Side Games¶
Side games add extra fun and competition within your playing group. They run alongside your main round - you enter scores normally, and the side game tracks its own competition.
Available Side Games¶
| Game | Players | What It Is |
|---|---|---|
| Oceans 11 | 2+ | Bank your best 11 holes |
| Niner | Exactly 3 | 9 points per hole, split between players |
| Fourball Betterball | Exactly 4 | 2v2 match play |
| Singles Matchplay | 2-4 | Head-to-head matches |
Starting a Side Game¶
Side games are started from the score entry screen during your round.
Finding the Side Games Tab¶
When Sophie starts entering scores for her group, she sees a Side Games tab alongside the scorecard.
She clicks the tab and sees options to add a side game.
Adding a Game¶
Sophie clicks Add Side Game and sees the available options:
The options shown depend on how many players are in the group:
- 2 players: Oceans 11, Singles Matchplay
- 3 players: Oceans 11, Niner, Singles Matchplay
- 4 players: All games available
Oceans 11¶
The Concept¶
In Oceans 11, you choose your best 11 holes to count towards your score. The other 7 holes are ignored.
The strategy: Do you bank a decent score now, or gamble on doing better later?
How It Works¶
- Play and score each hole normally
- After scoring a hole, decide whether to bank it
- You can bank a maximum of 11 holes
- Your Oceans 11 score is the total Stableford points from your banked holes
Banking a Hole¶
After Sophie's group enters scores for Hole 3, they see banking options:
Each player sees:
- Their Stableford points for that hole
- A Bank button
- How many holes they've already banked (e.g., "3/11")
Sophie scored 3 points on this hole - a birdie! She definitely wants to bank this one. She taps Bank.
Standings¶
The Side Games tab shows the current Oceans 11 standings:
| Player | Banked | Points | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophie | 6/11 | 14 pts | 5 to bank |
| Lars | 5/11 | 11 pts | 6 to bank |
| Mia | 7/11 | 16 pts | 4 to bank |
Strategy Tips¶
- Bank early if nervous - Locking in points is safe
- Wait if confident - You might score better later
- Don't forget! - If you reach hole 18 with unbanked holes, the last ones auto-bank
- Watch the count - If you bank 11, you're done choosing
Niner¶
The Concept¶
In Niner, 9 points are available on every hole, split between the 3 players based on who scored best.
Over 18 holes, that's 162 points shared between 3 players. After the round, totals should add up to 162.
Point Distribution¶
Points are split based on relative performance:
| Scenario | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Clear winner | 5 - 3 - 1 |
| Winner + tie for 2nd | 5 - 2 - 2 |
| Tie for 1st, clear 3rd | 4 - 4 - 1 |
| Three-way tie | 3 - 3 - 3 |
How It Works¶
- All 3 players enter their scores for the hole
- PazGolf automatically calculates and distributes points
- Running totals update in the Side Games tab
Example¶
On Hole 5:
- Sophie scores 4 (net 3)
- Lars scores 5 (net 4)
- Mia scores 5 (net 4)
Sophie wins outright, Lars and Mia tie for second:
- Sophie: 5 points
- Lars: 2 points
- Mia: 2 points
Standings¶
The Niner grid shows points per hole and running totals:
| Hole | Sophie | Lars | Mia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 19 | 14 | 12 |
Why Niner is Perfect for 3-Balls¶
Niner was designed specifically for groups of 3. It keeps everyone competitive throughout the round, even if one player is having a bad day - they can still pick up points on individual holes.
Fourball Betterball¶
The Concept¶
Four players split into two teams of 2. On each hole, each team's best score counts. The team with the better best-ball wins the hole.
Setting Up Teams¶
When starting Fourball Betterball, you assign teams:
Team A: Sophie & Lars Team B: Mia & Kenji
How It Works¶
- All 4 players enter their scores for the hole
- PazGolf finds each team's best (lowest net) score
- The team with the better score wins the hole
- If tied, the hole is halved
Example¶
On Hole 7:
| Player | Team | Net Score |
|---|---|---|
| Sophie | A | 4 |
| Lars | A | 5 |
| Mia | B | 4 |
| Kenji | B | 6 |
Team A's best: 4 (Sophie) Team B's best: 4 (Mia)
Result: Hole halved
Match Status¶
The Side Games tab shows the current match status:
Common displays:
- Team A 2 UP - Team A leads by 2 holes
- ALL SQUARE - Match is tied
- Team B 1 UP with 5 to play - Team B leads by 1, 5 holes left
- DORMIE - Leading team is up by exactly the number of holes remaining
Front 9 / Back 9 / Overall¶
Fourball Betterball tracks three separate matches:
| Match | Holes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Front 9 | 1-9 | Team A 1 UP |
| Back 9 | 10-18 | Team B 2 UP |
| Overall | 1-18 | ALL SQUARE |
This gives multiple chances to win even if one match is going badly.
Singles Matchplay¶
The Concept¶
Head-to-head match play between individual players. Each hole is won, lost, or halved based on net scores. Handicap strokes are applied on the appropriate holes.
Setting Up Matches¶
With 4 players, you might set up two matches:
- Match 1: Sophie vs Mia
- Match 2: Lars vs Kenji
Or one player might play against multiple opponents.
Handicap Strokes¶
The key difference from regular scoring: handicap strokes are allocated hole-by-hole based on the stroke index.
If Sophie plays off 14 and Mia plays off 6, Sophie receives 8 strokes - on the 8 hardest holes (stroke index 1-8).
The scorecard highlights which holes each player receives (or gives) strokes:
Match Progress¶
As you play, the match status updates:
- 2 UP - Leading by 2 holes
- 1 DOWN - Trailing by 1 hole
- ALL SQUARE - Match is tied
- DORMIE - Lead equals holes remaining (can't lose, might halve)
Early Finish¶
Matches can finish before hole 18 if one player can't be caught:
- 3&2 - Won 3 UP with 2 holes to play
- 5&4 - Won 5 UP with 4 holes to play
When a match finishes early, you can continue playing for the main competition - the matchplay result is simply recorded.
Side Games and Score Entry¶
No Extra Effort¶
Side games run alongside normal score entry. You don't need to enter scores twice - PazGolf uses the same scores for both the main competition and any side games.
When to Choose¶
The best time to set up side games is at the start of your round, before entering any scores. However, you can add a side game part-way through - it will calculate from hole 1 using scores already entered.
Multiple Games¶
You can run multiple side games simultaneously. For example, a 4-ball might play:
- Fourball Betterball (2v2 teams)
- Oceans 11 (all 4 players individually)
Both run from the same scores.
Offline Support¶
Side games work offline - perfect for courses with poor signal.
All side game data is stored on your phone and syncs when you're back online. You can bank Oceans 11 holes, see Niner points, and track Fourball status even in airplane mode.
Quick Reference¶
Starting a Side Game¶
- Open score entry for your group
- Click the Side Games tab
- Click Add Side Game
- Choose the game type
Player Requirements¶
| Game | Players Needed |
|---|---|
| Oceans 11 | 2+ |
| Niner | Exactly 3 |
| Fourball Betterball | Exactly 4 |
| Singles Matchplay | 2-4 |
Key Concepts¶
Oceans 11: Bank your best 11 holes, ignore 7.
Niner: 9 points per hole split 5-3-1 (or variants for ties).
Fourball Betterball: 2v2, best ball per team wins hole.
Singles Matchplay: 1v1 with handicap strokes on specific holes.
Historical Results¶
After the round, side game results are saved with your score. When you view a score in My Scores, you can see any side games that were played.
This means you have a record of that epic Oceans 11 where you banked 24 points, or the Niner that came down to the last hole.