Golf Betting
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Mar 13th, 2024
The Ultimate Guide to US Golf Betting
The Majors are approaching...
Some of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments occur on American soil. While sports fans may like to joke around that golf appeals to a particular wealth bracket or demographic, the figures show that millions of Americans enjoy watching the sport. Wherever there’s a substantial audience, there will be a significant market correlation for betting markets, and golf, alongside many other popular sports in the US, has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of punters seeking out tournaments to bet on.
Prominent golf betting markets
Some of the most well-known golf betting platforms in the US, such as Bet365 and DraftKings, have close connections with prominent golf tournaments. Many will have bonuses and promotions for the Masters in April, but these promotions will stretch or be rolled out during other big tournaments, such as the Ryder Cup. Today, we’ll discuss the main golf betting markets and how to find promotions to make the most of your venture.
Here are some of the golf markets you’ll commonly find at US sports betting platforms:
- Over/under - One of the most popular bets is direct markets on players to go over or under par. Depending on the player, their skill set and their form on the course, these odds can vary wildly.
- Hole-in-one bet - While pretty self-explanatory, this requires you to choose the player you think can hit a hole-in-one. You can often do this throughout the entire tournament, or you can do it for the next round; you’ll often get significant odds for this type of bet.
- Outright markets - As we alluded to in our intro, it is The Masters and the Ryder Cup, which often attract the biggest audiences and, subsequently, the most significant betting markets. Outright markets simply require you to choose the player that will win the entire tournament. This type of bet will help to keep you engaged for the duration of the tournament.
- Nation bets - Born out of the same idea as the Ryder Cup, which pits nations together and against each other, betting companies have employed similar tactics for nation bets. Instead of betting on one golfer, you can bet on several golfers who are part of the same nation or continent. While this makes the odds shorter, it gives you better value for your bet over the course of a tournament.
Other golf bets to explore
This is just a selection of the markets that see the most action. Other big markets include a place finish, which means you can bet on a player to finish in the top five or top 10, or the round finishing position, where you bet on the standings after each round.
Outright bets still tend to be the most popular, especially in the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup is one of the oldest, most traditional, well-celebrated and decorated tournaments on the golfing calendar. You can find derivative in-play markets too, and outright markets, round betting and hole-in-one markets often run live for the whole tournament.
Sportsbooks like DraftKings often put players head-to-head and offer markets on who will come out on top overall. This is one of the most inventive golf bets, and it is another secondary market that attracts fans from all over the world, not just the US.
Outright bets still tend to be the most popular, especially in the Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup is one of the oldest, most traditional, well-celebrated and decorated tournaments on the golfing calendar. You can find derivative in-play markets too, and outright markets, round betting and hole-in-one markets often run live for the whole tournament.
Sportsbooks like DraftKings often put players head-to-head and offer markets on who will come out on top overall. This is one of the most inventive golf bets, and it is another secondary market that attracts fans from all over the world, not just the US.
Betting odds formats
Betting odds are most commonly displayed as either fractional (British), decimal (European) or money line (American) odds. With fractional odds, 2/1 means if you bet $10, you get $30 back with $20 in profit and your original $10 stake. Decimal odds represent how much you win for every $1 wagered. The same odds would be represented by 3.0 in decimal odds.
Money line odds indicate how much you need to stake to win $100. The odds for a favorite typically include a minus sign, while the odds for the underdog include a plus sign. For instance, if you want to place an outright bet on Scottie Scheffler to win The Masters, as he did in 2022, current odds have him at around +800. If you place $100 on this bet, you’ll win $800.
Responsible gambling
No matter what you choose to place your bets on, you must remember to adhere to safe gambling etiquette. Ensuring that you only gamble with funds that you’re able to lose and setting up time limits so that you’re not browsing online gambling markets all day are two proven, effective ways to keep your experience entertaining and to avoid getting caught up in the turbulent world of problem gambling. If you believe you may be developing an issue, contact a local service online or confide in a family member or close friend.
Final thoughts
Every sports betting market has benefited from the rise of the internet and in-play markets. It has allowed bettors to access fresh markets and, in some cases, stream golf tournaments on their betting apps as they place their wagers.
Although there are markets specific to golf, such as the obvious hole-in-one bet and figurative head-to-heads, many of these markets, especially the outright ones, mirror those available in many other sports. Provided you understand how the game operates, you’ll have no problem understanding any of these markets, even the more niche ones.
