Snake
A snake in golf is a three-putt, and it is also the name of a popular side bet built around three-putts, where the last player to three-putt during the round pays everyone else.
What is a snake in golf?
The word gets used two ways, and they are connected. On its own, a snake is slang for a three-putt: taking three or more putts to hole out once the ball is on the green. Some players call the same thing a “snakie.” The Stratton Mountain golf glossary lists it plainly as a slang term for a three-putt, and it sits alongside other scoring slang like “snowman” for an eight on a hole.
The second use is a betting game named after that three-putt. In the game, a single imaginary snake passes from player to player. Whoever three-putts is stuck holding it, and whoever is still holding it when the round ends has to pay. Because the game is named after the mistake, “getting the snake” and “three-putting” end up meaning the same thing on the course.
There is one more usage worth clearing up. A handful of glossaries, including Clean Green Golf and SwingMinder, define a snake as a long, winding putt that finds the hole. That meaning exists, but it is far less common than the three-putt sense, and almost every page ranking for the term treats the snake as a putting penalty rather than a great putt. If a playing partner announces someone “has the snake,” they mean a three-putt, not a highlight.
Snake as a three-putt versus the Snake game
Keeping these two apart makes the term easy to use. A three-putt snake just describes what happened on a green: a stroke lost, a bit of pride dented, nothing more. Every golfer collects them. Ryan Ballengee of Golf News Net, a +2.6 handicap, notes that even strong players three-putt, which is part of what makes the game fair.
The Snake game turns that stroke into money. Golf Monthly describes it as the old saying “drive for show, putt for dough” taken literally, since nothing off the green counts. Drives, approach shots and chips are irrelevant. A player can hit every fairway and every green and still walk off owing the group if the putter lets them down at the wrong moment.
How the Snake game works
Before teeing off, the group agrees on what the snake is worth. Golf Monthly gives a common example: at $5 per three-putt with ten three-putts across the round, the player left holding the snake could owe $50. Settle Up Golf describes the simplest version, where the final holder just pays every other player a flat amount.
There are no gimmes in Snake. Golf Compendium points out that every putt has to be holed, because a conceded putt could hide a three-putt and defeat the whole point. That rule is also why the game slows a group down, so most sources, including Golf News Net, advise against playing it when the course is busy.
The first person to three-putt takes the snake. It moves to the next player who three-putts, and so on. If two players three-putt the same hole, Settle Up Golf notes the snake lands on whoever finished their third putt last. Whoever holds it after the 18th green pays out.
Snake compared with related terms
Because the snake lives on the green with several other bits of slang, it is easy to mix them up. This table sorts them out.
| Term | What it means | Good or bad? |
|---|---|---|
| Snake / snakie | A three-putt; also the betting game that punishes three-putts | Bad |
| Three-putt | Taking three putts to hole out from on the green | Bad |
| Snowman | Scoring an eight on a single hole | Bad |
| Gimme | A short putt conceded without being holed | Neutral |
| Snake (rare meaning) | A long, winding putt that drops | Good |
The key distinction is that the snake is defined by putting, not by the hole score. A three-putt on a par 5 counts exactly the same as a three-putt on a par 3, because the game only watches the green.
Common variations
Groups tweak Snake in a few well-known ways. Golf Compendium describes a doubling version, where the value doubles with each new three-putt: with a $1 start and eight three-putts across the round, the figure climbs to $128 owed to each player, which is why a low starting stake matters. Settle Up Golf documents an accumulating version, where the snake is worth more the longer one player holds it, punishing a poor putting day across the whole round.
A redemption rule is also popular. Settle Up Golf explains that a one-putt can let the current holder pass the snake to someone else, giving even the stuck player a reason to attack putts. Some groups extend the idea into an “animal” game, adding penalties like Camel for hitting trees or Frog for finding water, with each animal working as its own separate snake.
Related Golf Terms
- Frosty — Slang for a round played in cold, frosted conditions.
- Ground game — Slang for playing low, running shots along the ground.
- OB — Common shorthand for out of bounds.
- Tin cup — Slang for stubbornly going for a heroic shot against the odds.
- Tips — Slang for the back tees, the longest setup on a course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a snake the same as a three-putt?
Yes. A snake is slang for a three-putt, and the Snake betting game is built entirely around three-putts. Some players use “snakie” for the same thing.
Does a snake count shots played from off the green?
No. Only putts struck from on the putting surface count. A putt played from the fringe or apron does not make it a three-putt for Snake purposes.
What happens if nobody three-putts?
There is no snake and no payout. Everyone walks off even. It is uncommon but perfectly valid.
Can you get the snake more than once?
Yes. It passes to whoever three-putts most recently, so a player can pick it up, hand it off, and pick it up again during the same round.
Sources
- Golf Monthly. “What Is The Snake Game In Golf?” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/the-game/what-is-the-snake-golf-betting-game-67209 - Golf News Net. “Golf games: How to play Snake.” Accessed July 2026.
https://thegolfnewsnet.com/ryan_ballengee/2026/03/13/golf-betting-games-how-to-play-snake-rules-44859/ - Settle Up Golf. “Snake Golf Game Rules.” Accessed July 2026.
https://settleup-golf.com/learn/snake-golf-game - Golf Compendium. “How to Play the Snake Side Game.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfcompendium.com/2025/09/snake-putting-game.html - Stratton Mountain. “The Golf Glossary.” Accessed July 2026.
https://blog.stratton.com/2020/06/the-golf-glossary/ - Clean Green Golf Balls. “Golf Slang & Shots Every Golfer Should Know.” Accessed July 2026.
https://cleangreengolfballs.com/blogs/news/50-golf-shots-slang-mishits-every-golfer-should-know-2 - SwingMinder. “Common Golf Terms Explained: A Beginner’s Golf Glossary.” Accessed July 2026.
https://swingminder.com/blogs/below90/common-golf-terms-glossary
