How to play Hammer — golf’s double-or-nothing game
2 sides — any size
Hammer is match play with a poker street in the middle of every hole. The hole starts at the base stake. The moment one side feels good — stripe one down the middle, opponent in the trees — they throw the hammer: the other side either ACCEPTS (the hole doubles) or CONCEDES it at the current price. Accepted hammers can be re-thrown back the other way. It’s the most tension you can buy for a dollar a hole.
The rules
Simple mechanics, huge consequences. Say the base stake on the tee and the rest runs itself:
- Every hole starts at the base stake — $1 or $2 keeps it fun, $5 gets loud.
- Either side may throw the hammer at any point during the hole.
- The other side accepts (hole doubles: ×2, ×4, ×8…) or concedes at the current value.
- After accepting, the accepting side owns the right to re-hammer.
- Low ball wins the hole at its final value. Ties push (some groups carry — agree on the tee).
When to throw it
The hammer is information warfare. Throw it from the fairway when they’re in the rough and you’re betting they fold — a concession at ×1 beats grinding out a win at ×2 if their up-and-down game is real. The counter-hammer after a great recovery shot is the single most electric moment in golf gambling.
The discipline: never accept a hammer out of pride. A $2 concession is a shrug; a $16 hole you were never winning is a story they tell about you for years.
How Swilkin runs it
Pick Hammer at the first tee and every hole shows its current price right on the scoring screen — 🔨 to record an accepted hammer (×2, ×4…), a give-it button when a side concedes, and an undo for the hammer that got talked back. The engine settles every escalated hole to the penny with the rest of your round.
Play Hammer this weekend
One scorecard, every bet settled to the penny — free for golfers.
Start playing — it’s free