Game Format

Fewest Putts

Fewest Putts is a straightforward putting competition that can be played alongside any regular round of golf. Each player tracks their total number of putts, and at the end of the round the player with the fewest putts wins. It’s one of the simplest golf side games to learn and a great way to add a putting contest to any outing.

At a Glance

Type
Individual game
Players
2 or more
Scoring
Total putts per hole
Handicaps
Off (not used)
Wins
Lowest total putts

The Rules

  1. Each player plays their own ball throughout the round as normal.
  2. On every hole, each player counts the number of putts they take once on the green.
  3. Only putts count — chips, pitches, and other shots taken from off the green are not included, even if the player uses a putter.
  4. At the end of the round, each player’s putts are totaled across all holes played.
  5. The player with the fewest total putts wins.
No handicaps: Fewest Putts does not use handicaps. All players compete on equal terms regardless of their handicap index, since putting ability doesn’t correlate as strongly with overall handicap.

Example Round

Three players are competing over 18 holes:

18-Hole Putt Totals
Player A: 30 total putts (averaged 1.67 putts per hole)
Player B: 34 total putts (averaged 1.89 putts per hole)
Player C: 32 total putts (averaged 1.78 putts per hole)
Player A wins with 30 putts

Notice that even though Player B may have shot the lowest overall score for the round, what matters in this game is only the number of putts on the green.

Setting Up in Squabbit

To create a Fewest Putts game in Squabbit:

  1. Create a new tournament or casual game.
  2. Under format, choose Fewest Putts.
  3. Add players to the game.
  4. During the round, make sure each player records their number of putts on every hole. Squabbit tracks putts as part of hole statistics.

Squabbit automatically totals each player’s putts and ranks them on the leaderboard. The player with the lowest total is shown in first place.

Tip: Fewest Putts works great as a side game added to a regular stroke play or match play round. You can run multiple game formats in the same tournament so players can compete in both their main game and a putting contest simultaneously.