Win a hole outright and the rabbit is yours. Hold it when the group walks off 9 and 18, and you get paid. A chase that lasts all round — and nobody's safe until the last putt.
Win a hole outright and the rabbit is yours; the next person to win a hole outright takes it from you. Whoever holds it after 9 collects, then it’s loose again for the back. Holding a lead is nothing — you have to hold it at the right moment.
Rabbit is a chase game played on top of regular stroke scores. The rabbit starts the round loose; the first player to win a hole outright (lowest score, no ties) catches it. From then on, the group is chasing the holder: in the classic version, another outright win by anyone releases the rabbit, and the next outright win captures it again. The money moments come exactly twice — whoever holds the rabbit after the 9th wins the front bet, and whoever holds it after the 18th wins the back. It rewards timely golf rather than consistent golf: one well-timed birdie on the 8th can beat eight steady pars.
Worked example. Foursome, $5 rabbit each nine. Dana birdies the 3rd outright — rabbit caught. On the 6th, Alex wins the hole outright: the rabbit is released, nobody holds it. On the 8th, Dana wins again — re-caught. Nobody wins 9 outright, so Dana walks to the 10th tee $15 richer. Front nine summary: Dana played two great holes and six forgettable ones, and it was enough.
Direct steal. The simpler variant skips the release step: an outright win takes the rabbit straight from the holder. Faster-moving game, less defensible lead. Confirm which version on the first tee.
Legs. Some groups require two captures (“legs”) to own the payout — the rabbit pays only if you've caught it twice on that nine. Rare but out there; mostly seen in larger groups.
18-hole rabbit. One rabbit, one payout at the end. Cleaner, but the turn payday is half the fun.
Net play. The standard money version: strokes off the low handicap by stroke index, outright wins judged on net scores — the same math as net skins.
With other games. Rabbit stacks neatly on a Nassau or skins game since it uses the same hole scores you're already recording.
Rabbit is scored in Duck Hook Pro. The pro or organizer sets up the game and keeps the card there, and Duck Hook Pro works out the result and the settle-up and shows it on a TV leaderboard. It isn’t in the free app yet.
See Duck Hook Pro Browse all 42 gamesWin a hole outright — the lowest score on the hole with no ties. If two players tie for low, the hole is halved and the rabbit doesn't move.
In the classic rules, when someone else wins a hole outright while you hold the rabbit, the rabbit is released — nobody holds it. The next outright winner catches it again. Some groups skip this and pass the rabbit directly to the new winner; agree which version you're playing.
Twice: whoever holds the rabbit after the 9th hole wins the front-nine bet, and whoever holds it after the 18th wins the back-nine bet. The rabbit resets to free on the 10th tee.
Yes — play it on net scores. Give strokes off the low handicap by stroke index and judge outright wins on net results, exactly like a net skins game.
Two to four works; three or four is best. With more players, outright wins get rarer and the rabbit changes hands less often — which makes holding it at the turn even sweeter.
Same energy, different game. Everything below has a full rules guide of its own.
Duck Hook Golf