The 'Lagging' Golf Game Explained

"Lagging" is the name of a golf game in which every golfer playing, no matter how much better or worse one might be than another, has a real chance at winning. Lagging is all about being closest to the pin on each green — but only after all balls are on the green.

Lagging is a game for a group of two, three or four golfers. The goal is to get your ball closest to the hole. But how many strokes it takes for you to get onto the green doesn't matter. Maybe the best player in your group hit the green on her approach shot, while you played four strokes and your ball is still sitting a few feet off the green. That's OK: "Lagging" doesn't care about the strokes played before hitting the green. So play that short chip shot, and if you get your ball closest to the hole you win the hole and/or the wager.

So, to summarize Lagging, it works like this:

• The goal is to be closest to the hole on each green. But you don't determine whose ball is closest until all balls are on the green — how many strokes each player needs to get on the green doesn't matter.

• And if you are closest to the hole, what do you win? If playing Lagging in a group of four, closest gets three points, second-closest two points, next-closest one point, and the farthest from the hole zero points. (In a threesome, make the points 2-1-0, in a twosome one and zero.) You can bet on the overall outcome, or you can assign a monetary value to each point.

Waiting to determine closest-to-the-pin until every golfer is on the green actually gives an advantage to the weaker, rather than stronger, golfer. A 2-handicap is much more likely to hit a green in regulation compared to an 18-handicapper. That 18-handicapper will likely miss the green, but then have a short pitch or chip, giving them a chance to get closer to the hole than the 2-handicapper who played a 150-yard approach shot onto the green.

This is what makes the Lagging game a good one to include when a group is combining lots of side games in one round. But if your group wants, it can also including in Lagging a one-point bonus to any golfer who hits the green in regulation.

More golf games:

• How to play a reverse scramble
• How to play Russian Stableford
• Out-In-Total golf match explained

Sources:
Rodriguez, Chi Chi, and Anderson, John. Chi Chi's Golf Games You Gotta Play, 2003, Human Kinetics