How to Play the Oozies Golf Game

"Oozies" is the name of a side game in which golfers are rewarded for being closest to the pin. It's a simple game, and the only real question for your group to consider is just how simple to make it.

First, note that Oozies is very similar (but not identical) to other games based around closest-to-the-pin such as KP Duty. Another way to think of Oozies is that it is Oozles and Foozles minus the foozles.

There are two ways to play Oozies:

• Very simple: On par-3 holes, the golfer in your group whose ball is closest to the pin in regulation wins the oozie.
• Still simple: Expand the game so that it covers all holes, not just par-3s. So only every hole, the oozie is won by the golfer who is closest to the pin after hitting the green in regulation.

Note that in both versions, the oozie is available only to golfers who record a green-in-regulation (GIR) first. You've hit the green "in regulation" if your ball is on the green in one stroke on a par-3, two (or fewer) strokes on a par-4, and three (or fewer) strokes on a par-5 hole.

What do you get for earning the oozie? That's up to those playing, of course. You can make it a fixed monetary value that is owed to the oozie winner by the others in the group, and that is what is typically done in the simplest (par-3 holes only) version. If Golfer A wins the oozie on the first par-3 hole and oozies are worth a dollar, then each of the other group members owes Golfer A a dollar.

In the second version (oozies available on every hole), oozies are usually worth a point, with a point value established on the first tee. You can play this version of Oozies by itself, or as one of multiple side games played for points. Then add up the points at the end and pay out the differences.

More golf games:

• How to play the game named after Ben Hogan
• The Poley (Polee) game explained
• How the Greenies side game works