Golf betting guide

Golf is not a sport that receives a ton of betting action in the United States, but that has started to change over the last few years. Golf is a sport that is now played year-round, and it is a market that has a number of great betting options.

Betting on the game of golf is a bit different than some of the other professional sports as it comes with different betting types. The bets are more specific in golf than with some of the other sports, but there are still some great betting opportunities.

Best golf bets to make

You won't see traditional betting options available when it comes to golf. At least they won't be called the same thing. There are some golf betting options that still resemble some of the popular options from other sports.

Here are some of the most popular golf bets to make, but this is not a complete list. There will be some examples used in an effort to explain each bet more clearly.

Tournament winner

The most common golf bet that is made is a bet on which player will win the upcoming tournament. This type of bet is even more popular when it comes time for the four major golf tournaments, but it is offered each week.

Odds are set for each golfer, and the betting favorites will always be found at the top of the list. This is a bet that could lead to a massive payout if a bet is made on an underdog that cashes in.

You will simply see a list of all of the golfers in the field, and odds will be attached. These odds will be updated throughout the tournament as the leaderboard begins to change.

Top-10 bets

Another type of future bet that is popular with golf is a bet on whether or not a golfer will finish the tournament inside of the top-10. There are also some options that will allow a bettor to wager on top five and top 20 finishes as well.

This works in the same way as a tournament winner bet does, but it gives some protection to golfers that are always in contention but fall just a bit short.

Head-to-head bets

If you are someone that enjoys making moneyline bets on other betting markets, then a head-to-head bet is the choice for you. Head-to-head bets can be offered for the entire tournament or for each round that is played.

This bet is pretty straightforward as you are simply picking the golfer that will finish with the best score. The first two rounds usually have three golfers in this bet if it is a bet on the winner of each round.

Here is what this might look like:

The Masters: Round 1
Tiger Woods +110
Rory McIlroy +125
Phil Mickelson +175

All you have to do is bet on the golfer that will finish with a better score to win the bet.

Over/under

If you are looking to make an over/under or totals bet on golf, then you will find that you have an option for nearly every golfer in the field. Sportsbooks will set an over/under total for each round and for the entire tournament for each golfer that begins play.

Here is what this could look like for Round 1 of the PGA Championship:

Justin Thomas
Over 70.5 (+125)
Under 70.5 (-115)

If Justin Thomas were to shoot a 70 or better than the under would be the right pick. A first-round score of 71 or higher would make the over the right play.

Prop betting

Prop betting is known for being a top betting option at the Super Bowl, but it works for the sport of golf as well. Each sportsbook will come up with its own set of prop betting options, but here are some examples of bets that you might see:

Will a hole in one be recorded during the tournament?

Will an American golfer win The Masters?

Will there be a wire-to-wire winner?

Live bets

Live betting has become extremely popular as bettors enjoy betting along with the action. Golf is a great sport to make a live or "in-play" bet because the action moves slow enough to give you time to think.

When it comes to live betting, the best options are betting each hole of a round. Sportsbooks will set odds for a potential outcome, and it will look something like this:

Round 1: Hole 4
Birdie or Better: +220
Par: -155
Bogey or Worse +435

Each hole of the golf course will have different odds depending on the difficulty and how that hole has been played throughout the day.

Tips for betting golf

Now that you have a better understanding of how to bet on the game of golf, it is time to look at some tips or strategies to use. There are many tips available, but this guide has picked out the top three that seem to be the most important. If you are going to bet on golf, then you need to remember these things:

Study the course layout

Golf tournaments are played on courses from all over the United States, and some are even played in other parts of the world. No two golf courses are the same, and the layout of each course always plays into the outcome.

Before you begin making your bets on a golf tournament, you need to take a close look at how the course is laid out and how the course will play. Different types of players excel on certain courses, while other struggles at courses that can be more challenging.

Don't just pick the winner

Many people that bet on golf think that the best betting option is to simply pick the winner of a tournament each week. That is certainly one of the most popular betting options, but there are other bets to explore and make.

Use the information above to help you explore some different golf betting options, and that will give you more chances to win some money. Picking a tournament champion is a great way to get a big payout, but it's also extremely difficult to do.

Look at recent trends

When you start your research for an upcoming golf tournament, one of the most important things to look at is recent trends for each golfer. Golf is a streaky sport, and you need to find the players that have been trending in the right direction.

Along with that, you also want to take a close look at past tournaments that have been played at a particular course. Again, some players tend to perform better at certain courses, and that makes them a solid betting option for that event each year.