Games To Help Forget the Score

Does your drinking buddy have a golf problem? These golf drinking games are exactly what they need. While drinking games like Beer Pong and Quarters may have gotten you through college—or kicked out of college—here’s a new wave of entertainment to get you through a rough round on the links. Having a beer at every hole won’t help your golf swing, but it’ll make it a lot easier to forget your score.

Ready to leave visions of course records behind? Check out a list of our favorite golf drinking games below.

Beer Bogey

If you’re looking for an excuse to take some shots between strokes, look no further. Beer Bogey requires players to take a shot each time they make a stroke over par on a hole. While tequila is fun on the first hole, being blacked out by the ninth isn’t. So, if your golf game needs a little work and you regularly see seven on your scorecard, consider taking a sip of beer in place of a shot. For an alternative that’s a little lighter on the booze, have the player with the highest score on each hole take a shot. This is bad news for your buddy who spends half the round searching for his golf ball, but great news for anyone who consistently manages to avoid dead last.

Hazard Play

Even the best golfers have to play from the rough occasionally. Why not make them drink for it? In Hazard Play, golfers who land their ball in the water or bunker (or, optionally, anywhere but the fairway) have to take a drink. Since this game isn’t score specific, it’s a great option for larger groups with varied levels of golfers. Hit it straight if you want to keep seeing straight.

Birdie

If you're running with an exceptionally skilled golfing crowd, why not choose a golf drinking game that requires some marksmanship? Each time a player sinks a birdie, the rest of the players present have to take a drink. If birdies are common in your golf group (*insert our exaggerated eye roll*), you can kick things up a notch and take a shot every time a player lands an eagle.

Even and Odd

If you’re looking for a drinking game that doesn’t care about your golf score, look no further. This game has players randomly choose between evens and odds. Once players have chosen, they drink a beer or take a shot at odd or even holes. If the player is drinking a beer, their beer must be finished before finishing the hole. If they don’t finish in time, they’ll have to drink two at the next hole. Yikes. Good news is everyone will be equally intoxicated by the end of 18 holes.

Don't Forget Your Beer

Like Even and Odd, this game isn’t focused on your golf score. Everyone will be drinking. In Don’t Forget Your Beer, players must have a beer in their hand at all times unless they’re taking their shot. Each time a player forgets their beer, they have to take a drink. Cheers.

Mulligan

Every golfer takes the occasional mulligan, but if the goal is to get tipsy, why not make players drink for a do-over? To play this game, golfers are allowed to take as many mulligans as they’d like, but it comes at a cost. One shot for one shot. Take a drink and try again. This makes it easier to keep a steady buzz rather than getting hammered since you don’t have to drink unless you choose to. As an alternative, when your buddy takes a Mulligan, have them donate $5 to the group beer fund. That way, you can split the cost of booze the next time you play.

Lower Your Score

If you’re playing a particularly bad round of golf (we’ve been there), you may start drinking to forget your score, but what if we knew a game that actually improved your score the more you drink? In Lower Your Score, players can take one point off their final round total for every beer they drink. So, you’re actually rewarded for drinking more. Before you start downing beers on the 18th tee in a desperate attempt at a comeback, consider what'll be better for your performance, a point off your final score or being sober enough to actually hit the ball.

Remember to Drink Wisely

While it’s tempting to play these games whenever it isn’t a serious golf outing, fighting a hangover the next day can ruin your weekend. Eighteen holes is a long game, especially when you add booze on top of it, so it’s important to keep these drinking guidelines for golf in mind and stay hydrated. Water is a must, no matter the weather.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to check with the course before bringing beers. While most golf clubs don’t have strict rules around alcohol, it’s always a good idea to check. We probably don’t need to remind you of this, but here’s a PSA anyway. Please get a sober driver to take you home. An Uber is a lot cheaper than a DUI, so don’t drink and drive.

Last but not least, make sure you’re dressing to the nines on the course. Shop our Mizzen+Main’s golf essentials to find your next fit.