Two teams · Three matches · Every hole scores

How the Matches golf game works

Matches is a two-team best-ball game scored in points. Each hole is worth 1 point to the team with the lower net ball, or half each for a tie. Every hole counts in its nine and in the overall 18, and each match won earns a bonus point. Most total points wins.

Turnt Golf game guides · Examples are illustrative, not player results.

Coach Dale explains Matches: three matches at once — front nine, back nine and the full 18 — with points for every hole. 21 seconds, captions on screen.

One point a hole, in two matches at once

On every hole, only each team’s lowest net score counts. The lower team net wins the hole’s point; a tie is half a point each. That point is banked in the nine you are playing and in the overall 18.

So 36 hole points are available: 9 on the front, 9 on the back and 18 overall. The winner of each of the three matches also gets a 1-point bonus.

Lose the front, steal the back

Unlike match play, there is no close-out: every hole scores, so a team that is behind still has points to play for. In this example from Turnt’s rules sheet, Team A wins the front 6–3, Team B steals the back 5–4, and A takes the overall 10–8.

Turnt’s worked example — hole points plus match bonuses
Match	Team A	Team B	Bonus
Front 9	6	3	A +1
Back 9	4	5	B +1
Overall 18	10	8	A +1
Total	22	17	A by 5 points

Matches in Turnt

Matches is built for exactly two teams of any size. If a match finishes level on points, it goes to the team that did better on the hardest handicap hole, then the next hardest.

The group chooses the stakes when the round is set up: points only, a stake on each point of the final difference, or a flat stake on each of the front, back and overall matches.

Common questions

Is Matches the same as Nassau?

They share the front, back and overall structure. Matches scores every hole as points with a bonus per match; Turnt’s Nassau is three match-play contests.

Can teams be uneven sizes?

Turnt’s Matches supports two teams of any size, because only each team’s best net ball counts on a hole.

Does the game end early if one team runs away with it?

No. There are no close-outs, so all 18 holes always count.

Explore Turnt’s supported game catalog. Other publishers may describe different rules or product settings. Turnt-specific explanations above describe Turnt’s version.