Golf is one of the most beloved sports all around the world, with there being fans and players in all corners of the globe. The art of hitting a small white ball as far as possible towards a hole is something that is relatively simplistic however enthralling at the same time. One of the key drawing points of golf is that it is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, with liaise and competitive play both being options.
Golf itself is actually a sport that dates back to the 1400s, in which it was believed to have started taking place in Scotland, where shepherds hit stones into holes with their crooks. Over the centuries, though, the sport began to take a more organised form, with Golf Clubs first established in the 18th century. During this same period, rules and general regulations began to be formalised, with this introducing holes as the standard on all golf courses at the time.
All of this primarily took part in Scotland; however, it soon spread towards England, where the sport began to gain popularity amongst the aristocracy. In 1860, the first ever formal fold Open was held, with the first standardised golf associations closely following suit after this. Although golf already had some notoriety at this time, it really exploded in popularity at the beginning of the 20th century. At the turn of the century in 1900, golf actually featured as an Olympic sport for the first time, and more and more legendary golfers began making their name in some of the most prestigious golfing opens.
Today, golf remains a widely practised sport, known for its rich traditions, challenging courses, and precision-based play. Today it is enjoyed by millions, and this overall popularity is mirrored in regards to golf betting. This itself has seen a huge explosion, partially thanks to the shift towards online bookmakers in recent times.
Golf matched betting is one area in particular that has come to the forefront of this area of sports betting, with matched betting itself becoming one of the more recognised side hustle ideas recently. In order for you to comprehend how golf matched betting can be utilised efficiently, all of the elements that encompass this nuanced strategy will be fully dissected in this golf matched betting guide.
Golf Matched Betting Explained
Before we get into the process of golf matched betting, we will first break down how a game of golf typically plays out. Put in the broadest of terms, the game involves using a set of different clubs to hit a small dimpled ball from the starting point known as the tee. The objective of golf is to get this ball into a series of different holes located around the golf course in the fewest strokes possible.
A golf course generally comprises 18 different holes; however, 9-hole courses are also a thing. The courses themselves are specially designed and landscaped areas with different portions. Fairways are the moved stips of grass which run from the tee box all the way to the green, which provides a clear path for the ball. The green is highly manicured and trimmed, with flat areas surrounding the hole. The rough is the longer stretch of grass that borders the fairway, with these presenting difficult shots should the ball land here.
As well as these intentionally designed grass portions, a golf course also has things such as bunkers and water hazards populated across the playing fields. These could either add penalties or create sticky situations if balls land in these areas, with golfers aiming to avoid these segments at all costs.
Before teeing off, each hold is designated a par, with this being a predetermined number of strokes a golfer should take in order to complete a hole. A birdie is achieved if the golfer completes a whole in one less shot than the par suggests, an eagle is achieved when the same occurs but in two fewer strokes, and an Albatross occurs if a hole is completed in 3 fewer strokes than the set par and a hole in does as it says on the tin. There are also bogey, double bogey and triple bogeys, which are for holes completed in 1, 2 or 3 strokes over par.
These are just some of the general pieces of terminology you will likely come across during your golf-matched betting endeavours, all of which we hope you have now familiarised yourself with. If you are new to the world of sports betting in general, we have a collection of online sports betting guides for you to check out, all of which break down important terms of their respective sport.
How Does Golf Matched Betting Work?
Now that you are aware of how golf works and some key terminology from within it, you might be questioning how golf matched betting works. Even better, you may be considering what is matched betting in the first place. Put in the easiest of terms; matched betting is a betting strategy which involves the bettor covering all potential outcomes of a sporting event. This is done via the bettor placing two bets which counteract one another, using exchanges and bookmakers to capitalise on odd differences to lock in certain margins of profit.
The two different types of bets used when golf matched betting are referred to as back and lay bets. The former bet refers to a bettor placing a stake on an outcome of a sporting event to occur, whereas the latter works rather in the opposite, referring to the bettor placing a stake on an outcome not to occur. Placing one of each of these bets on the same sporting event can cover all of the potential outcomes of a match, meaning at least one of your wagers will win.
Although this sounds rather simplistic in nature, you may be wondering how exactly you could make profits by golf matched betting. This is where using different bookmakers and betting exchanges comes into play. As each of these differs in their own unique way, so do the odds they present for their events. Consequently, there are likely to be a number of odd differences and discrepancies in certain sporting events. If you manage to find odds higher than they theoretically should be, these could be great golf matched betting opportunities.
To ensure you are locking profits when golf matched betting, this is where a matched betting calculator could potentially come into the fold. By using these, they allow bettors to calculate the required odds needed for their selections and the stakes that should be placed to secure profit margins. All that is typically required for these are the odds of the selections and the stake, with these ensuring you are applying the matched betting strategy effectively and correctly.
Golf Matched Betting Markets
Like with most other sports, there is a plethora of different betting markets that could potentially be used for any potential golf matched betting endeavours. If you frequent with football matched betting, for instance, then you are likely familiar with how some of these options can play out.
One of the most popular golf betting markets is the outright winner bets. One thing we have yet to mention is that no competitive golf match can end in a tie, with players entering a playoff round at the end of a match should this be the case in order to determine a final victor. Moving back over to this betting option, the name implies how this operates. Players select which player they think will win a match, with there not being too much else to it.
Due to these being fairly simple and straightforward to understand even for novice bettors, these could be considered the most popular market for golf matched betting. This can be attributed to there being a guaranteed matched winner and the absence of draws, meaning a lay bet could easily cover the alternative outcome to your back bet. Additionally, these are often used just for single bet purposes, with a single bet calculator being a useful tool should this be the case with your betting experience.
Another popular golf betting market that could be used for golf matched betting is the ‘Lead After’ bets. As their name implies, these refer to certain golfers having the lead after a certain number of balls or holes. These can apply to overall tournaments or even individual matches within them, with bettors easily being able to cover both outcomes.
Although it may be harder to utilise for golf matched betting, tournament winners are another popular golf betting market. Whether it is the US Open, Irish Open or even the Ryder Cup, bettors can predict which golfers will win these prestigious tournaments overall.
Things To Consider With Golf Matched Betting
Despite golf being a relatively laid-back sport, there are still a whole number of different factors you could potentially take into consideration before making any golf matched betting decisions. One of the key things any bettor should do, regardless of their selected sport, is research, with this encompassing a whole range of different factors.
One of the main ones is player form. A look at a player’s previous performances leading up to or during a tournament could indicate how well a player may play against their opponent. This can also be refined further by looking at a golfer’s past performances at a specific course, potentially informing you on how they may hold up upon returning to familiar grounds.
Even taking a quick look at the weather forecast around where golf matches are commencing could potentially give you some valuable insight for your golf matched betting selections. If the weather is sunny and dry, usual play is likely to commence due to these being the favoured conditions of any golfer. However, if there is rain or heavy gusts of wind, this could potentially throw off certain results due to nature’s unpredictability.
When it actually comes to golf matched betting, you have to bear in mind that the odds can change based on any of these factors. Therefore, it is important you keep this in mind, as swift changes could potentially sway an effective golf matched bet. Once again, using calculators can still ensure that you are securing profit margins, even after the odds of certain selections may have fluctuated.
How To Start Golf Matched Betting
When starting your golf matched betting endeavours, there are a handful of things you should first familiarise yourself with in order to make sure you are fully prepared. One of the most important things is learning how to manage your bankroll, which refers to the funds you have for your golf matched betting picks. As you will likely be using multiple betting exchanges and bookmakers, your funds will be spread across these. Consequently, keeping track of where your funds are and how much are in each bookmaker is vital. Although this may seem relatively tedious, it ensures you stick to a budget and track all of your potential profits and bets efficiently and effectively.
One thing we keep mentioning is betting calculators, and these should be utilised when starting any form of matched betting, not just golf matched betting. These are able to automatically do any calculations with just a few pieces of information, ensuring you are using the right odds and stakes to lock in profits. Not only does this improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your overall golf matched betting experience, but it also negates the possibility of human error due to no tedious calculators being done manually if using a calculator.
After familiarising yourself with these two important things, you can then start comparing odds on different bookmakers to look for golf matched betting opportunities!
Best Golf Matched Betting Offers
As you are signing up with new bookmakers when starting golf matched betting, you are likely to encounter a wide range of welcome bonuses. One of the most popular types of these is free bet credits, and these can be capitalised upon thanks to matched betting. Instead of using real funds to place a back bet, these free funds can be used to cover one portion whilst the bettor still uses an exchange to place the lay bet. Should the back bet win, this could potentially convert these free bet credits into real funds.
As you are signing up to these bookmakers though, it is worth noting that marketing communications are opted into. Although this may seem like a relatively spammy thing to select, bookmakers tend to send out a whole range of different betting promotions and offers via these methods. As a result of not opting in, you could potentially be missing out on golf matched betting opportunities.
Golf Matched Betting At OddsMonkey
Hopefully, this has covered all there is to know about the world of golf matched betting and the sport as a whole. If you are just starting to apply this nuanced betting strategy, we here at OddsMonkey provide everything there is to know about matched betting.
Whether you simply need an Odds Converter tool in order to change one odds format to another or are looking for fully comprehensive articles on our matched betting blog, all of this can be used when starting off with golf matched betting or any of the other sports this versatile approach can be taken on.
