Custom Golf Challenges vs. Preset Golf Games
Most groups that play something other than straight stroke play pick from a short list of games everyone already knows: skins, Nassau, wolf, a scramble. Those work. But a lot of groups want something that fits them: their course, their handicaps, their in-jokes. That's a custom golf challenge. This page explains the difference, when each one is the better pick, and how to build your own.
What a preset golf game is
A preset game is a format with rules and scoring that already exist. You don't design anything: you say "let's play skins" and everyone knows roughly what happens. That's its main strength. Setup takes about ten seconds, and it works with a group you've never played with before.
The limit is that the rules are fixed. If your group wants to change what the game rewards, or add a twist on the fourth hole, you're modifying a format instead of playing it, and everyone has to agree on the changes first.
What a custom golf challenge is
A custom golf challenge is a rule, a twist, or an objective that you write yourselves for a hole or a whole round. The group decides what you have to do, what counts as completing it, and what you get for it. A few examples:
- Hit your tee shot with a club you wouldn't normally pick for that hole.
- Putt with your off hand on the next green.
- Play your approach shot from the fairway with a club one or two numbers longer than you'd normally hit.
- Hole out in two putts or fewer, with a pre-agreed forfeit if anyone three-putts.
Because you control the rules, a custom challenge can fit a mixed-ability group, a bachelor trip or golf weekend, a member-guest, or a Tuesday evening nine with coworkers. That flexibility is the point. The cost is that someone has to decide the rules, which is exactly the part an app can take off your hands.
How to choose
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Playing with people you don't know well | A preset game. Everyone already knows the rules. |
| One or two players are much better than the rest | A custom challenge. You can write twists that give everyone a shot at completing them. |
| You want the round to feel different from last week | A custom challenge. Swap the deck and the round changes. |
| You want the scoring to run itself | A preset game with standard scoring, or a challenge app that tracks the result for you. |
| A trip with several rounds and a running winner | Either. Custom challenges plus a shared leaderboard keep it interesting across rounds. |
Build your own custom challenges in Fore!
Fore! Golf Challenges is built for the custom side of this. You write the challenges, put them in a deck, and share the deck with your group. On each hole, complete a challenge to earn a reduction to your total score.
Create a deck and add challenges. Make them as simple or as ridiculous as your group can handle.
Share the deck with your group. Anyone with the link can use it.
Start a Shared Round for a live leaderboard. It's free, and players can join from a link without making an account.
Play the round. Complete a challenge on a hole to take strokes off your total, then compare results at the end.
You can create and share up to 3 decks for free. Fore!+ adds unlimited decks, the Community deck library, and Friends and Groups for tracking results across rounds. Fore! doesn't handle wagering or money. It's about the challenges and the bragging rights.
If you want formats to start from, see how golf YouTubers run theirs: the Random Item Golf Challenge, 9 Holes, 9 Different Rules, or a scaled-down Internet Invitational for your own group. New to the idea? Start at the Putting Green.
Write your first challenge deck
Fore! is free to download, and you can create and share up to 3 custom challenge decks at no cost.
Download on theApp StoreFAQ
What is a custom golf challenge?
A custom golf challenge is a rule, twist, or objective that you or your group write yourselves for a hole or a whole round, such as hitting a drive with a club you wouldn't normally choose or putting with your off hand. Unlike a preset game, nobody else has defined the rules, points, or reward for you.
What is the difference between a preset golf game and a custom golf challenge?
A preset golf game, such as skins, Nassau, wolf, or a scramble, has an established set of rules and scoring that players already know. A custom golf challenge is one your group designs for itself. Presets are quicker to explain; custom challenges fit your group, your course, and your in-jokes.
Can I make my own golf games in Fore!?
Yes. In Fore! Golf Challenges you build a deck of your own challenges, share it with your group, and complete a challenge on each hole to earn a reduction to your total score. You can create and share up to 3 decks for free.
Can I keep a live leaderboard while we play?
Yes. Shared Round gives your group a live leaderboard during the round. It is free, and players can join from a link without creating an account.
Does Fore! involve betting?
No. Fore! Golf Challenges doesn't handle wagering or money changing hands. It is about the challenges and comparing results with your group.