Miles Bennett
Skins is a golf format played by three or four golfers. In a skins game, the winner of a hole wins a Skin, which is normally equivalent to a sum of money. The name of the game comes from the traditional prize handed to winners – a money bag made of animal skin. In effect, each hole is played for a bag of money, or a ‘Skin’. The Skins Game was an unofficial-money event on the PGA Tour from 1983 to 2008, gaining international prominence in 1983 with a televised match between golfing legends Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson.
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What You'll Learn
Skins golf match format
Skins is a golf format played by three or four golfers. In a Skins game, the winner of a hole wins a Skin which is normally equivalent to a sum of money. The name of the game comes from the leather pouches – the Skin – which the money was kept in. In effect, each hole is played for a bag of money, or a ‘Skin’.
The values of the Skin for each hole are declared in advance of the game. Sometimes each hole is worth the same Skin, but in some Skins games, the value of Skins increases for the later holes. If a hole is won outright, then the player who wins gets the Skin. If the hole is not won outright, that Skin is carried over to the next hole and all the players in the game can compete for that Skin, regardless of how well they did on the previous hole. This carrying over continues until a hole is won outright, so a hole can have many Skins riding on it.
A birdie on a hole doubles the value of the skin, and an eagle triples its value. Skins tend to favour bold, attacking play as you are rarely punished for having a bad hole. But you are often rewarded if you can shoot low on a hole. Therefore it encourages players to play risk-reward golf. It also tends to favour the occasionally brilliant player over the steady player. The golfer who makes half the holes in birdie and half in double bogey is likely to win more Skins than the player who pars all 18 holes.
A "whole-round skins game" is an adaptation of skins where you don't know who wins until all players complete the round. This format is usually used for skins games spanning multiple groups of golfers. All players put money into a pot for a skin on every hole. After all, players have completed their rounds; the skins are divided up and paid to the winners.
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How to win a skin
Skins is a golf format played by three or four golfers, where the winner of a hole wins a "skin", which is usually a sum of money. The name of the game comes from the traditional prize handed to winners—a money bag made of animal skin.
To win a skin, you need to have the lowest score on a hole. If there is a tie, the skin is carried over to the next hole, and the value of the skin increases. For example, if there is a tie on the first hole, the second hole is now worth two skins. This can continue until someone wins a skin, at which point the next hole returns to being worth one skin.
In a skins game, you can play aggressively and aim for birdies (a score of 1-under par) to increase your chances of winning. This format favours the occasionally brilliant player over the steady player. A golfer who makes half the holes in birdie and half in double bogey is likely to win more skins than a player who pars all 18 holes.
You can also employ a strategy called "validation". When a player wins a skin, they must match or better their score on the next hole to "validate" it. If they are unable to do so, the skin carries over, and another player can steal it.
Additionally, pay attention to your opponents' performance and adapt your strategy accordingly. If a player has won multiple skins and is in the lead, consider matching their aggressive play or taking advantage of their mistakes. It's also important to stay calm under pressure and make smart decisions throughout the round.
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History of skins golf matches
The Skins Game in golf is believed to have originated in Scotland, the "holy land" of golf, centuries ago. One legend suggests that furriers arriving in Scotland opted to play a round of golf and gambled their pelts or "skins" on the game, and the name "skins" stuck. Another theory suggests that the term "skins" comes from the idea of "'skinning' an opponent, or fleecing them. This meaning of "skin", which is well-known but no longer common, suggests that a person has been swindled or cheated. The USGA supports this theory, noting that the term "skin game" has its origins in the 1800s and was used to describe a "swindling, cheating trick".
The first Skins Game was held in 1983 at Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, Arizona, with Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player as the participants. NBC televised the event throughout the US, and it became an instant golfing television success. The popularity of the Skins Game format led to its use in other sports, such as curling.
Over the years, the Skins Game featured notable golfers such as Tiger Woods, who made three consecutive appearances starting in 1996, and Annika Sorenstam, who finished second in 2003, winning $225,000. Fred Couples, nicknamed "Mr. Skins", dominated the Skins Game, winning five times and earning a total of $4,405,000 and 77 skins in 11 appearances.
The Skins Game was cancelled in 2009 after LG pulled out of sponsorship, but it was revived in 2018 by Jack Whigham and Bryan Zuriff as "The Match", which has been held most years on Thanksgiving weekend.
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Skins game variations
Skins is a golf format typically played by three or four golfers, although some variations allow for up to a dozen players. In a traditional Skins game, golfers compete against each other by playing their own balls, and the winner of each hole wins a "skin", which is usually a sum of money. The name "Skins" comes from the leather pouches that money was historically kept in.
- Carryover Skins: If multiple players tie for the lowest score on a hole, the skin "carries over" to the next hole, increasing its value. For example, if there is a tie on hole #1, the skin for hole #2 is worth double. This variation helps keep everyone engaged until the end, especially if one player wins a majority of the skins early on.
- Validation Skins: When a player wins a skin, they must "'validate' their win by scoring the lowest (or
- Challenges: Skins games can include challenges such as "closest to the pin on par 3s", "longest drive", or the "one-club challenge" where players designate a hole where everyone can only use one club of their choosing.
- Handicaps: In amateur Skins games, the application of handicaps is usually left to the players' discretion. If players have similar skill levels, the game can be played without handicaps. However, if there is a wide range of skill levels, full handicaps may be more appropriate to create a more inclusive environment.
- Number of Holes: Skins games can be played on all 18 holes or just specific holes, such as all par 5s. The number of skins awarded will depend on the number of holes played and can range from 0 to 18, with 2-6 being a typical number for a group of 10 golfers.
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Skins game popularity
The Skins Game was an annual event for male professional golfers from 1983 to 2008, taking place in November or December each year after the official PGA Tour season ended. It was recognised by the PGA Tour but did not count towards the official money list. The popularity of the Skins Game led to the term being used to refer to progressive jackpot events where, if a prize is not won, it is carried over to the next round for a combined jackpot.
The Skins Game was also adapted for television. NBC televised the first Skins Game in 1983 throughout the U.S., with Vin Scully as the announcer. The event was also televised annually by TSN, which featured skins games. The Skins Game was also popular among gamblers, with sportsbooks describing the popularity of betting on the TaylorMade Skins Game as "similar to a major". The Skins Game in golf also attracted big-time star power, with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, and Matthew Wolff participating in the event.
The popularity of the Skins Game also led to the creation of an annual Skins Game in Canada for male professional golfers, which takes place in June or July each year. It is currently sponsored by Telus and is officially known as the Telus World Skins Game, hosted at a different golf course each year within Canada. The Telus Skins Game incorporates a "world" theme, featuring five golfers from different countries.
The Skins Game has also been adapted for other sports, such as curling and disc golf. In curling, the Continental Cup of Curling is the best-known bonspiel to utilise the skins format. The popularity of the Skins Game has also led to its inclusion in the Jack Nicklaus Golf series of computer games, where players can choose between stroke play or Skins rules.
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Frequently asked questions
Skins golf is a format where golfers compete for a prize called a "skin" on each hole. The number of golfers can vary but it usually features 3 or 4 players.
Each hole is assigned a different monetary value and the golfer who wins the hole with the best score outright wins the money for that hole. If there is a tie, the skin is carried over to the next hole, whose value rises by one.
The exact details on the origin of the name are obscure. Many believe that the name stemmed from the traditional prize handed to winners – a money bag made with animal skin.
The golfer who has won the most skins is declared the winner. Skins tend to favour bold, attacking play as you are rarely punished for having a bad hole.
A 'birdie' is a golf term for a score of 1-under par on any individual golf hole.
