Best Golf Betting Sites 2024 – American Sites to Bet on Golf
Betting on golf is increasingly popular in the USA. It probably helps that many of the world’s top players are from the States. But the slower pace of the game compared to many other sports makes it especially well suited to live betting. Not to mention the fact that tournaments tend to be packed with great value odds.
In this article, we’re going to teach you all about betting on golf. We’ll cover the various markets available, as well as explaining how to read the odds. But first of all, we’re going to let you in on a little secret.
Our panel of sports betting experts has scoured the country for the finest sportsbooks at which to bet on golf. Keep reading to learn their final verdict.
Best 2024 US Sportsbooks for Betting on Golf
The following bookmakers are the best in the United States when it comes to betting on golf. Not only are they fully licensed, but they offer a wide variety of betting lines and competitive odds. In addition, you’ll find plenty of generous bonuses, secure banking methods and professional customer support.
Contents
In our guide to the best sites for betting on golf, we’ll tackle the following topics. If there’s something you’re particularly interested in, you can jump ahead using the links below.
- Best US Sportsbooks for Betting on Golf
- History of Golf
- Understanding Golf Betting Odds
- Popular Golf Betting Markets
- Betting On Golf In-Play
- Golf Betting Bonuses and Promotions
- Tips for Betting On Golf
- How to Start Betting On Golf
- FAQs
History of Golf
The earliest origins of golf are somewhat unclear, though it’s widely accepted that Scotland is the ancestral home. Many of the world’s most prestigious courses can be found there, such as St Andrews, which frequently hosts the Open Championship.
The game only began to spread across the globe late in the 19th century, as the British Empire expanded. By the 1890s, golf courses existed in Australia, Singapore, Canada and South Africa. The United States Golf Association was founded in 1894. By 1910, 267 clubs had been created in the country. But by 1932, there were in excess of 1,100.
Betting on golf is basically as old as the game itself. The USGA even mentions a policy for amateurs gambling while golfing. Its stance is that the organization “does not object to informal wagering”. However, the stakes must be low enough to ensure that “the primary purpose is the playing of the game for enjoyment.”
With the advent of online betting sites, it was only a matter of time before golf markets would become popular. The structure of golf tournaments and the leisurely pace at which games are played both make it an ideal sport on which to bet.
Understanding Golf Betting Odds
The first thing we need to cover in our guide to betting on golf is the odds. What do the numbers mean? Where do they come from? How do I make sense of them? Let’s dive right in and find out!
Most of the time when betting on golf, the betting odds will have a positive value. When that is the case, the figure displayed tells us what our profit will be if we placed a bet of exactly $100. So if Adam Scott is listed with odds of +2800 to win the US Open, we know that a $100 wager would return a total of $2,900. That’s our initial $100 stake along with the profit.
On the other hand, a negative odds value flips things around. Here, the number is the amount we need to stake in order to generate a $100 profit. So let’s say Justin Thomas has a price of -120 to win his 2-ball. We know that a $120 bet will earn a $100 profit, for total returns of $220.
How are Golf Betting Odds Compiled?
Just like with any other sport, a betting site has a team of experts who understand golf. They combine their knowledge with complex models and algorithms, feeding in data to produce probabilities. Factors such as the type of course, the weather, the form of the players and more all go into determining the chances of a player winning.
Once the compilers are happy with their final probabilities, they must be converted to odds. At that point, punters are free to start placing bets. If the public feels that the compilers have made a pricing error, they’ll be very quick to bet on the big prices. In that case, the bookmaker will trim their odds accordingly, lengthening others as a result.
Different Odds Formats
Betting on golf is popular all over the world, not just in the United States. As such, you might encounter golf odds in multiple formats.
The Brits favor a somewhat old-fashioned fractional format, for instance. While the Europeans developed a decimal odds system which is now commonly adopted by betting exchanges, due to its more nuanced approach. Meanwhile, across Asia, there are multiple formats used, some examples of which can be seen below.
Each-Way Odds
This is especially common when betting on golf, due to the large odds on offer during tournaments. Each-way is a kind of insurance that gives you a chance of winning even when you have a near miss. It’s effectively placing two bets. One is for the player to win the tournament. But a second wager, at reduced odds, is for the golfer to finish among the top 5 or 6 players.
The exact each-way terms of a golf bet depend on the bookmaker. During major events, it’s common to see promotions where the terms are extended, giving you extra places. The more places that are paid, the better it is for punters!
Popular Golf Betting Markets
There are many different ways to bet on golf. Let’s now talk about some of the most common lines and markets found at the USA’s best golf betting sites.
Outright Winner
Attempting to identify the overall tournament winner is by far the most common way for Americans to start betting on golf. You don’t need to be a stats expert to have an opinion on who might be able to lift the trophy. So the Outright market is one of the most accessible of all.
But not only that, with dozens of the world’s best players lining up, but only one possible winner, this market can offer incredible value. It’s not uncommon to find top 10 ranked golfers available at huge odds.
Example: Cameron Smith to win the US Open @ +1600
2-Balls and 3-Balls
This is an example of how the bookmakers like to get creative when offering golf betting markets. In a 2-ball, the bookies will pair up two golfers in a match bet. All you’re doing is trying to predict which of the two will win that particular pairing. The rest of the tournament is irrelevant.
A 3-ball is a similar concept, only you’re attempting to guess who will perform best out of the three named golfers.
Example: Rory McIlroy to beat Patrick Cantlay @ -130
Top 20 Finish
Since there are so many talented players in a tournament, but only one player can win, you sometimes need to be smart. Betting on a Top 20 Finish can be one such way to spot value. Most online bookmakers offer multiple variations of this market, including Top 10 and Top 30.
As the names suggest, your chosen golfer only has to finish among the best performing players. It doesn’t matter where exactly they end up on the leaderboard, as long as it’s within the specified range.
Example: Dustin Johnson Top 20 US Masters Finish @ +200
Miss The Cut
This is a simple but popular bet. Not every player who lines up at the beginning of a golf tournament will be allowed to continue playing. Every event has a predetermined cut-off point, at which those ranked above the line continue, while those below miss out.
All you’re trying to do with this bet is find the players who make the cut. Expert bettors often select several players to miss the cut, to maximize their winnings.
Example: Viktor Hovland to miss the cut @ +400
Against the Field
When betting on golf, most people are supporting a player. They’re either backing them to win the tournament, or at least to finish high up on the leaderboard. But with this unusual bet, you can choose to oppose a named golfer.
Betting a player against the field is the same as backing them to win the event. But by betting the field against the player, you’re backing literally every other golfer to win the event. So if your named player wins, your bet loses.
Example: The Field to beat Shane Lowry @ -120
Futures
Like most forms of sports wagering, it’s possible to look at events far into the future when betting on golf. Trying to predict the tournament winner many months, or even years in advance is hard. So as a trade-off, you’ll generally receive much bigger odds.
Golf’s majors are the most common futures betting markets at US sportsbooks. But it’s possible to bet on smaller events too, while some sites even offer novelty futures. Whether or not a player will ever win a major in their career, for instance.
Example: Kevin Kisner to win next year’s US Open @ +2600
Betting On Golf In-Play
Most online bookmakers today report that live betting, or “in-play” as it’s sometimes called, makes up more than half of their business. Betting on golf is no exception. The slow-paced nature of the sport actually lends itself perfectly to placing wagers once an event is already underway.
Live golf betting is a great way to spend a day. You may enjoy a tournament from the comfort of the sofa, watching events unfold on the television. As the leaderboard takes shape, you can respond accordingly. In-play markets allow you to bet on the players who are running hot, while opposing those who might be struggling more than anticipated.
Live Golf Streams
Betting on golf at the top online bookmakers can be an extremely immersive experience, thanks to live streaming. Simply place a bet to access real time footage of the tournament, with no need to even turn on the television. You can follow all of the action on your mobile, laptop or tablet, with the betting odds alongside the footage for total convenience.
Golf Betting Bonuses and Promotions
Finding the best sportsbooks for betting on golf involves plenty of criteria, but a range of bonuses is an important one. The major golf tournaments are often used by the bookies as marketing tools, with lots of free bets and bonuses to be found.
Here are some of the most common promotions available at golf betting sites in the US.
Deposit Match Bonus
You won’t find too many online sportsbooks which don’t offer a welcome bonus to new registrants. Usually, this is a deposit match bonus, which requires the bettor to fund their account using real money.
After signing up, the bookmaker will match the value of the new player’s first deposit. If it’s a 150% match, for example, a credit of $100 would earn a bonus of $150. These bonus funds can be used to bet on a variety of sports, including golf events.
Golf Betting No Deposit Bonus
This type of bonus isn’t as common as it used to be, on account of it being so valuable. As the name implies, a no deposit bonus doesn’t even involve real money. You simply join the bookmaker and start betting on golf using your bonus funds.
If you are lucky enough to find a no deposit bonus at a US sportsbook, be sure to read the terms and conditions. There is usually some kind of playthrough requirement before you’ll be allowed to withdraw your winnings.
Free Bet
Some bookies give out free bets as welcome bonuses, but many also reward their loyal customers with such tokens. A free bet entitles you to wager on a market of your choice without risking your own money. Within reason, of course, since terms and conditions will apply.
If a free bet wins, you’ll keep the profit but not the stake. But on the flip side, you’ve lost nothing at all if the bet crashes and burns.
Risk-Free Bet
Although it sounds quite similar, a risk-free bet isn’t the same as a free bet. The former involves you placing a bet using your own cash.
If the risk-free bet wins, you’ve nothing to worry about and you simply keep the returns. But the wager is protected with a kind of insurance, in case it loses. This usually entails having your stake refunded as a free bet token.
Tips for Betting On Golf
Before you start betting on golf, keep in mind the following tips to help you succeed.
Prepare properly
Betting on golf is much like any kind of other sports wagering. The harder you work, the better your bottom line will look. Study historical events to see which players might be suited to different courses. Identify which players are playing well going into a tournament and that could possibly be underrated by odds compilers.
Finally, try to bet nice and early. If the bookies have made an error with their golf betting odds, they’ll be quick to spot it. You need to get there first, so prepare as early as possible.
Watch the Weather
Conditions always play a huge factor in the outcome of golf tournaments. If you’re smart, you can get ahead of the game. When the initial odds are released, whether it’s the outright winner or the 2- and 3-balls, the weather will not have been considered.
What if it’s going to be calm first thing in the morning but blow a gale in the afternoon? Once the tee times are announced, whoever is playing early will have a huge advantage. Some golfers play better in extreme conditions than others, which ties into the previous point too. Make sure you study and learn who can handle which conditions the best.
Manage your betting activity
In order to make long-term profit when betting on golf, you need a professional approach. Log every bet in a spreadsheet and regularly assess your performance. What type of bets are most successful for you? Consider wagering less often on the lines which aren’t working.
Try to keep to a consistent staking pattern, too. By excessively varying your bet size, you expose yourself to unnecessary variance. You won’t profit fully when betting with smaller than average stakes, while chasing losses with increased wager sizes is a recipe for disaster.
Set up multiple accounts
With so many different sportsbooks online these days, there’s no reason to be loyal. Treat bookmakers like any other store and make sure you compare prices between companies. If you can get +1200 at one betting site but it’s +1000 everywhere else, where are you going to bet?
Not only will having multiple betting accounts allow you to get the best possible odds, but you can also collect bonuses. Bookmakers often run promotions around major golf tournaments. Reload offers can be a lucrative way to collect free bets and boost your bankroll.
How to Start Betting On Golf
Now that you understand everything there is to know about golf betting, it’s time to tee off! Just follow the steps below to get started betting on the world’s biggest golf tournaments.
1. Select a golf betting site
We’ve made the process a little easier for you by compiling the USA’s best golf betting sites at the top of this page. Click the links to ensure you end up at the real sportsbook, rather than a dangerous spoof site.
2. Register a new account
Click the button to open the registration form and fill out your personal details. This is a legal requirement, so don’t worry. All licensed betting sites have to be able to identify their players, to combat fraud and money laundering. Your data will be perfectly safe at our trusted golf sportsbooks.
3. Claim your welcome bonus
All of our recommended betting sites offer some kind of new player signup bonus. However, every bookie takes a different approach. You may need to enter a promo code upon registering, or it might be when making your first deposit. Check the terms and conditions of the bonus and ensure that you don’t leave any freebies behind by mistake!
4. Make a real money deposit
You can’t start betting on golf until you’ve loaded your account with real money. So the next step is to hit the cashier, pick out a deposit option and fund that wallet! Pay attention to any betting limits, so as not to slow the process down.
5. Place your golf bets
Okay, you’re pretty much there. Now all that remains is to navigate the golf betting markets in the sportsbook and make your picks. When you find a bet that you like, click the selection’s odds to add it to the bet slip. Enter your desired stake and bet type, before confirming. Best of luck!
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