Online Golf Betting Guide
Introduction to Golf Betting - Golf is a highly traditional sport and has been around for a long time. The sport’s origins are in Scotland, in the United Kingdom, but it has spread to be a popular game all over the world. The professional game is played throughout the year, with tournaments in virtually every country. Golf has a vast global audience and most high profile tournaments are televised.
Betting on golf has always been common but has increased in recent years with the advent of online sports wagering. It is now much easier to bet on golf. This has resulted in a large increase in the amount of betting on the game and an increase in demand for golf betting sites. All the leading online bookmakers have markets for practically every golf tournament played.
Where To Bet On Golf Online
Golf betting sites are popular among sports bettors and punters across the world. With golf being played all year round, there are plenty of opportunities to wager on the sport and a variety of different bets that can be made on golf tournaments worldwide. There is unquestionably money to be made from betting on golf, especially with a bit of knowledge about the players. These days, it is possible to bet on golf during a match – called live betting – which can significantly increase the chances of making winning bets.
Major Events And Formats Of Golf Tournaments
Professional golf is most commonly played in tournaments, with each player playing four rounds of eighteen holes. Most tournaments use the stroke play scoring method – the number of shots a player takes to complete the course is their score, and the lowest score wins. Some tournaments also use match play, where players score a point for winning a hole and the player with the most points wins.
There are two main tours for professional golfers to take part in. The PGA Tour (Professional Golfers’ Association) consists of around forty tournaments played throughout the year in the United States of America. The PGA European Tour is similar but takes place on courses in various European countries. Both tours attract a lot of attention from golf fans worldwide.
The four biggest, and most popular, golf tournaments of the year are collectively referred to as The Majors. These tournaments attract the biggest names in golf and winning a major is considered the pinnacle of a professional golfer’s career. The four tournaments that make up The Majors are :
- 2013 Masters Golf Betting – Played in April, at Augusta in the US state of Georgia every year.
- US Open Golf Championship Betting – Played in June, at a different course in the USA each year.
- The Open Championship Betting – Played In July, played at one of nine courses in the UK each year.
- PGA Championship Betting – Played in August, at a different course in the USA each year.
These four tournaments are the most watched golf tournaments throughout the year and the most popular to wager on among golf bettors. Another phenomenally popular tournament for golf bettors is The Ryder Cup. This biennial competition sees two teams – one from the US and from Europe – go head to head for one of the most prized trophies in golf. Although golf tournaments usually have large prize pools, and despite the Ryder Cup being one of the most high profile sporting events in the world, there is no prize money on offer. Players are playing purely for the pride and glory of winning the trophy.
There are also golf tours for women and juniors which have seen increased profiles over recent years. Although these have not hit the heights of the male tours in terms of popularity, more and more online bookmakers offer betting markets available for these events.
Types of Golf Bets And Wagers
Golf betting websites are relatively straightforward, and there is not an exceptionally wide range of bets available. The most common bets on golf are listed below.
- Future/Outright Betting - This is far and away the most common bet in golf. At the start, of the tournament, you simply select which golfer taking part you believe will win the tournament. If your selection does come first, your bet is a winner. Given the large fields in most professional golf tournaments, it is usually advisable to back your selection each way. This means you see a return on your bet – albeit at lower odds - even if your selection doesn’t win but finishes in the first few places.
- Player Match Betting - Player Match betting is when an online bookmaker will set odds for two players on a head to head basis, and offer odds on which one fares better in a given round or throughout a tournament. You choose which player you think will do best and make your selection accordingly. There are usually a number of player match markets available in any tournament.
- Three Ball Betting - This is similar to player match betting, but is based on groups of players actually grouped together for a round. In most tournaments, the first two rounds see groups of three (referred to as three balls) play around the course together. Online bookmakers will usually offer markets for each three ball group – you then choose which player you believe will be the lowest scoring out of those three and place your bet on that player.
- Specials/Prop Bets - Specials, or prop bets, are not hugely popular in golf - at least when compared to some other sports. However, most of the top online bookmakers will open a few markets for such bets. For example, in a Major tournament there might be odds available on whether the winner comes from the United States, Europe, or elsewhere in the world. You might also see bets available on who will finish top of the money rankings throughout the year.
Online Golf Betting Tips and Basic Strategy
Given the relatively small amounts of different bets available on golf, the strategy involved for golf betting is fairly straightforward. Among the best golf betting tips are to try and learn as much about the different players as you can. If you can find out which players are best suited to certain climates, types of course and conditions, then you will have much better idea about how any player is expected to do in a specific tournament.
By following the form of players, and keeping track of who is playing well and who is on or off their game, You can be in a position to make an informed judgement at the start of a tournament about who is going to be up and around the top of the leader board.
As with all sports betting, using one of the leading online bookmakers should be a essential part of your strategy. Always ensure you practice sound management of your betting bankroll and keep an eye out for the best odds when placing a bet. If you are unsure about a particular tournament and don’t feel there is a decent bet to be made, then it is perfectly acceptable to wait for the next tournament and hopefully a better opportunity.