The rules
- Nines is for exactly three players or three teams. Every hole is worth 9 points.
- The lowest score gets 5, the middle gets 3 and the highest gets 1.
- Ties share the points they cover, so every hole still adds up to 9.
- Most points after the round wins. Over 18 holes there are 162 points in play.
How ties split
| What happened | Points |
|---|---|
| Three different scores | 5 · 3 · 1 |
| Two tie for best | 4 · 4 · 1 |
| Two tie for worst | 5 · 2 · 2 |
| All three tie | 3 · 3 · 3 |
A worked example
On a par 4, Ann makes 4, Ben makes 5 and Cal makes 7: Ann gets 5, Ben 3, Cal 1. On the next hole Ann and Ben both make 4 and Cal makes 6: Ann and Ben share the 5 and 3 for 4 each, and Cal gets 1. After two holes it's Ann 9, Ben 7, Cal 2.
Unlike skins, a bad hole only costs you a few points, and you score something on every hole. That's why Nines suits threesomes with different abilities.
Also called
Nines is also played as 5-3-1 or Split Sixes (6 points a hole, split 4-2-0). The scoring idea is the same: points for finishing order on every hole.
Free Nines scorekeeper
Type each player's score as you go. The card works out every hole and the standing, and it stays in this browser if you lose signal or close the tab.
No holes decided yet.
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| Points | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scores stay in this browser only. Gross scores, one player per side: for teams, handicap strokes and live scores on everyone's phone, play the game in Greens.
Updated November 12, 2026 by the Greens team.