What is the skins format in golf and how does it work?

Our step-by-step guide on how to enjoy the skins format in golf…

If you want to put some money on the line when you’re playing with your regular group, why not play a skins game?

The rules are incredibly simple.

Players will agree a monetary value they will compete for on each hole, which is called a ‘skin’. In theory the value of a skin can be changed during the round if players wish but it tends to remain the same for all 18 holes.

Typically, a skins game is played by groups of three or four but there’s no reason you can’t also do it in a two.

A skin is awarded to the player who wins a hole outright, but if there is a tie, the skin carries over to the next and accumulates. There is at least one skin on offer on every hole.

Here’s an example of how it might go:

• Player A and B tie the 1st hole so the skin rolls over and two skins are now up for grabs on the 2nd
• Player B and C tie the 2nd hole so two skins roll over and three skins can now be won on the 3rd
• Player D wins the 3rd hole outright and now leads with three skins, while his or her playing partners have zero
• There is one skin back on offer at the 4th

If there are any skins left over after finishing, it will be sudden death until a winner is determined.

The person with the most skins when all is said and done is declared the winner.

It’s a great game as it isn’t always the best player who wins. If there are a lot of ties and skins that have been rolled over, someone who has perhaps not been competing in as many holes can pinch what’s on offer if they find some form at the right time.

Back It Up Skins

There is another variation of this game which is called Back It Up Skins. Again, the concept is simple.

Instead of banking the skin you win on a given hole, you can “back it up”. If you do that the skin you’ve just won and the one up for grabs on the next hole are worth double to you if you win them.

If the other players in your group win the two skins, though, they are only worth the original amount agreed upon.

Here’s how it works:

• Player A wins the 1st hole and a skin worth $1
• Player A backs it up so the skin on the 2nd hole is worth $2 to them, as is the skin won from the 1st hole
• That means if Player A wins the 2nd hole they will pocket $4, but if Player B wins the 2nd hole they only get $2
• If no player wins the 2nd hole, two skins roll over to the 3rd and skins return to their original value for all players

Do pros play skins format?

There was an unofficial Skins Game on the PGA Tour schedule from 1983 to 2008 which was played late in the year.

In the final edition in 2008, there was $25,000 up for grabs on the first six holes, $50,000 on the 7th through to the 12th, and $70,000 on the final six holes.

Now, 17 years on, the Skins Game is back. The 2025 edition will feature the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Keegan Bradley, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele, and will be held at Panther National in South Florida.

There is a slight difference to what came before, though. While players will compete for the amount on offer on each hole, they will actually start with $1 million and can lose money as well as swell their purse.

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