The Daytona Golf Betting Game Explained

"Daytona" is the name of a golf betting game for two teams of two players each (two vs. two). The key to Daytona (which is also known by the name Las Vegas) is on each hole, the two golfers on a side don't combine their scores together, but rather pair their scores to form a new number.

Let's make sure everyone is clear about that: What do we mean when we say pair their scores rather than add or combine scores? On Hole 1, for example, one side's Golfer A scores 4 and Golfer B also makes 4. Add them together and you get 8. But in Daytona, you don't add them, you pair them — put one four in front of the other and you get 44 (forty-four).

Another example: Golfer A makes 3 and Golfer B makes 6. In Daytona, that's not nine, that's 36 (thirty-six).

So, just to repeat ourselves, the basics of Daytona are these:

• Each side is comprised of two golfers, so it is a 2-vs.-2 game;
• On each hole, the two golfers pair their scores (as opposed to add the scores) together.

Which number of the two partners goes first? The low number (usually). So if the scores are 3 and 4, that's 34, not 43. If the scores are 4 and 5, that's 45, not 54. Unless ...

Unless the golfers have agreed before the round to "flip the bird." In Daytona, "flipping the bird" means if your side makes a birdie and the other side doesn't, you get to reverse their score to put the higher number first. If Side 1 makes a birdie on Hole 3 and Side 2 doesn't, then Side 2 has to put its higher number first. In that case, if Golfer A makes a 5 and Golfer B a 6, their team score is 65, not 56.

Now, these are big numbers! Daytona golf game points add up very quickly, which means it can become a very expensive game. If you agree to flip the bird, that makes Daytona even more expensive. So be very careful before agreeing to the value of each point. At the end of the round, add up all the points and pay out the differences.

More golf formats and bets:

• The Acey Ducey golf game (also called Aces and Deuces)
• The Yellowsomes golf format explained
• How to play the 4-point game