Golf as a spectator sport: the whole field plays each hole together, the worst score goes home, and the chip-off decides who survives. Also called a shootout or derby.
Everyone plays the same hole at the same time and the worst score is eliminated on the spot. Keep going and the field shrinks hole by hole until two players are left playing for everything, with everyone else walking along watching. It’s the best spectator format in golf.
A horse race (also billed as a shootout or derby) is golf distilled into a knockout show. Instead of scattering foursomes across the course, the entire field plays the same hole at the same time — ten players, ten balls, one green. After each hole, the highest score is eliminated, walks to the cart, and becomes a spectator. Nine holes later, one player is left standing. Ties for elimination are settled on the spot with a chip-off, which is reliably the loudest moment at any club all summer. It's the classic season-opener, junior-program finale, and member-guest evening event.
Worked example. Ten players, 6 p.m. shotgun on the 1st. Three players make 5 on the opening hole while everyone else does better; the three chip off from a downhill lie and the longest ball is gone. Eight holes and eight eliminations later, two players walk to the 9th tee with a crowd of eight carts behind them. Par beats bogey. Trophy, drinks, done in two hours.
Double-elimination holes. The standard fix for awkward field sizes. Announce which holes eliminate two before the race starts.
The rehorse (buy-back). Some events let the first eliminated player buy back in once, with the proceeds fattening the pot. Chaotic; popular.
Putt-off variant. Ties settled on the practice green after the hole instead of a chip-off — faster, and spectators can crowd the green.
Derby scoring. A gentler cousin: nobody is eliminated, but the highest score each hole accumulates a “point” and the fewest points after nine wins. Keeps everyone hitting all evening.
A Horse Race puts the whole field on one hole at a time, so it isn’t something the free app will score. It’s a Duck Hook Pro event: the pro or organizer runs it for the whole field, enters who lost the chip-off when a hole ties, and the board shows who is still in.
See Duck Hook Pro Browse all 42 gamesClassically 10 players over 9 holes — one eliminated per hole leaves a winner on the 9th. Any field works if you match eliminations to holes: eliminate two per hole on the early holes for larger fields.
A chip-off: everyone tied for the highest score plays one shot from a spot the official chooses, and the ball farthest from the hole is eliminated. Putt-offs work too. It's often the most-watched moment of the night.
Often, yes — net scoring by stroke index keeps mixed fields fair. Some events run flights instead (an A race and a B race) and play gross within each.
About 2–2.5 hours for a 9-hole race with 10 players. The whole field plays each hole together, so it's slower than normal golf per hole but only covers nine — perfect for a summer evening with carts and drinks.
Yes — two-person teams playing alternate shot or scramble is common and speeds up big fields. Team horse races are a member-guest staple, usually run as the Saturday-evening showpiece.
Same energy, different game. Everything below has a full rules guide of its own.
Duck Hook Golf