MIND / GAME ON M
Try the gambling game where confidence is king BY CHRISTOPHER POWERS Go Ahead and Cry Wolf
are no honours to determine the order of play and the Wolf always goes last. For example, if the order is A, B, C and D and the D player is the Wolf on the first hole, then C would be the Wolf on the second hole, and so on. After four holes, the order snakes back around to its original lineup. As the Wolf, you have some deci- sions to make. The main one is wheth- er to choose a partner from the other three players in the group for that hole or to play against everyone else. You can choose to play alone before or after everyone has hit their tee shots (after is usually the wise choice), or you can choose a playing partner after seeing his or her tee shot. HERE’S THE WRINKLE: Once a player tees off, you have to pick that golfer as a partner before the next player tees off, or you no longer have that player as an option. If you don’t choose Player A after he or she tees off, you’re now down to Player B or C as a potential partner for the hole. Or if all three golfers hit poor shots and you’re about to stripe one down the fairway, that might be the perfect opportunity to be the Wolf. Go ahead and howl! The most common way to score the game is, if the Wolf wins the hole alone, that player gets two or three points (three encourages more brav- ery). If one of the other players is the low scorer on the hole, they all get one point. If you choose a partner and win, you each get a point. Ties are usu- ally a wash, but sometimes Wolves are penalised for going alone and halving a hole. Points are paid out at the end of the round from the top down, so if you’re last, you’re paying the three other players the difference between your total and theirs. VARIATIONS: Perhaps once a round, you can refuse to partner with the Wolf. In another version, the Wolf can go solo before anyone hits and that doubles the wager. In a three- player version, the player who hits the second-best tee shot of the group is automatically the Wolf.
GOT STONES? Wolf is the type of game where bravery can really be rewarded.
O ne of the best “let’s play something differ- ent today” money games is Wolf, which has a little bit of everything – strategy, pressure, teamwork, bravery, you name it. NUMBER OF PLAYERS REQUIRED: Wolf can be played with three players, but the game works best for four.
BEST FOR: Anyone looking for a break from the norm, golfers who don’t like to rely on others, golfers who do like to rely on others, players who enjoy deeper strategy – oh, and gamblers. HOW TO PLAY: On each hole, one of the players in the fourball is the (lone) Wolf, and that designation rotates from hole to hole. In this game, there
16 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MARCH/APRIL 2025
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