The catch-all game: play any rules your group invents, zero-sum
2–12 playersSide Bets
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The Catch-All Game
Points is the catch-all game. If the game your group plays isn't on theStick, you can play it with Points — or run Points alongside another game to cover the odd house rules that game doesn't handle.
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How It Works
Points is a fully flexible side bet that runs hole-by-hole alongside any other game. On each hole, you assign points to players however the group decides — a point for closest to the pin, a point for the only birdie, or any other feat you agree on before teeing off. The app tracks everything and settles automatically.
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Zero-Sum Enforcement
Every hole must net to zero before you can advance. The app shows a live balance — "✓ Nets to 0" when valid, or a warning with the current imbalance if not. Points awarded to one player must come from one or more others. Nothing is created or destroyed — they only transfer.
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Options & Variations
There is one setting: bet-per-point (default $1) — the dollar value of each net point. Everything else (what earns a point on each hole) is decided live by the group, and the app enforces zero-sum.
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Payout
At the end of the round, each player's net point total is tallied. Each net point is worth the bet-per-point amount. Players in the positive collect from those in the negative; the group's combined total is always zero.
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Points vs. Dots
Points is fully manual — you decide what's worth a point on every hole. Dots is structured — you configure specific events (birdies, sandies, greenies, etc.) in advance and the app tracks them automatically per hole. Use Points when you want flexibility; use Dots when you want consistency.
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In theStick
Setting up Points: stakes, handicaps and the game's own options.Entering Points on a hole, with the running total underneath.Points results after 18 holes, settled automatically.
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Pro Tips
•Agree on exactly what earns a point before the first tee — vague rules cause disputes mid-round.
•Common uses: closest to the pin, lone birdie, up-and-down from a bunker, or any hustle bet the group invents.
•Because it's zero-sum, every point you earn comes directly out of someone else's pocket.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Points game in golf?
Points is the catch-all game. Your group decides what earns a point on each hole — a greenie, a sandy, the only birdie, or any rule you agree on before teeing off — and every point is worth the same set dollar amount. Net points settle at the end of the round.
What if the game my group plays is not on theStick?
Play it with Points. Score your game hole by hole as points, and theStick tracks the totals and settles the money. You can also run Points alongside another game to cover the odd house rules that game does not handle.
Why do Points have to net out to zero?
Every point one player gains comes from another, so the points on each hole must add up to zero. theStick shows "✓ Nets to 0" when a hole balances and will not move to the next hole until it does, so the money always settles evenly across the group.
What is the difference between Points and Dots?
Dots pays for a fixed list of feats (birdies, sandies, greenies and so on) that you set up in advance. Points is fully manual: you decide what is worth a point on every hole. Use Dots for consistency and Points for anything Dots does not cover.
