Wolf: pick a partner, or take on all three
Wolf is the best four-player game in golf because it makes you make a decision on every tee — and the decision is more interesting than the golf shot.
Written and maintained by the Golf Game Bet Calculator team, who build the scoring engine this site runs on. Last reviewed .
One player each hole is the wolf. The wolf tees off last, watches the other three hit, and then chooses one of them as a partner for a two-against-two hole — or declines all three and plays alone against the field. The wolf role rotates so everyone gets it either four or five times over eighteen holes.
Setting the order
Draw for order on the first tee and keep it fixed. Player 1 is the wolf on holes 1, 5, 9 and 13; player 2 on 2, 6, 10 and 14; and so on. That leaves holes 17 and 18, which most groups handle one of two ways: the two players furthest behind get them, or 17 and 18 are played as straight individual holes at double value. Decide before you start, not on the sixteenth green.
The tee-side decision
The wolf must choose a partner immediately after that player's tee shot and before the next player hits. So if the first player stripes it down the middle, the wolf can take them right away — but then forfeits the chance to see two potentially better drives. If the wolf passes on all three, they are the Lone Wolf and play one against three.
- Lone Wolf — declared after seeing all three tee shots. Usually worth double.
- Blind Wolf (sometimes "Pig") — declared on the tee before anyone hits, including the wolf. Usually worth triple or quadruple. The great gamble of the format.
Scoring and points
The hole is decided on best ball, net if you are playing with handicaps. Standard point values, which you can convert to money at any rate you like:
- Wolf and partner win the hole — 1 point each; each opponent loses 1.
- Opponents win — 2 points each to the two opponents; wolf and partner lose 2 each.
- Lone Wolf wins — 4 points; each of the other three loses 1 (or pays the wolf directly).
- Lone Wolf loses — each of the other three gains 1; the wolf loses 3.
- Blind Wolf wins — 6 points, at the same one-to-many ratio.
- Tie — no points, or carry the value into the next hole for extra volatility.
The asymmetry in cases 1 and 2 is deliberate: the wolf gets to choose, so the wolf's side is favoured and therefore paid less for winning. Groups that dislike the asymmetry play flat 1-point holes and rely on the Lone Wolf multiplier for the drama.
| Situation | Wolf side result | Points to wolf side | Points to each opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf + partner win | Win | +1 each | −1 each |
| Opponents win | Lose | −2 each | +2 each |
| Lone Wolf wins | Win alone | +4 | −1 each |
| Lone Wolf loses | Lose alone | −3 | +1 each |
| Blind Wolf wins | Win alone | +6 | −2 each |
Standard Wolf point values. Convert points to dollars at any agreed rate — $1 and $2 a point are the most common club rates.
Worked example
Four players, $2 a point.
- Hole 3 — the wolf takes the first driver after a good drive; they win the hole. Wolf and partner +$2 each, opponents −$2 each.
- Hole 4 — new wolf passes on all three, goes Lone Wolf, makes par to beat everyone. Wolf +$8, the others −$2 each... which totals −$6 against +$8.
That mismatch is a real trap. If you want the game to be zero-sum, make the Lone Wolf win 3 points paid 1 by each opponent, not 4. Pick one convention and write it on the card, because unbalanced ledgers are the number one cause of Wolf arguments.
Strategy
The single biggest mistake is taking a partner too early. A good drive is worth much less than the information from three drives, especially on a hole where position matters. Wait unless the first drive is genuinely exceptional or the player is far and away the best in the group.
Go Lone Wolf on holes that suit you specifically: a short par 4 you can reach comfortably, a par 3 you always hit, or a hole where the other three are all struggling with a particular shot shape. Do not go Lone Wolf because you are behind and getting frustrated — the multiplier cuts both ways and Wolf punishes tilt more than any other format.
And use handicaps. Wolf with gross scoring collapses into "always partner with the best player", which removes the decision that makes the game good. Net scoring keeps every player worth choosing on some hole.
Variants worth knowing
Progressive Wolf
The base value of each hole rises through the round — hole 1 is worth 1 point, hole 18 worth 3 — so the back nine wolf decisions matter more than the front. This rewards groups who find early holes get played too cautiously once everyone realises the stakes are flat all day.
Wolf with a designated hitter
Rather than choosing a partner off the tee shot alone, some groups let the wolf pick a partner based on the best score of the hole once everyone has finished the approach. This removes some of the tee-shot bluffing but keeps the two-versus-two structure, and suits groups who found the tee-only rule too fast moving.
Money Wolf without points
Skip the point conversion entirely and assign a straight dollar value per hole from the start — say $5 a hole, doubled for Lone Wolf and tripled for Blind Wolf. It reads more naturally on the card for groups who find points-then-multiply-by-rate one step too many at the bar afterward.
Etiquette and pace of play
Wolf can slow a group down if the tee-shot decision turns into a debate. Set a rule: the wolf has until the next player addresses their ball to declare a partner, otherwise the option passes and they must either take the last player or go Lone Wolf. Keep the running score on one card, not four separate phones, so a dispute about who owes what can be resolved by looking at a single source instead of four different memories.
Frequently asked questions
How many times does each player get to be the wolf?
Over 18 holes with four players, the rotation gives each player the wolf role four times, with two holes left over. Most groups give holes 17 and 18 to whoever is down the most, or play them at double value as straight individual holes so nobody feels shorted on wolf turns.
Should Wolf be played with handicap strokes?
Yes, almost always. Playing gross turns Wolf into 'always partner with the best player,' which removes the decision that makes the format interesting. Net scoring, using strokes off the stroke index, keeps every player a live partner option on at least some holes.
What is the difference between Lone Wolf and Blind Wolf?
Lone Wolf is declared after watching all three other tee shots, so the wolf has full information before going it alone; it usually pays double. Blind Wolf (or Pig) is declared before anyone, including the wolf, has hit — a pure gamble with no information — and typically pays triple or quadruple to compensate for the extra risk.
What happens if the wolf and their chosen partner tie the hole?
A tie usually means no points change hands that hole. Some groups carry the value forward into the next hole instead, which raises the stakes and rewards a group that likes volatility, but agree on this before the round since it changes the effective value of every close hole.
Can Wolf be played with three or five players?
It is built for four, but three-player Wolf works if the wolf always plays alone against the other two (essentially every hole is a forced Lone Wolf). Five-player Wolf usually sits one player out each hole on a rotation, or the wolf picks two partners for a three-versus-two hole.