Golf Betting

Thanks to the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and the legalization of sports betting in some US states, residents can now bet on golf. Although there are over twenty professional golf tours, the PGA Tour is perhaps the most recognizable professional golf tour in the US and overseas. With so many golf betting options out there, finding the ideal bookie can be a little tricky. Here at Compare.bet, we have everything you need to know about betting on golf, from where you can legally bet on golf in the US to the biggest golfing events of the year.

Looking to bet on golf in New Jersey? We’ve got a line up of the best sports betting sites available to punters in the Garden State. Compare our expert reviews, scores and the bonuses on offer to pick out the bookie that suits you best. All of our featured sportsbooks are legal and regulated in the state of New Jersey. All that’s left for you to do is make your pick, sign up and start betting.

US States with Legal Golf Betting

Although the Supreme Court of the United States repealed the federal ban on sports betting, it is not legal in every state. However, the following states have legalized sports betting and offer golf betting:

•      New Jersey
•      Pennsylvania
•      Delaware
•      Rhode Island
•      Mississippi
•      West Virginia
•      Nevada
•      New Mexico

Remember, each state has different rules and regulations in place when it comes to sports betting. Some of these states limit sports betting to land-based casinos, as is the case in Mississippi, where as other states such as new Jersey offer full scale sports betting across online and mobile platforms.

Major Golf Events

The most popular events on the golf calendar are the four majors: the British Open, the US Open, the Masters and the PGA Championship. Although there are just four major events there is no shortage of golf betting opportunities. As well as the majors, there are several international events such as the Ryder Cup and the Four World Golf Championship which provide even more opportunities to bet on golf. On top of this, there are over 20 professional golf tours, each with an incredible number of tournaments you can bet on. The PGA Tour is the biggest and most popular golf tour and features some of the best players in the world like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.

Here is a list of the most popular golf events that you can bet on:

January:

• Dubai Desert Classic
• Tournament of Champions

February:

• WGC Mexico Championship
• Phoenix Open
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

March:

• Arnold Palmer Invitational
• The Players’ Championship

April:

• The Masters

May:

• WGC Match Play
• AT&T Byron Nelson
• PGA Championship

June:

• US Open
• AT&T Byron Nelson
• PGA Championship

July:

• US Open
• Scottish Open
• The Open Championship

August:

• WGC Invitational

September:

• BMW Championship
• Tour Championship

October:

• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
• World Golf Championships HSBC Champions
• CIMB Classic
• WGC HSBC Champions

November:

• World Tour Championship, Dubai

December:

• South African Open

Picking a Winner

As with any kind of sports betting, there is no such thing as a guaranteed winner when it comes to golf. Although the odds set by a bookie can give you an indication who is the favorite to win, there is no guarantee that this prediction will be right. Although there are hundreds of tipsters out there offering golf betting tips and advice, anything can happen in a golf game so we recommend doing your own research as this will help you make an educated and informed bet.

Take time to check out a player’s stats on the official PGA Tour statistics page. Here you can view an individual golfers’ cup standing as well as performance in a number of areas such as driving distance, scoring average and accuracy. Golf is an incredibly unpredictable sport, so making an educated wager is your best bet.

Golf Betting Markets

In states where it is legal to bet on golf, sportsbooks offer a wide selection of golf betting markets. In the US, golf fans can place bets on the following markets:

Money Line bet (straight bet)

A money line bet is essentially a straight bet placed on the golfer you think will win the event.

To Make the Cut

Some bookies offer odds on which player will make the cut. In golf, the “cut” refers to the number of points that splits the players that progress from those that are eliminated from the tournament after a certain round. These bets allow you to wager on whether a player will make it to the next stage of a tournament or who will be going home.

Top Point Scorer

During some tournaments, you can bet on which player will score the highest total number of points.

Futures

Futures are bets that are placed on events that have yet to happen. For instance, you could place a wager on the outcome of next year’s Open Championship. Although these are essentially straight bets, the odds are higher meaning there is a greater level of risk involved.

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets, or prop bets, focus more on likelihood of a certain event taking place during a game of golf. When it comes to golf there are a variety of proposition bets on offer such as the winner being decided by a playoff, whether the winner will birdie the last hole or if a player shoots less than 59 in any round.

In-Play Golf Betting

In some states with legal sports betting you can place bets on a game of golf while it is being played. As golf is a much slower game, you will have much more time to place a live bet than you would while placing a live bet on football or basketball.

Golf betting odds

Before you place a golf bet, it is essential that you understand how golf betting odds work. Some of the biggest events in golf can see over 140 players competing so it is not uncommon to see a sportsbook’s odds fluctuate as an event nears. It is also worth mentioning that a bookies favorite to win can change in the space of a day based on a player’s performance on just a few holes.

Here is a real-world example of golf betting odds:

During the US Open, Tiger Woods may be the bookies favorite to win with odds of +600. A successful $100 bet on Woods to win at odds of +600 would net you $700. You would get your initial $100 stake back as well as $600 profit.

You can check out our how to read odds guide for a detailed breakdown of exactly how betting odds work.

Mobile Golf Betting:

Several states have moved to legalize online and mobile sports betting. This means that residents and visitors in these states can place legal bets on the outcome of a sporting event using a device connected to the internet. Sports betting odds are usually the same between online and land-based offerings, but you should always keep an eye out just in case the odds differ.

Mobile sports betting is legal in:

• Nevada – Online betting is only available via mobile apps.
• New Jersey – Online betting available via apps and browser sites.
• West Virginia – Online betting available via apps and browser sites

In these states, mobile sports betting apps are available on both iOS and Android devices.

Remember, each state has different laws and regulations in place when it comes to online and mobile betting. This means that sports betting apps may vary from state to state. For instance, the regulations in New Jersey allow punters to create an account on a sports betting app remotely from anywhere within the state. Nevada, on the other hand, requires bettors to set up an account in person before a bet can be placed on a mobile app.

For more information on picking the right sports betting app for you, check out our mobile betting apps guide.

Online Golf Betting in New Jersey

Online Golf Betting in Nevada

Online Golf Betting in West Virginia

Now that you’re all caught up on the basics of golf betting, why not try your luck with a golf bet. Want to know when your state legalizes sports betting? Compare.bet has got you covered!