The Best Golf Betting Sites in the UK

Have you ever thought about having a punt on the Ryder Cup but don’t have a clue on what bet to place or which bookie to use? No matter the match you’re interested in, the promotions and offers from the best Golf betting sites can be rewarding and easy to take up. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on this and take you through everything there is to know about golf betting in the UK.

Top 7 Golf Betting Sites

We have a very strong set of criteria here at My Betting Bonus. Just by scrolling through social media and through ads on TV, we’re constantly exposed to engaging adverts for free bets from online bookmakers. But, how you can you trust them with your money?

This is where we come into play. We scour the internet and bring you the best deals from the best gaming establishments, filtering through them to meet this set of criteria:

• Licensed by the UK Gambling Commission
• Excellent customer service
• Wide range of sports and betting markets
• Varied deposit methods
• Worthwhile bonuses and promotions

The Best Golf Betting Bonuses and Promotions

We’ll get stuck into the promos and bonuses first. This is where your focus should first be when looking to get into golf betting and choosing a bookie to bet with.

Why take on promotions? It’s a great way to test out a bookmaker if it’s your first bet with them. They offer welcome bonuses with the anticipation you’re going to continue to use their services afterwards, and with some bookies, they are definitely worth sticking with.

We’re going to walk you through these valuable and worthwhile golf promotions and bonuses:

We also cover the fine print that usually relates to these; this is something that many punters fall foul of, so don’t skip that part! The great thing for those of you wanting to get into golf betting is that the above type of offers tend to extend to golf in the terms and conditions.

Golf Betting Sites – The Welcome Bonus

These welcome bonus offers will probably be tailor-made (not Taylormade) for when the big golf events are on, such as the Ryder Cup, The Masters and The Open. In short, they’re the initial offer from the bookmakers for simply registering with them.

All you usually have to do is to register your details and complete the terms for the bonus in order to qualify. Some may require you to deposit a certain amount and place a bet on the win market at minimum odds before the bonus is released.

The welcome bonus can take many forms. Common ones are:

• Free bets, a.k.a. “Bet and Get”
• Matched deposit bonus

If a bookmaker is feeling really fruity, then no deposit bonuses do occur. These are almost as rare as the US winning the Ryder Cup… but only almost!

How to Take Advantage of Free Bets in Golf Betting

Let’s walk you through a basic scenario of Paddy Power offering a “Bet £10 Get £30″ promotion for the US Open. This is what you’d need to do:

1. Register with Paddy Power, being sure to use the bonus code or go through the bonus page.
2. Deposit £10 into your account.
3. Place your £10 bet, which is known as a “qualifying bet”.
4. Wait for the bet to settle and then check your account for the £30 free bet — this could be either one £30 bet or 3 x £10 bets, or something similar.
5. Place your £30 free money and hope that they win!

It’s a very simple process, but you need to be aware of a couple of golf betting requirements, such as:

• Minimum odds
• Wagering

Minimum Odds in Golf Betting

We don’t ever remember seeing a bookmaker that doesn’t have a minimum odds requirement for its promotions. These prevent everyone from putting money on the shortest odds bet and bagging the winnings.

Even so, the minimum odds do tend to be below evens. Sticking with the Paddy Power example, they’re known for having a minimum odds requirement for their regular promos of 1/2 (1.5). Keep to this rule and all will be fine, but remember that these are the odds for when your bet is confirmed, not when at the first tee off.

Similar restrictions are placed on the free bets. Some bookies even have a maximum odds, so keep an eye out for these too. They don’t tend to be more than 11/1 (10.0) though.

It’s rare to see a golfer at below evens before the first tee-time anyway, so the minimum odds shouldn’t be an issue.

Are There Wagering Requirements for Golf Betting?

Welcome bonuses don’t tend to have wagering requirements, especially for the “Bet and Get” promos. Even so, always check the terms before you think about heading over to live chat.

For example, you may be required to wager through your own money and the free bets a certain amount of times, or just the bonus funds. If the bonus is £30 and the wagering requirement states 3x, then you need to place bets of £90 before any winnings from the free bets are withdrawable.

Wagering requirements are commonplace for matched deposit bonuses, though — more on these to come.

No Deposit Bonus

No deposit bonuses that do exist tend to be heavily restricted, and they tend to feature the following.

• Invite only
• Available at online casinos mainly rather than sportsbooks
• Only if customers haven’t used the casino before.
• Small amounts — £20 and under.

These aren’t hard and fast guidelines but give you a picture. Some bookmakers feature no deposit bonuses purely for their VIP members who are regularly using the casino and other areas of the site.

Even so, watch for these lucrative offers since they require no risk of your own funds.

Matched Deposit Bonus

Matched deposit bonuses are the most common promotions you’ll see on golf betting sites. The matched percentage can vary, with the highest percentage being the better offers. 100% is the most common here.

Pay attention for wagering requirements for these; the higher the wagering needs to be, the less valuable the offer.

As an example, bet365 might offer a 100% matched deposit bonus up to £100. There’ll likely be a minimum deposit of £5, and be aware that anything deposited over £100 will only trigger a maximum bonus of £100.

As soon as you claim the offer, the next deposit will count for the bonus, so don’t make the mistake of dropping a tenner to bet on black in roulette… you’ll only get £10, and the offer probably won’t be redeemable again for a while.

As before, make sure to comply with the wagering requirements and minimum odds. Since golf is becoming more and more popular in the sports betting world, most matched deposit bonuses can be used on the beloved sport. Be sure to use the bonus within the time frame specified in the terms — no mulligans are allowed when it comes to breaching the terms and conditions!

Enhanced Golf Odds

Enhanced odds are blending in with regular bonuses and promotions and don’t require you to make a deposit, so are pretty darn cool. It’s hard to know when these are going to be on offer, but they tend to be given for the big events. Obviously the enhanced betting odds in the above image from Betfair has been and gone, but it gives you an idea of what odds bookies tend to offer when a major golf tournament comes around.

Most bookmakers will offer enhanced odds, and sometimes these are in conjunction with other players. For example, it could be for two specific pairings to both win in the next PGA tournament. The bookie will inflate its market odds than usual in the attempt to attract more money to that bet.

If you know your golf, sometimes these are worthwhile, and sometimes they’re not. If you’re in doubt, see where the money is going by looking at the liquidity in an exchange. And if a bookie is promoting a specific player, but nobody is backing them, there might be a reason for that!

Does Best Odds Guaranteed Exist in Golf Betting?

Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) mainly features in football and horse racing. Don’t confuse BOG with “best odds”, though. When a bookie says that it offers “best odds”, it means it’s competitive with other bookies, potentially with a smaller overround that its rivals.

You will find best odds guaranteed available for the major golf tournaments, but it’s not as prevalent compared to horse racing, in which the major bookies offer BOG for every race. It works in that if the player you backed goes on to win, and their price was higher when they teed off than the price you backed them at, you win at the higher value.

It was introduced to promote fairness for those who got on a selection earlier, compared to those who waited until a matchplay started. It’s now become an excellent marketing tool for bookmakers!

Golf Betting at Paddy Power

Paddy Power is big backers of golf markets. Although they don’t offer specific promotions throughout the regular season, they always have markets available and offer valuable promotions for the big events in the UK and US’ summer golf seasons.

Even if you prefer to play on the smaller tournaments such as the BMW Championship and the JP McManus Pro-Am, Paddy Power is a good choice with its depth of market bets and competitive odds.

Golf betting is up there with the other major sports of football, tennis, and betting on horse racing. You can tell this from where it features on the sports betting section of Paddy’s site. Go ahead and check it out for yourself!

Live streaming isn’t something that features for golf much, primarily because of the control that Sky and the BBC have over the sport. Even so, the markets update regularly and react fast to events in in-play.

Is Betfair a Good Site for Golf Betting?

Betfair is one of the big dogs when it comes to betting in general. Golf isn’t excluded from this. Just like Paddy Power, golf features strongly on its homepage — on its feature banner at the top of the page.

One of Betfair’s strengths is its propensity to offer best odds across the market, making it an excellent choice for your golf betting needs. If you fancy having a flutter on the US Open a year in advance, then it’s no problem with Betfair Sportsbook. Each Way odds and extra places are regular features for the major tournaments, giving golf bettors a bit more value for their bets.

We’re big fans of how easy and fast it is to place bets on Betfair. If you’re looking for a reliable bookmaker with competitive prices, consider registering and take advantage of its current signup promotion.

Pre-Match and In-Play Golf Betting Sites

If you prefer a more leisurely betting experience, then golf could be the one for you. Due to the pure slow and steady nature of the game, the market price changes reflect this too. Although, when the heat is on during the final round of the US Masters and more and more punters are piling the money on, the prices fluctuate accordingly.

Pre-Match Golf Betting Sites

Naturally, betting pre-match is a pretty simple process. Unless a player is badly injured during a warm-up tournament, the market doesn’t change much. However, if a rank outsider wins a couple of smaller tourneys on the trot, bookies are likely to cut this or her odds. Some argue that Brooks Koepka came from nowhere when he first won the US Open in 2017, and if you’d have got on his price early on, you would’ve landed yourself some nice winnings.

In-Play Golf Betting Sites

While golf is in-play, the market does move faster as players make a long put or shank their tee shot into the rough. But, again, due to how slow the game plays out, there’s still time for bettors to consider their bets more while in-play.

Some more exotic markets open up when a tournament is underway, such as the winner of a 3-ball match-up. Lots can be done to determine whether a player is likely to take an early lead, depending on factors such as:

These are just a few, and although the market prices might reflect this, you could gain an edge by doing your own research yourself. There’s lots of fun to be had with in-play golf betting sites.

What Are the Most Popular Golf Bets?

Golf doesn’t have anywhere near as many markets as the likes of football, tennis, rugby and cricket. However, there should still be a bet that tickles your fancy:

• Match odds — including to place and each way
• Top place finish
• 2, 3 and 4-ball bets

Match Odds Golf Bets

The traditional market for most sports, the match odds bets allow you to bet on the winner of a tournament or round. This market exists pre-tournament and in-play too. Obviously, as the tournament unfolds and players start to perform as expected, or not, the prices will shift. Depending on your knowledge of golf, this could determine whether you back one or more players and sit back and relax, or wait a bit longer.

Since there are cut-offs during tournaments, with the larger ones going for four rounds of 18 holes each, you may want to wait until the first cut-off before backing a golfer. This is a good way to confirm whether your initial thoughts of a player doing well are confirmed, or not!

Some bookies will offer a result without the favourite. This usually occurs when there’s a short-priced heavy favourite, making the rest of the field more competitive to back. For example, you might see, “without Rory McIlroy”, and all the players’ odds will be shorter than the main market as a result.

If you don’t fancy betting on the winner, you can choose whether a player “places” within a pre-defined amount of places, or each way, which is a combination of winning and placing. You can see how many places the bookmaker is paying out at under the main betting page for the tournament. If an online bookie usually pays out if a player comes in the first four places, it might be extended by an extra place or two for the larger ones.

Top Place Finish Bets in Golf

If you fancy backing an outsider but don’t like how high the odds are, you can put money on a player to finish within a certain amount of places. The variables involved in this can vary depending on:

• The bookmaker
• How popular the tournament is
• The number of players starting the match and those who’ve made the cut

This is a perfect opportunity for getting behind an amateur playing in a major for their first time, especially if they’ve shot close to even par after the first round. Markets for these bets should be open pre-match and in-play.

2, 3 and 4-Ball Bets

These bets refine the field into a refined betting experience. For the big tournaments, players are grouped into pairs, threes, and fours, from which you can select a winner. Again, this is an excellent chance to back an outsider whom you wouldn’t have normally selected for a match odds bet.

Depending on who the players are paired or matched with, there can be some great value had here. If you do a little bit of research on prior experience and keep an eye on how they’re playing and their temperament, there could be an edge.

Other Popular Golf Bets

Your choices don’t stop with the above. Depending on the bookie you choose and the size of the tournament, you can also bet via:

• Accumulators
• Cut-off betting
• Prop bets

Some accumulators can be mixed within the tournament, across rounds or even across different sports. Cut-off betting allows you to back whether a player will make the cut. Prop betting doesn’t always exist but allows you to get on bets for whether a certain player will get a hole-in-one or not, for example.

Do All Golf Betting Sites Offer a Cash-Out Option?

Being able to cash out from your golf bets isn’t something that’s commonly offered across bookies. However, some of the major ones, such as those we feature here at My Betting Bonus, may offer it.

This is especially more likely to be the case for the big tournaments. As golf continues to rise in popularity, we’re likely to see more and more online bookmakers offering a cash-out option. This seems to be how the shape of sports betting is going in general, and there’s no reason why golf isn’t going to follow.

The Best Golf Betting Mobile Apps – Top 3

Mobile gaming and betting are huge, and the market is shifting in this direction. The result of this is mobile apps becoming faster and more reliable — an essential part of mobile golf betting sites and apps.

We particularly like these bookies for the below reasons:

1. William Hill
2. Paddy Power
3. bet365

Ease of Use

We’ve seen some awful betting apps, where it can be a minefield to get into the sports markets. That’s after getting passed the glitches involved with account login screens. We want to be in the app, logged into our account and ready to back Europe in the Ryder Cup within seconds, not minutes!

As mobiles, software, and hardware develops, apps are becoming faster and easier to use. However, we do feel that some bookies need to up their game. The above bookies tick the boxes for how easy it is to use their apps — definitely consider going for one of these.

Accessibility to Golf Markets

You know a bookie is serious about golf when it’s prominent on their app. The desktop and mobile site is one thing, but we need to be seeing golf featuring on the main hamburger menu or in a banner. Sure, we know that golf doesn’t hold the most liquidity, but it’s definitely becoming more and more popular.

Not only do we want to be in the markets quickly, but we also want to see all the betting options on an app that we have access to on the desktop sites. Our worlds are very much on-the-fly these days, so if we get a tip for a certain player in a 4-ball match, we love that we can get straight into that market within a minute or so.

Reliability

App up-time is crucial when mobile betting. There’s nothing worse when you’re in-play and waiting for your bet to be confirmed when it fails to confirm. With the bookies we feature on this golf betting sites page, we feel their reliability is pretty spot-on.

Glitches and signal issues will occur; however, we like that our mentioned bookies invest heavily in their development and software partners. All of the best bookies in the UK have top-notch software at their disposal, so you can rest assured, 99% of the time, things are going to run smoothly.

Golf Betting Sites – Conclusion

It’s clear to see there are some bookies that are head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to golf betting. What’s also very clear is that you won’t be disappointed with any of the best sportsbooks in the UK if you love to bet on golf. There are always promotions to be had, so whether you’re grabbing a welcome bonus or you’ve seen some nice enhanced odds on Rory McIlroy to win the Masters, the PGA Championship, The Open or the US Open, enjoy.