For most of us, golf , 3 Dynamic Concept Swing Principles is an individual -- not a team -- game. , My Core Strength Is Just Fine Thank You, But My Swing Needs Help! Each golfer , The Swing Is A Puzzle in your group is playing against the course, , The Power of A Training Club and nothing that they do has any real impact , Senior Golfers Increase Swing Speed on your own game. , Fitness Trainer: Do You Need One You can actually play , Booming in Brazil your regular group without ever talking. But because of this, golfers , What Can A Single Digit Handicap er Do That You Can't? always are looking for ways to add some interaction to the game. , has come a long way Best ball , The Power of A Training Club matches, alternate shot and scrambles are some popular formats. But for most golfers, , Swing Series: Five Secrets to Perfecting your Game the way to make things more interesting (and interactive) is to place a few side bets. The most popular bet in amateur golf , Can a Stability Ball Help You Strengthen Your Core For ? is probably the $2 Nassau. It's a two-sided bet: player , Can a Stability Ball Help You Strengthen Your Core For ? against player, , Keep Your Stats To Improve Your Game or team against team. Nassaus lend themselves to a variety of team play , What Should Be Your Training Priority? formats. Scramble, four ball , Can a Stability Help You Strengthen Your Core For ? and alternate shot matches are common. Teams also can decide to play , How an Empty Box Improved My Swing with, or without handicaps. , How Training Can Transform Your Game The Nasssau gets its name from the Nassau Country Club , s: How To Bag The Best Price on Long Island, where the format was invented in the early 1900s. The game , Swing Series: Five Secrets to Perfecting your also is known as "2-2-2", and "Best Nines." With awards for winning each side (front nine, back nine) and for all 18, the Nassau is essentially three separate bets. In a basic $2 Nassau, the player , Clubs: How To Bag The Best Price or team winning all three events would win $6. For those areas where betting cash is considered immoral, or illegal, Nassaus typically are played for two of something: golf balls, , How To Achieve Longer Drives drinks, etc. Winners of all three bets could then win a half-a-dozen balls, , How Training Can Transform Your Game or a six pack. Scoring Nassaus is something akin to that of match play golf. , Why Can't I Play Like Tiger When a player , And Zen - Chapter 2 or team has the low score on a hole, , Get In On The Mini Craze they score one point. A tie is a "push. The team or player , Fix Your Finish To Improve Your Handicap with the most points at the end of each nine wins that side. The two nines are totaled for the 18 hole , How an Empty Box Improved My Swing award. But if that's all there was to a Nassau, it is unlikely that it would be so popular among golfers. , The Power of A Training Club The real fun of a Nassau begins with the "press." Any time a team or individual is down by two or more points, they can "press" the bet. That means that an additional bet is placed for the remaining holes , has come a long way on the side. The original bet still stands, however. Players , 3 Sure Fire Ways to Generate More Power off the Tee involved in a Nassau typically are obligated to accept a press. Here's an example of how it works: After six holes, , Bags And What To Look For When Buying Yours Team A finds itself down by two points. They decide to press. Now, in addition to the original wager, a second bet has been placed for holes , Exercises For Golfers Pay Huge Dividends seven, eight and nine. If Team A wins two of the three, they still lose the original bet by one point. However, they break even because they won the press. If they lose two of the remaining holes, , Get In On The Mini Craze they end up paying off both wagers. In the best case scenario, they win all three remaining holes, , Practice Isn't Important If'? and win both wagers. In some Nassau formats, the press is automatic when a player , My Core Strength Is Just Fine Thank You, But My Swing Needs Help! or team is down by two. One problem with Nassaus is that it can be difficult to keep track of the wagering. At the end of 18, it would not be unusual for players , Hypnosis Can Put You in the Zone to have placed six or seven separate wagers. Nassaus also can become quite expensive -- even with the initial $2 limit. A Nasssau that has been pressed, double pressed, and triple pressed can quickly add up. Players usually avoid mass confusion and bank-breaking payouts by limiting the presses to no more than two per nine holes. , Fitness Trainer: Do You Need One Some matches also allow presses only on the last four holes , Fitness Trainer: Do You Need One of each nine. If the number of presses is controlled, Nassaus can be a very friendly betting format. The players , 5 Fitness Tips That Work who are down (presumably the less skilled players , Practice Isn't Important If'? -- at least on that day) control the pace of the wagers. And because the bet is broken into two nines and a total, a bad nine won't ruin the whole day. The next time you're out on the course , has come a long way with your regular foursome, try a Nassau -- if only for a couple of sleeves of balls. , Fix Your Finish To Improve Your Handicap A last couple of words of caution: Betting is not legal in all jurisdictions. Players , The Swing Is A Puzzle should be aware of local regulations before placing a wager. And players , Weight Training for Golfers Is The Missing Link To A Great Game should always remember to never bet more than they can afford to lose. Set a budget at the beginning of a match and stick to it. Read more about golf , Lessons - Are They Right For You? at Golf , My Core Strength Is Just Fine Thank You, But My Swing Needs Help! Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com John Retzer has worked as a professional journalist, photographer, editor, public relations professional and golf , 5 Fitness Tips That Work coach. He currently teaches economics, political science and history. In his "spare time" he runs several websites and blogs, including Golf , Keep Your Stats To Improve Your Game Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com and Flash Drive Blog at http://www.flashdriveblog.com
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