How To Bet On Golf

We offer some simple advice and pointers on how to bet on golf covering everything from different markets to handy tactics

How To Bet On Golf
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Our very own GM Tipster reveals his tactics when having a flutter

How To Bet On Golf

I have been the GM Tipster for four years now and over that time I have managed to pick over 40 winners and built a profit just shy of 1,000 points.

“What are points?”, I hear you cry. Well, they are a mechanism to make sure that you stick to how much you can afford. If you are going to put a bet on, you must expect to lose the cash that you stake. Winners do not come around often and you have to be canny or you will lose your entire bankroll.

What I can afford to spend on betting may be different to you – I usually have a basic £1-per-point system.

Your limit may be £10 per point or even 50p a point, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that does is that you are responsible and don’t overstretch.

Golf betting can be fickle, because, well, golf is fickle – luck plays a huge part in the game. But betting can also add hugely to the enjoyment and excitement of an event if it’s done in a sensible manner.

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How To Spot A Winner

There can be over 150 players teeing it up each week, so how do you spot the 1,000/1 winner? It’s not an exact science, but there are several things to look out for:

1 – The previous week. Check out the players who have had a low final round the week before. Soderberg shot 63 in the final round of the Scandinavian Invitation a week before his win at the 2019 European Masters.

2 – The course. Look at the results from the past few years – the phrase “horses for courses” really does apply in golf. Kevin Kisner was runner-up in the WGC-Match Play in 2018 and won in 2019.

3 – The season. There are some players you just know are going to win at some point! Tommy Fleetwood had seven top-tens and 27 straight cuts made before winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Persistence pays off!

4 – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I usually bet on four golfers a tournament, ranging from a favourite to a big-priced outsider. Sometimes, of course, winners just come from nowhere.

Don’t forget each-way bets

So, what kind of bets do I go for? Please do not forget each-way bets – these can help tick along your bankroll and mean you go from a losing week to breaking even at least.

Each-way bets are two bets – one for the golfer to win, the other for them to place (usually in the top five). If they do place you will normally get paid a quarter of the odds.

Another good idea is laying bets. This is when you wager on an outcome not to happen and can be found on betting exchanges where you bet against other punters. The plus side to this is that you can get much bigger odds – although loses can be substantial.

I prefer a much safer way and that is double betting – when you bet on two outcomes and both must happen to win. Each-way double betting on two events happening in the same week means that if one winner comes in, then a win or even a place in the PGA Tour event could lead to a big profit.

So, get analysing, check out the stats, but most importantly, work out your budget. Once golf starts up again, we also recommend going to the Golf Monthly website for the GM Tipster's picks.

Thomas Patrick Clarke
Sports Digital Editor

Tom Clarke joined Golf Monthly as a sub editor in 2009 being promoted to content editor in 2012 and then senior content editor in 2014, before becoming Sports Digital Editor for the Sport Vertical within Future in 2022. Tom currently looks after all the digital products that Golf Monthly produce including Strategy and Content Planning for the website and social media - Tom also assists the Cycling, Football, Rugby and Marine titles at Future. Tom plays off 16 and lists Augusta National (name drop), Old Head and Le Touessrok as the favourite courses he has played. Tom is an avid viewer of all golf content with a particularly in depth knowledge of the pro tour.