Cutmaker Golf Bet: How It Works and How to Play

A Cutmaker golf bet is a house game, not one universal format. Here is how to agree on the rules, scoring, and variations before the first tee.

The CutAugust 25, 2026 · 2 min read

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"Cutmaker" is not a standard Rules of Golf format with one official scorecard. It is a name groups use for a cut-style side game: players set the scoring basis and the point at which the field narrows or a player is eliminated. That makes the pre-round agreement the rulebook.

Cutmaker Rules for Groups

Before the first tee, agree on four things: who is in, whether scoring is gross or net, when a player is cut, and whether a cut ends that player's action or only their chance to win the main pot. Write down the trigger—after nine holes, after a set deficit, or at a named checkpoint—so nobody is negotiating it beside a three-footer.

Keep the stake modest and make clear whether a player who is cut can still play other agreed side games. A clean Cutmaker should add tension without turning the rest of the round into a bookkeeping argument.

How Scoring Works in a Cutmaker Match

Use the same score for every player: either gross strokes or net strokes after the group's verified course handicaps. At the agreed checkpoint, compare those scores and apply the cut rule. The remaining players continue for the pot; the group should also decide how ties at the line work before play starts.

The simplest version is a single leaderboard and one scheduled cut. More elaborate versions can use hole-by-hole points or multiple cuts, but each extra condition should be visible to everyone in the group.

Common Cutmaker Variations

Groups commonly vary the checkpoint, the number of players who survive, and whether the cut is a fixed score, a place on the leaderboard, or a deficit from the leader. Some keep a cut player eligible for a consolation pot; others reset the survivors for the back nine.

There is no universal Cutmaker rulebook, so call the variation by name in the group chat or scorecard before anyone tees off. The format is only fun when every player can explain the same rules back to the group.

Set the rules before your next group round →

Cutmaker Golf Bet: How It Works and How to Play

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Ready to play?

Cutmaker Golf Bet: How It Works and How to Play

Cutmaker Rules for Groups

How Scoring Works in a Cutmaker Match

Common Cutmaker Variations

More from The Cut

The Presidents Cup Is a Rout Until Sunday. That's the Only Day to Bet.

The Biltmore Opener Is a Different Bet Than the Playoffs

The Picks Are the Bet: How to Read a Presidents Cup

Ready to play?

Cutmaker Rules for Groups

How Scoring Works in a Cutmaker Match

Common Cutmaker Variations