How to play

The rules of Beanbag Golf are very similar to those of traditional golf. The objective is to complete each hole in the fewest possible shots. The only difference is the equipment used and the location — your own backyard! 

For officially sanctioned events, all rules must be followed. For friendly rounds between friends and family, all rules are recommended but not required. Plus, see the bottom of this page to inspire you to create your own fun house rules!

Official rules

  1. The first player to tee off is agreed upon by all players. In cases where all players have played a round together previously, the winner from the previous round shall tee off first. For subsequent holes, the player with the lowest score on the previous hole tees off first. 
  2. All throws must be underhand.
  3. The tee area for the first hole is defined by the course designer. For all subsequent holes, players must tee off from behind the previous hole.
  4. Players take turns until all bags are in the hole. The player furthest from the hole goes first.
  5. Players must keep one foot on the spot where their previous shot landed, and cannot extend their body beyond that spot when shooting.
  6. Players must play the shot where it lies, including in foliage.
  7. The course designer can define “out of bounds” areas, such as a neighbor’s yard or a street. Shots that land out of bounds incur a one stroke penalty, and the next shot is taken from the nearest in-bounds location. 
  8. Any shot landing within one foot of the hole is considered a “gimme,” and can be picked up. A “gimme” counts as a stroke. Players may award a “gimme” to any player at any time outside of this one foot radius.
  9. The player with the lowest score at the end of the round wins!

Suggested house rules

You can add challenge or a bit of fun with house rules. Here are a few ideas:

  1. Dogs love Beanbag Golf! If your dog likes to play fetch, you may find that they bring the bag back after it’s been thrown. You could choose to include this as a “canine hazard,” requiring players to play from whatever spot the dog has chosen for you.
  2. Extend Rule 6 to include things like rooftops, tree limbs, etc. But be safe!