bets on golf?
Yes, you are able to place bets on golf events mid-round, as well as in between rounds. This allows you to always make sure that you have players who will be in the mix come the final day of the tournaments, even if your pre-event bets are nowhere to be seen.
5. How to bet on golf?
You will get access to dozens of different betting markets for most high-profile golf events when you are using a good betting site. The process of placing bets is very easy, you simply add your preferred selection to the betslip and decide the size of your stake.
Scott Bowen has been a casino expert and editor at online-gambling.com for a few years. He has professional experience in many gambling products, including roulette and blackjack, video poker, and sports betting.