Betting on golf is a very attractive and interesting thing to do. It’s also very different than betting on other sports, and it can be challenging and intimidating for people looking to give it a go. For those who want to try betting on golf for the first time, here are five factors to start off by considering:
Understand the types of bets – Before you start to bet on golf you have to understand the ways that are available for you to do so. If you don’t understand what is possible you won’t necessarily find the best chances for profit. There are three basic types of bets that you can make at most sportsbooks for golf.
The first is futures bets – the golfer that is going to win the tournament. Most golfers in the field will have odds assigned, though they will often offer a field for some of the lesser choices. In some cases you can also bet on which golfers will finish in the top three or top five. For typical tournaments the futures odds will only be set in the days before the tournament. In high profile events like the majors, though, you can often bet on the futures weeks or even months in advance. Like any other type of futures the odds can change significantly over the course of the betting.
The second major type of bets is head to head betting. These will pair two golfers together, and allow you to bet on which one will post the lower score – either on the round or on the tournament depending upon the bet. As in a boxing match the odds will be different for each player. There are often many different pairings for each round. Most may not be attractive, but there will often be a few each round that are very attractive. It is very worthwhile, then, to look at all the different options to figure out which ones make the most sense.
Third, there are prop bets. These will deal with a wide range of things – how different star players will perform, or things far more creative than that. As with props in football or any other sport a lot of the props won’t be attractive at all. Some will be absolutely packed with value, though, so it is definitely worth looking these over.
What types of odds are you looking for? – It’s important to understand what kind of bettor you are and what you are looking for. Do you like betting serious longshots? You will lose a lot, but when you win the payouts will be very juicy. Would you rather just bet on the big name stars? Do you like long term bets – like betting on the whole tournament – or would you rather bet on shorter term bets like the single round bets? Do you like to bet on the winner, or do you prefer prop bets? The more interested you are in the types of bets you are making, the more work you will put into them, and the more likely you are to win.
Assess the field – If you are just starting to bet on golf then you might not be familiar with most golfers in a field. It’s important, though, that you get a sense of who is and isn’t playing. Most significantly, you need to figure out which big stars are in the field. Those guys will draw the bulk of the betting attention – especially if they are superstars like Tiger Woods – and value will be hard to find when betting on them. If those superstars aren’t in the field then the action will be more spread out.
Look at the forecast – the weather can have a big impact on golf. In some ways it doesn’t really matter because if all players have to overcome the same weather then it’s not a big factor. There are some exceptions, though. For example, if it has rained and the ground is soft then big hitters don’t have as much of an advantage because the ball won’t roll. Accuracy isn’t as important, either, because it is easier to hit the green and make the ball stick.
Don’t overextend – There are well over a hundred golfers in almost every field. When you combine the possibility of betting on all of them in the futures with the chance to bet on props and head to head matchups there are literally hundreds of betting options. Because the potential payoffs can be big it can be tempting for starting golf bettors to bet on too many different things in one tournament. The problem is, though, that that means you can lose a lot if nothing you predict happens, or that you can lose money overall even if you do pick a winner. It’s important – especially early on – to only make a few bets – quality over quantity.
