Bingo Bango Bongo: three points, every hole

The rare golf game where a 25-handicapper can beat a 5-handicapper honestly, because it rewards three things that have almost nothing to do with total score.

Every hole is worth three points, awarded independently:

Bingo — the first player to get their ball on the green.
Bango — once all balls are on the green, the one closest to the hole.
Bongo — the first player to hole out.

Fifty-four points are available over eighteen holes. Because the three awards test different skills — getting on quickly, precision, and finishing — and because none of them cares how many shots you have already taken, the format naturally levels a mixed group without any handicap arithmetic.

Order of play is the whole game

Bingo Bango Bongo only works if you strictly observe furthest from the hole plays first. That is what gives the shorter hitter their chance: they are away, so they hit first, so they get the first realistic look at Bingo while the long hitter is still standing in the fairway waiting their turn.

Playing "ready golf" destroys the format completely. If your group habitually hits whenever they get to their ball, either commit to proper order for the round or pick a different game. This is also the one format where the rule genuinely does not slow you down much, because players are walking to their balls in order anyway.

Worked example

Par 4, four players, $1 a point.

Player A, a 22-handicap, is 60 yards short after two but is away — they pitch on. That is Bingo, one point.
Everyone else reaches the green. Player C's approach finishes six feet from the hole, closest of the four. Bango, one point.
Player A putts first from 30 feet and holes it for a 4. Bongo, one point — and it beats C, who three-putts.

Player A takes two of the three points on a hole where they were the worst golfer. That is not a bug; it is why the game exists.

Edge cases to agree in advance

Par 3s — the tee shot can win Bingo directly. Some groups skip Bingo on par 3s to avoid rewarding pure distance; most just play it.
Fringe and collar — decide whether the fringe counts as "on the green". Recommended: it does not, putting surface only.
Holing out from off the green — a chip-in wins Bongo and, by convention, Bango too, since nothing can finish closer than in.
Conceded putts — do not concede anything. Bongo requires holing out.
Out of turn — a player who hits out of turn forfeits the Bingo on that hole. Simple and self-policing.

Settlement

Assign a value per point and settle the differences at the end. With four players and $1 a point, totals of 18, 14, 12 and 10 means the winner is up against each of the others by 4, 6 and 8 — or, if you prefer, everyone pays into a pot and the highest total takes it. Point-per-hole games have modest variance, so this is a good format for groups who want a bet without anyone risking real money.

Custom per-hole events in Golf Game Bet Calculator — closest to the pin, first on, longest drive — can be recorded hole by hole and flow into the final settlement receipt, which is exactly the shape Bingo Bango Bongo needs.

Who should play it

Use Bingo Bango Bongo when the ability spread in the group is wide enough that Skins or a straight match would be a formality, or when someone in the group is new and would otherwise spend the round losing. It is also the best format for a group where nobody wants to do handicap arithmetic on the tee.