GOLF BETTING SITES

List of the Best Golf Sportsbooks & Apps Online in May 2023

Golf is one of the biggest sports in the world, one that millions of people play and watch every single day. It’s no surprise that golf is also one of the biggest betting sports, with sportsbooks lining up to cater for global punters with bonuses, promotions, and an array of betting lines.

In the following guide, we’ll show you how to find and use the best betting sites for wagering on golf, while also discussing odds, options, bonuses, and everything else you should know.

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Golf Bonuses and Promo Codes

Ready for some top golf betting bonuses and promo codes? Then you’re in the right place. There are stacks of offers for this sport and we have sourced all of the best ones for you.

The Best Golf Betting Odds

Golf betting odds can differ greatly from one sportsbook to the next. They are created by oddsmakers working for the sportsbook and there is no industry standard, so don’t assume that your favorite site is offering you the best odds. Even the smallest variation could make a massive difference to your payouts and session profits. $10 here, $20 there—it all adds up! So, before studying those golf betting lines, make sure you have access to the best golf betting odds.

Golf Betting Lines

Golf doesn’t always have as many betting lines as what you can find on other top sports, but there is still a lot of variety here, as well as some great chances to win big through the many Futures markets. If you know what you’re doing, this is a great sport to bet on.

Golf Betting Trends

There has been a general trend toward golf betting in recent years, with many bettors and sports fans now looking for opportunities in this sport. There are huge numbers of gamblers wagering on major events like the US Open every single year and it’s even capturing the imaginations of young sports fans. This is a sport on the up!

Small and Big Events

There are scores of major and minor golf tournaments staged during any given year and on the best sportsbooks, you can wager on all of them. Whether you’re dropping a few bucks on a Pro-Am or betting big on the US Open, there is always something available. And the sport is only getting bigger with each passing year.

Bet on Golf Online and on Mobile

The best US sportsbooks allow you to wager on golf tournaments online and on your mobile device. You can bet from the comfort of your own home, on your commute, and wherever else you want. If you’re using your mobile device, make sure you only connect to secure WIFI connections and avoid unsecured public WIFI at all costs.

A Short History of Golf

A stick. A ball. A hole. On the face of it, golf is a very simple sport, so it’s no surprise that its origins go back hundreds of years.

According to legend, the first game of golf took place in the Dutch town of Loenen aan de Vecht, where it was played with a stick and a leather ball. The goal was to get the ball as close to the target as possible and the winner was the player who achieved this goal in as few shots as possible.

It’s debatable whether this event took place, or whether it was even the first time that a game like this was played, but many experts believe that the Dutch got there first. There are several reports of the game being played in the Netherlands throughout the middle ages, and Dutch settlers are also said to be the first to play it in the United States.

If you ask the average sports fan where the game of golf was invented, they’ll probably point to Scotland, a country still considered to be the home of golf. The Scottish might not have been the first to invent this stick-and-ball game, but they were the first ones to play a game we would recognize as golf today.

The first written record of golf in Scotland dates back to 1457 and over a century later, the game was played by Mary, Queen of Scots. In the 17^th century, James VII participated in what is often said to be the first international golf competition, and by the 18^th century, it was being played across the United Kingdom.

In the United States, golf has been played since the 17^th century. There are records of golf clubs being imported and sold in the country in the 18^th century and numerous golf shops, organizations, and clubs were established in the 19^th century.

Early golf clubs were often made of American persimmon, with steel shafts and iron heads becoming commonplace by the 1890s.

Golf balls were initially made of wood and then leather, but then the “guttie” was invented. The guttie was a molded ball that could be mass manufactured and was easy to form into standardized shapes and remold as needed.

By the turn of the 20^th century, golf was a global sport and by 1910, there were over 100 golf clubs affiliated to the United States Golf Association (USGA). The sport developed rapidly in the 20^th century and became the mega-success that it is today.

The Biggest Golf Tournaments for Bettors

Golf bettors can take their pick of top tournaments every single year. These tournaments ensure that there is always something to bet on, especially during the warmer spring and summer months.

Not sure which golf tournaments are best for betting? Check out the following tournaments.

The Masters

• First Staged: 1934
• Most Successful Golfers: Tiger Woods,  Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer
• Location: Georgia, USA
• Schedule: Every April

The Masters is considered to be one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world by fans and players alike. It hosts the best players every year and is usually won by the most talented and promising golfers worldwide.

Both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won numerous titles here and we’ve also seen some great performances from younger players in recent years.

The US Open

• First Staged: 1895
• Most Successful Golfers: Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods, Hale Irwin, Jack Nicklaus
• Location: United States (Varies)
• Schedule: Every June

The US Open is a massive golf major that has a purse of more than $12 million, making this a more lucrative competition than the Masters. It’s massive here in the United States and receives a lot of coverage every year. It’s not as popular in Europe, but golf fans still tune in to watch it every year.

The Open Championship

• First Staged: 1860
• Most Successful Golfers: Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson
• Location: United Kingdom (Varies)
• Schedule: Every July

Formerly known as the British Open, the Open Championship is the oldest golf tournament in the world and has been going strong for over 150 years now. In the early days, it was hosted in Scotland, but these days the location varies and includes golf courses throughout the United Kingdom.

The Ryder Cup

• First Staged: 1927
• Most Successful Golfers: Team-Based—US Has Won the Most
• Location: Alternates Between the US and Europe
• Schedule: Every 2 Years

The Ryder Cup is a team-based golf tournament that pits the United States of America against Europe. The best players from both continents compete for glory every couple of years and the tournament captures the imaginations of millions during that time.

The Players Championship

• First Staged: 1974
• Most Successful Golfers: Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods
• Location: Florida, USA
• Schedule: Every March

The Players Championship has the highest prize fund of any tournament and welcomes the top 50 players in the golfing world. This creates some great Head to Head and Futures bets and makes for a very exciting tournament every March.

The PGA Championship

• First Staged: 1916
• Most Successful Golfers: Tiger Woods, Walter Hagen
• Location: Varies
• Schedule: Every May

Although the PGA Championship is often considered to be the least important of all major golf tournaments, it still offers some great golf betting lines and odds and has created some unforgettable moments over the years.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational

• First Staged: 1966
• Most Successful Golfer: Tiger Woods
• Location: Florida, US
• Schedule: Every March

The Arnold Palmer doesn’t have the biggest purse and it’s not one of the golfing majors, but the best players still like to show up for this tournament and it attracts the best players in the world.

Golf Betting Lines Explained

Not sure which golf betting lines are right for you? Still struggling to wrap your head around those bets? The following guide will help.

Most golf betting lines are self-explanatory and they are not as diverse or detailed as team-based sports, but there are still a few key points to learn.

Futures

In most sports, Futures bets are just one of many betting lines and one that most bettors ignore.

In football, for instance, the majority of punters bet on individual games and game weeks. They wager on Moneylines and Spreads and rarely think more than a few days in the future.

Golf betting lines are a little different as Futures form the bulk of the options.

Future bets are all about wagering on the entirety of a tournament. Where golf betting lines are concerned, it’s about betting on the player you think will win the competition.

You can place these bets before the tournament starts and while it is active, but in the case of the latter, the odds will have changed to reflect the action on the course.

If one of the low-ranked players takes a surprise lead, for instance, their live odds will drop and might be similar to what the higher-ranked players were before the tournament.

Special Futures and Each-Way

Golf tournaments are vast and the fields of golfers are huge. Technically, all of these have a chance and so you’ll usually find all (or most) of them in the betting field. Not only does this mean that the favorites have relatively good odds, but it also creates opportunities on the Each-Way betting market.

When you place an Each-Way bet, you’re essentially doubling your wager, with one half going to the places and the other to the win. If your chosen player wins, you’ll win big; if they place, you’ll still get a return, but it won’t be as substantial.

When placing an Each-Way bet, look for how many places are paid and how much is paid for those places.

If we take the Arnold Palmer Invitational as an example, most betting sites cover 4 places and pay a quarter of the odds. These terms are often displayed as follows: “Each-Way = ¼, 1-2-3-4”.

This means that if you wager on odds of +10,000 and they place in the top four, you’ll win odds equivalent to +2,500. If they finish 1^st, you’ll get those odds in addition to a win payout of +10,000. If they finish 5^th or lower, it’s a losing bet.

The best golf betting sites also offer the following Futures bets:

• To Win a Major: The chosen player will win a major at some point during their career or during a specific year. The site may also set a fixed date, such as 3 or 5 years in the year. This is a good bet if you have your eye on an up-and-coming player and think they have a big win in their future.
• To Win 2+ Majors: Whether or not a particular player will win 2 or more majors, usually during a single year.
• To Win 4 Majors: A massive bet on whether a single player will take all four majors. As with the above, this could be tied to a specific year or time period but may also cover their entire career.
• Top 5 in All Majors: A more realistic bet where you wager that a player will finish in the top 5 for all 4 majors. Check the terms and conditions to see what happens if they are injured and miss one of the majors—it could void the bet, reduce the odds, or even settle the bet as a loss.

Top Finishes

Anything can happen during a single round or even a single hole, and that creates a lot of tension for bettors.

A player could be holding onto a clear and comfortable lead going into the final day, only to hit a rough patch and throw it all away. It has happened many times before and it will happen again.

By the same token, players often mount impressive comebacks in the final day, only to miss out by a single stroke on the last hole.

To avoid the frustration that comes from backing these players, consider wagering on the Top 5 or Top 10 markets instead.

As with the Each-Way bets mentioned above, these wagers cover you if the player misses out on the top spot but still scrapes into the top 5 or 10. The difference is that you don’t get any additional cash if they win, so you can expect a slightly bigger return when they place.

1^st Round Leader

If you don’t like the idea of waiting for the entire tournament to finish before your bet settles, the 1^st Round Leader line is ideal.

This golf betting line starts and ends with the first round. It’s essentially a Futures bet, but you’re only looking one day into the future.

Top Nationality

Golf is a global sport and while most of the sport’s top players are in the United States, many others have come from South Africa (Ernie Els, Gary Player), Great Britain (Nick Faldo, Rory Mcilroy), Spain (Seve Ballesteros), and countless other countries.

With the Top Nationality bet, you’re wagering on the origins of the eventual tournament winner. Obviously, the US has the shortest odds, but those odds can vary significantly and there are a lot of opportunities here.

Hole-in-One

Will there be a hole-in-one during an upcoming tournament? Will it happen on a specific day or will it come from a specific player?

This golf betting line is not all that common, but we’re seeing it appear more and more on top golf betting sites in the United States.

It is said that the odds of a golfer hitting a hole-in-one are around 12,500 to 1, but we’re talking about professional golfers here so those odds drop significantly.

The odds will also be impacted by the course, as hole-in-ones are more common on some courses than on others.

2-Ball and 3-Ball Matchups

Matchups are the closest thing that golf betting lines have to a Moneyline.

A 2-Ball Matchup is simply a contest between two players, also known as a Head-to-Head. Two players are picked from the field and you have to choose which one you think will have the highest score at the end of a round/day or tournament.

In the Ryder Cup, tournaments actually revolve around these kinds of Matchups, but golf betting sites also create theoretical Matchups for other tournaments.

These golf betting lines can include spreads and draws, but there are also No Draw Matchups that pay refunds when there is a Tie.

A 2-Ball Matchup might look something like this:

• 2-Ball Matchup with Tie
  • Player A -110
  • Player B +100
  • Tie +1600
• 2-Ball Matchup No Tie
  • Player A -115
  • Player B -105

3-Ball Matchups take things to another level but follow the same idea as you’re betting on which one of the three players will win.

These golf betting lines typically offer plus odds, as there are more variables at play (including the reduced risk of a Tie and more winning permutations). They may also include Dead Heat Rules, so this is something you should check in advance.

A Dead Heat is when there is more than one winner. If all three players Tie, these rules likely won’t apply and the bet will either settle as a loss (3-Ball Matchups with Tie) or a Push (3-Ball Matchup No Tie). But if two of the players have the same winning score, and you have bet on one of them, Dead Heat Rules apply.

Golf betting sites handle Dead Heats differently, but it usually involves splitting your winnings, with the exact split depending on the odds of your initial wager.

Bonuses and Promo Codes for Betting on Golf

Golf betting sites encourage new players to sign up and deposit by offering a slew of bonuses. These promotions are one of the few ways a site can differentiate itself from the competition, so you can expect some big and tempting offers, including:

• Matched Deposit Bonuses: These promotions “match” your deposit by a specific amount. In the case of a 50% matched deposit bonus, you will get a 50% boost in credits, giving you $50 more on a $100 deposit. If it’s 100%, your deposit will be doubled. These bonuses aren’t released as cash, though. They are awarded as bonus credits and come with strict wagering requirements.
• Free Bet: A free bet is exactly what it sounds like—a free wager. There are wagering requirements for these bonuses, as well, but they are usually not as strict. One of the things you should look out for is the betting requirement, which may insist that you wager on specific odds or betting lines.
• Bet Refunds: A bet refund works similarly to a free bet, but the difference is that you wager real money and then get a refund (either as cash or as a free bet) if you lose. If you win, you don’t get anything.
• Parlay Refunds: If you place a multi-bet Parlay and it fails on a single line, you could secure a refund via one of these promotions. They have become increasingly common in recent years and are great for regular Parlay bettors. You don’t secure any of the potential winnings, but it means you’ll get your stake back and can try again.
• Loyalty Bonuses: A loyalty bonus is simply one that rewards you for your loyalty—if you keep depositing and wagering, you’ll earn more bonuses. These promotions also go by names like “Free Bet Club” and typically reward you with free bets or bet refunds.

Golf betting sites may try to tempt you with free spins and other casino promotions. That’s because casinos are much more profitable.

There’s no harm in using these sites or playing a few slots, but if you do, keep an eye on your losses and don’t gamble more than you can afford to lose.

Golf Betting Strategies and Tips

Unfortunately, there are no guaranteed ways to beat the house when it comes to sports betting, and that’s as true for golf betting lines as it is for anything else.

But that doesn’t mean that you should leave it all to luck. There are a few things you can do to greatly increase your chances of success when making golf wagers, and we’ll look at them here.

Collect Welcome Bonuses

The first thing you should do when joining a golf betting site is check the bonus terms and conditions and make sure you qualify.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a free bet or matched deposit bonus, check the minimum deposit requirements, scan the bet requirements, and don’t forget about the wagering requirements. All of these things must be met to ensure you qualify for the bonus.

Once you have signed up, deposited, and unlocked those bonus funds, it’s time to put them to use!

Look for golf betting lines that offer the best odds and the most value. The goal is not to throw your bonus away on a 1 in 1,000 wager, but to ensure that you get a return. Even if you can turn a $20 free bet into $20 cash, it’s worth it.

That free bet can’t be withdrawn and in most cases, the money can’t be split between multiple wagers. The same can’t be said for cash, so $20 in credits to $20 in cash is still a huge improvement.

Join Loyalty Programs

A loyalty program is another type of bonus, but it’s geared more towards current members than new ones.

These bonuses are typically associated with US gambling online, casinos, bingo sites, and even poker rooms, but they exist on online sports betting sites, as well.

There are two times in which you will be rewarded with “loyalty bonuses” from a sportsbook.

The first is when you have actually been loyal and have been making a lot of deposits and wagers. The site may drop a few free bets into your account to show their appreciation and ensure that you stay put.

The second is when you were very active in the past but have since slowed down. All online golf betting sites have emails that trigger when players have been inactive for a specific length of time. These emails encourage them to return and deposit by offering them a bonus.

If you wait a little longer, you’ll usually find that the emails get a little more desperate and the bonuses get a little more generous. These are often described as loyalty bonuses, but in reality, it’s the site’s desperate call for you to return.

Stay Informed

Don’t go into those golf betting lines blind and make sure you actually know what you’re doing.

The more you know, the more you can earn.

That doesn’t just concern betting options, either. You should also learn about the game itself, from the rules that govern every swing and every tournament to the players swinging those clubs.

Listen to golf betting podcasts. Read books and guides. Follow golfers and analysts on social media.

If you don’t know anything about the game or its players, those golf betting lines are little more than a roulette wheel. You’re not using your knowledge and hunches to make informed decisions and are simply spinning the wheel and crossing your fingers.

Don’t Pay for Golf Betting Strategies or Apps

Although it’s important to consume as much golf news and tips as you can, you should be very wary of any golf betting apps and courses that promise to give you big tips in exchange for a fee.

There are successful sports bettors out there and they really can win on a consistent basis, but they rarely give their tips away and they never sell them to a large audience.

Why would they?

If you were making thousands of dollars a day with guaranteed bets, why would you waste your time selling those tips for a couple of hundred books? Not only is it unnecessary, but if there is a sudden rush on a single betting line, the odds will drop, potentially taking some of your profits away.

Real sports betting pros don’t do this, which is why you should ignore anyone who tries to sell you golf betting tips.

Watch the Event and Bet Live

Live golf betting lines are a great way to put your money where your mouth is. Do you have a feeling that a golfer will have the round of his life and climb to the top of the leaderboard? Do you sense anxiety in a leader and feel that they will throw it away?

With live betting golf lines, you can wager on those outcomes and reap the rewards. Generally speaking, live betting lines will open as soon as the tournament begins and will remain open until it is finished.

There may be a few suspensions every now and then as major events happen and adjustments are made, but golf moves at a fairly slow pace so suspensions are rare.

Listen to Expert Golf Betting Predictions

Although you should always take golf betting predictions with a grain of salt, you don’t need to ignore them entirely.

There are lots of great podcasts out there where analysts discuss upcoming tournaments and talk about everything from the form of the players to the condition of the ground. These golf betting podcasts allow you to immerse yourself in the sport and keep an ear close to the ground.

It should put you in a stronger position when it comes time to actually place your wager. They’re also useful for actual golfers, including those who have only just been introduced to the game and are still learning the basics.

Some of the best golf betting podcasts include No Laying Up, The Fried Egg, On the Mark, The Golfers Journal, and Drop Zone.