How skins works
- One skin per hole. The lowest score on the hole wins it, but only outright.
- A tie carries. If two or more players share the low score, nobody wins the hole and its skin rolls to the next one. That hole is now worth two.
- Carryovers stack. Three ties in a row and the next hole is worth four skins.
- Count them up. Most skins wins, or each skin is worth an amount the group agrees before teeing off.
That's the whole game. It's simple enough to explain on the first tee, and it keeps every player in it: a bad front nine doesn't matter if you win the one hole carrying five skins.
An example
Five holes for a group of four, all scores net:
| Hole | Al | Ben | Cal | Dan | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | Tie, carries |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Ben wins 2 skins |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | Tie, carries |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Tie, carries |
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Cal wins 3 skins |
Ben's birdie on 2 took that hole's skin plus the one carried from 1. Holes 3 and 4 were tied, so Cal's birdie on 5 won three skins at once. After five holes it's Cal 3, Ben 2, and Al and Dan are still very much alive.
Skins with handicaps
In net skins, each player gets their handicap strokes on the hardest holes, by the stroke index on the card. A 10 handicap gets a stroke on the ten hardest holes, so their 5 on one of those is a net 4.
Gross skins (no strokes) is the other option. It suits a group of similar players, but in a mixed group the better players win most of the skins. Some groups play net skins off a reduced handicap as a middle ground. Settle it before the round.
House rules worth agreeing first
- Leftover skins on 18. If the last hole is tied, the carried skins have nowhere to go. Play another hole for them, split them between the players who tied, or carry them into the next round.
- Validation. Some groups only pay a skin if the winner also ties or wins the next hole. It stops a lucky hole from taking a big carryover.
- Picking up. A player who picks up can't win the hole. Everyone else plays on for it.
- The stake. Either a fixed amount per skin, or a pot split by the number of skins each player won.
Skins on LeaderboardLive
There's nothing to set up. Skins are worked out from the scores on the Stats page of every event: who has won which holes, round by round, and how many skins are riding on the next hole. Net skins use full handicaps, and switching the board to Gross gives you gross skins. A player who picks up can't win that hole, and the skin doesn't wait for them.
Skins also run in Ryder Cup Four Ball and Singles rounds, where a player drops out of the skins once their match is decided. The app doesn't handle money, so settle up the way your group always does.
FAQ
What happens to a skin when a hole is tied?
Nobody wins it. The skin carries to the next hole, which is then worth two. Ties keep stacking until someone wins a hole outright.
What happens if the 18th hole is tied?
The carried skins have no hole left to go to. Agree on it before the round: a playoff hole, a split between the players who tied, or carrying them into the next round.
Do you use handicaps in skins?
Either works. Net skins give each player their strokes on the hardest holes, which keeps a mixed group even. Gross skins use the real scores and favor the better players.
How many players can play skins?
Any number from two up. With more players, ties are more common, so skins carry more often and the big holes get bigger.
What is a validated skin?
A house rule where a skin only counts if the winner also ties or wins the next hole. If they lose the next hole, the skin goes back into the carryover.
How is skins different from match play?
In match play you play one opponent and a tied hole is simply halved. In skins everyone plays against everyone on every hole, and a tied hole carries its prize forward.