Skins is a type of golf where each hole earns a skin, which is basically a prize. The winner of the hole is determined by having the best score on the hole and receives the skin for winning that hole. Should players tie, no one gets the skin and the skin carries over, making the next hole worth two skins. That’s why the carryover feature makes the game so fun.
Those wondering what is skins in golf are probably playing it soon, and therefore this article explains all there is to know, starting with the rules, the carryover principle, the way money works in skins with an example, how to play skins with handicaps, various types of skins in golf, and the secret strategy behind winning skins. It’s one of the greatest games golf offers and is equally great both for a bunch of mates or four golfing legends like those who took part in the first TV Skins Game in 1983.
The Short Version
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is skin? | The prize for winning a single hole outright |
| How do you win one? | Have the lowest score on the hole, with no ties |
| What happens on a tie? | Nobody wins. The skin carries over to the next hole |
| How many players? | Usually 3 or 4, though it works with any number |
| Gross or net? | Either. Net skins use handicap strokes off the scorecard stroke index |
| Typical stake | Anything from $1 a skin to whatever the group agrees |
| Why golfers like it | Every hole matters, and one good hole can win the day |
| Does it affect your handicap? | No. Skins is a scoring game, not a change to the Rules of Golf |
How Skins Works
Before playing a shot, everyone decides how much each skin is worth. And each hole becomes a separate competition.
Win the hole by yourself, meaning that your score is better than the others, and you get the skin. Tie with someone else, even though both of you are two strokes ahead of everyone else, and the skin will go to the following hole. Carries keep adding up until someone wins a hole alone.
The carryover is the whole point of it. A couple of quiet holes could leave you with five skins on the 6th tee, turning a regular par 4 into the most exciting hole in a game. Not only that, but it gives everyone something to play for since even the guy with a bad day could birdie the hole and win all of them.
A Skins Game Played Out
Here is how six holes might look with four players at $5 a skin. In a foursome, every skin is worth $15 to the winner, since the other three each pay their $5.
| Hole | Player A | Player B | Player C | Player D | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | A and B tie, so the skin carries. 2 on the next hole |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | B and C tie, so it carries again. 3 on the next |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | A wins the hole and takes all 3 skins, worth $45 |
| 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | D wins 1 skin, worth $15 |
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | A and B tie, so the skin carries |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | B wins the hole and takes 2 skins, worth $30 |
After six holes, A is up three skins, B has two and D has one. Player C has played perfectly respectable golf and won nothing, which happens constantly in skins and is exactly why the format produces so much grumbling and so many rematches.
Playing Skins With Handicaps
The gross skins system favors the best player in the group, thus many casual games make use of net skins. It is quite simple.
Each player’s Course Handicap needs to be determined and the stroke index row on the scorecard has to be consulted since that shows the holes from 1 to 18. The player with 10 shots gets one stroke on the holes numbered 1 through 10, and he has to subtract that stroke from his score to determine the net skin.
However, there is one issue to consider. If a higher handicapper gets a stroke on the harder holes, he might win the skin streaks without necessarily playing exceptionally well, much to everybody else’s annoyance. This is handled by the groups in any of the three following ways.
| Approach | How it works |
|---|---|
| Full handicap | Everyone gets their full Course Handicap strokes. The fairest on paper, and the most volatile |
| Reduced allowance | Use something like 75% or 50% of the difference from the lowest handicap in the group |
| Off the low player | The best player plays off scratch and everyone else receives the difference, which is the match play method |
| Gross and net pots | Run two separate skins games at once, one on gross scores and one on net, with half the stake each |
| Flat strokes | Give the higher handicappers an agreed number of strokes on agreed holes, decided before the round |
Whichever you pick, settle it on the first tee. Arguing about strokes on the 9th green is how skins games end badly.
Common Skins Variations
| Variation | What changes |
|---|---|
| No carryover | A tied hole simply has no winner and the skin is lost. Keeps the money even but removes most of the drama |
| Validation | To collect a carryover, you have to win the next hole too, or at least make par on it. Makes big pots harder to claim |
| Progressive value | Holes are worth more as the round goes on, often doubling on the back nine or on the last three holes |
| Birdies only | Only a birdie or better can win a skin, so pars never pay. Good for strong groups |
| Team skins | Two teams of two play best ball, and the low team score wins the skin |
| Skins plus extras | Side bets layered on top for closest to the pin, sandy pars or longest drive |
| Last hole settles all | Any carryovers on the 18th go to a playoff rather than being split |
However, there is one point which must be established before playing the game: what will happen when there is a tie in the 18th hole. There are three ways to solve this problem – sudden death match, dividing the pot, or carrying it forward into the next game. Any of the above mentioned methods is acceptable, provided that nothing is decided while the money is on the table.
Skins Strategy That Actually Works
Skins requires an entirely different strategy than stroke play, since your score for the entire round is irrelevant. Holes are what count.
Be bold when the prize is high enough. If the hole is worth four skins, then a 20 foot birdie putt is definitely worth going for, because coming in second place gets you nothing. When it’s just one skin, and three of the four players are in trouble, then a par is likely sufficient.
Assess the value of the hole. If your two opponents are both lying three on a par four, and you are on the green in two shots, then there is no need to be risky. Two putts will get the job done.
Consider which players are in the running. Skins require winners, so any holes where only you and another player are in contention are much more important than those where all four players have a chance.
It’s also important to note that ties are worth nothing in skins games. When playing stroke play, making the same score as the lowest in your group is great. When playing skins, a tie gets you exactly zero.
Why Skins Works So Well in a Group
The format solves two issues with the informal game. First, people will not lose interest after a poor beginning as a blow-up hole gives away just one skin, not an entire round. Second, players of varying levels can compete, including when using net scoring, as a hole becomes a separate game.
The format also proceeds at a reasonable speed. One can simply pick up once he or she is out of a hole. Just make sure that you can do it only in the skins game but not in case of scoring for handicap reasons. In such cases, you should give yourself a score for all holes, which will probably be a net double bogey.
The Skins Game on Television
The format hit the big time in 1983, as producer Don Ohlmeyer paired Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson for NBC on Thanksgiving weekend at Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, with Vin Scully calling the shots. Each competitor took home $170,000, and the telecast attracted more viewers than some of the tournaments of 1983.
The tournament ran annually up until 2008, at which point K.J. Choi was the last man to win it. Fred Couples came to define the tournament, with the moniker Mr. Skins after five victories and well over $3 million in prize money.
But after sitting dormant for 17 years, Skins Game made a comeback in 2025, held this time at Panther National in Florida. The difference this time is that the purses have been reversed, giving each competitor one million dollars to start and taking away from them as others score holes.
Final Take
So what is skins golf? It is a betting game played hole by hole, where the player with the lowest score on each hole wins the skin, ties roll over to the next hole, and carryovers may make one hole the most important of the day. Decide on the stakes, the handicapping procedure, and what happens in the event that the 18th hole is tied before teeing off, and everything else is taken care of for you. It is the form of golf most likely to keep four players engaged from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you win a skin in golf?
You win a skin by having the lowest score on a hole outright. If anyone ties your score, nobody wins the skin and it carries over to the next hole.
What does carryover mean in skins?
A carryover happens when a hole is tied. The skin is not awarded and instead joins the next hole, so that hole becomes worth two skins, and so on until someone wins a hole on their own.
How much is a skin worth?
Whatever the group agrees. A common setup is $5 a skin per player, which in a foursome means each skin is worth $15 to the winner, since the other three each contribute.
Can you play skins with handicaps?
Yes, and most casual games do. Each player takes their handicap strokes on the holes shown in the stroke index row of the scorecard, and net scores decide the skin.
How many players do you need for skins?
Three or four works best. Two players can play it, but ties are common and the carryovers get large, while bigger groups make outright wins harder and build huge pots.
What happens if the last hole is tied in skins?
Agree this before you play. The usual options are a sudden-death playoff, splitting the carried-over pot among the players still in, or carrying it over to the next round.
Does playing skins affect your handicap?
No. Skins is a side game played alongside a normal round, so you can still post your score as long as you played by the Rules of Golf and recorded a score on every hole.
What was the Skins Game on TV?
It was an exhibition event that began in 1983 with Nicklaus, Palmer, Player and Watson at Desert Highlands in Arizona, ran until 2008, and returned in 2025 at Panther National in Florida with a reverse purse format.
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