Golf Betting in Ireland 2024

When it comes to where Irish punters can place wagers on their favourite golf tournaments, there are plenty of options to choose from. It used to be that a punter could only place bets on golf tournaments by visiting the closest land-based bookie to them, but that is no longer the case today. Thanks to the rapid improvement in technology, the advent of online betting came around, followed by the influx of hundreds of sports betting sites that offer more than golf betting markets to their players.

As an Irish punter, you are free to place your golf betting wagers on any of these sites, provided they are an Irish sports betting site or an offshore site that accepts players from Ireland. Our team of betting experts at Irishluck has curated reviews on many of the best sports betting sites that offer golf betting services to Irish punters in the list above.

History of Golf in Ireland

Golf in the modern world is said to have originated from a game played in Scotland in the 15th century. The sport later spread to other areas in the then British Empire, and Ireland wasn't exempted. Golf in Ireland dates as far back as the mid-19th century, when the first golf club in Ireland, the Royal Curragh Golf Club, opened up its doors in 1858. After this, several golf clubs and courses were also built in different regions across Ireland, and the sport began to spread throughout the country. 

The establishment of the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI), which happens to be the oldest national golfing union in the world in 1891, alongside the Irish Ladies Golf Union in 1893, spelt a new era for golf in Ireland. Thanks to these two governing bodies and the Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain and Ireland), founded in 1901, Ireland's amateur and professional world of golf developed significantly. Today, there are many regular golf tournaments that golfers in Ireland can enjoy, including the Irish PGA Championship, the Irish Open, the Irish Amateur Open Championship, and many others. That said, sports gambling has always been a part of Irish culture, so it is not surprising that betting on golf also became a favourite pastime of many Irish punters.

Golf Tournaments in Ireland

As we have mentioned, there are dozens of golf tournaments in Ireland. The table below contains Ireland's top 5 most prestigious golf tournaments.

Golf Courses in Ireland

As we have mentioned, golfing is a pretty popular sporting activity in Ireland that dates back to at least the mid-19th century. 

Not only is the sport a source of sporting entertainment with many tours and competitions in Ireland, but it is also a source of relaxation for many people, especially the elites. 

As a result, there are more than 490 golf courses across the entire island of Ireland. Many of these golf courses are considered some of the best in the world. 

The table below shows the top 5 best golf courses in the country.

The Most Popular Golf Tournaments

When it comes to betting on golf, Irish punters can enjoy a range of both local and international golfing tournaments. Listed below are the most popular golf tournaments in the world today.

• US Masters

• US Open

• The Open Championships (British Open)

• The PGA Championship

• The Ryder Cup

Golf Betting Odds

As is with most sports betting, the first thing you need to get familiar with is how the golf betting odds works. When betting on golf, the punter needs to understand the golf betting odds listed on the markets to make informed bets on sports betting sites. Essentially, odds let you know the ratio of the profit you will receive if your prediction(s) are correct to the amount you would lose if you are wrong. Golf betting odds might be listed in multiple ways; the most popular option that most Irish punters prefer is the fractional odds system. 

Fractional odds express the potential profit a punter will walk away with against the amount wagered, and it displays market prices as 7/3, 4/3, 2/9, 2/1, and so on. For example: if you see a rugby betting market for a rugby event that displays a 5/1 price odds, it means that for every €1 that you wager on that market, you will see a €5 profit plus your initial €1 stake. So, if you bet €100 on such a market, you will see €600 (€500 profit plus €100 return stake).

Betting Markets for Golf

As we have mentioned, most golf competitions and tournaments are unlike what you will find with most sports where two players or teams compete. Instead, it is similar to horse racing in that it features multiple players competing in a tournament game simultaneously. However, just like most sports, there are many available markets that Irish players can place wagers on when betting on golf. 

Different aspects of the golf tournaments between golfers provide punters with plenty of betting opportunities. As the golf betting industry continues to grow, so does the number of betting markets that Irish punters can place events on as well. It is noteworthy to mention that coverage of sports and the number of betting markets you will have access to when it comes to golf betting varies from one bookmaker to another. 

Also, due to the sport’s unique nature, wagering on golf can be a little more complex, especially to new bettors. Thankfully, our team of betting experts at Irishluck have great experience in this aspect and have provided a list of some of the most popular betting markets that you can enjoy when you bet on golf.

To Win Outright

Perhaps the most popular market you will come across in most sports betting sites when it comes to betting on golf is the outright winner of a tournament. This bet can also be called tournament winner bet, and it is prevalent during the main golfing events of the year like the PGA Championship, US Open, and other majors. It involves predicting and placing golf bets on the golfer that will win the trophy once the tournament has finished. For example, you can place a wager on who will win the next Open Championship, US Open, Race to Dubai, or the US Masters tournament. 

Due to the high number of tournament participants, which makes the outcome of golf events not entirely predictable, the odds in this market are usually more enticing as they come with bigger odds. Even the favourites to win will usually feature odds prices up to about 4/1 or more, which means that betting on the favourites to win could still earn a punter quite a sizeable amount.

Each-Way Bet

One simple truth about golf betting is that it can be quite challenging to predict outright winners accurately. This is because while some of the golfers on the field may have better chances of winning than others, each of the golfers teeing off on the field has a chance to be the outright winner. This is why the each-way bet is quite useful to punters. 

Placing an each-way bet is like putting two stakes simultaneously; a stake on the player to win the tournament and another equal stake on the same player to place in the tournament (i.e. finish in the top six positions). If the selected player finishes in the first position, the punter will receive the payouts for both bets. If the selected golfer doesn't finish in the first position but manages to be placed, the punter will only receive payouts for the place bet, and the place bet is usually 1/4th or 1/5th of the winning odds. 

However, this is solely at the discretion of bookmakers. You should note that what constitutes ‘place’ in golf betting depends on the bookmakers’ terms. Some will make the each-way bet valid for the top 6 positions, some for the top 5 positions, and others may even offer less. So, be sure to know the number of positions that your chosen site features before placing an each-way bet to prevent any disappointment.

Golf Match Betting

Another famous market in the golf betting system is Golf Matchup betting, also known as Head-to-Head betting. Before the start of any golfing tournament, online bookmakers would provide multiple head-to-head matchup pairing for some of the best players in each golfing tournament. So, the goal of the bet is for punters to pit one player against another to win the round or tournament. 

Now, the two golfers don't play against each other in the literal sense. What happens is that you have to predict which of the two matchup pairs will hit the lowest score. These bets are an excellent way for Irish punters to win some decent payouts while betting on golfing, as the market allows punters to leverage their knowledge about golfing and golf gambling.

Hole-in-One Betting

Hole-in-one is a popular term in golfing, referring to when a golfer manages to land the golf ball in the hole with just one shot. While this is quite rare in golf games and tournaments, many ace players manage to land it, which is why it is another popular betting market. In the hole-in-one betting market, punters will be able to place wagers on whether there will be a hole-in-one during a golf tournament. The best part is that you don’t have to choose a player to score the hole-in-one. So, the hole-in-one market is a straightforward market, where you will be able to select the whole field to land a hole-in-one at any time.

First Round Leader Betting

The first-round leader betting market is a golf betting system similar to the outright betting market when it comes to the golf odds offered and how it is placed. However, unlike the outright bets, this bet type does not involve who will win an entire golfing event. Instead, it involves punters placing wagers on who will be the leader at the end of the first round of a golfing tournament. 

Since the bet only counts toward the first round of golf tournaments, whatever happens after the first round does not matter with this bet. We should also mention that the ‘dead heat rule’ comes into effect with most bookmakers when there is a tie. This means that the payout for punters that make the accurate prediction will be halved.

Golf Prop Betting

Also known as proposition betting, prop betting is another popular form of golf betting system that Irish punters can use to bet on their favourite golfing tournaments. Prop bets are not your typical golf bets. They usually include any collection of bets that don't directly affect the general outcome of the golfing tournament. Some examples of props bets include;

• Will the tournament go to a playoff?

• How many strokes will the champion win by?

• Which golfers will have the best scores in any given round?

• Golfers that will miss the cut

As long as you can make the correct predictions, props bets can be an excellent way for you to have fun and enjoy some decent payouts. We should mention that unlike the common wagers you would usually find for every golf tournament, these types of bets are harder to come by, depending on the bookmaker of your choice.

Other Mentionable Betting Types in Golf

Aside from the ones we have explained, there are hundreds of other betting markets that you can use when betting on golf. Listed below are some of the other markets that deserve mention.

• Versus the field bets: This involves punters placing wagers on anyone else winning a golfing tournament except one or a few golfers.

• Nationality betting: It involves punters placing wagers on a player from a specific country winning a golf tournament. For example, if Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson are in a golf tournament, you can bet on the USA to win if you believe they have the best chances of winning. Alternatively, if you believe James Sugrue or Jonathan Yates have the best chances, you can pick Ireland to win. National betting also involves punters placing wagers on who they think will have the highest scores of those from a specific country.

• Top 5/10/20 Finish: This market involves Irish punters placing wagers on any golfer to finish within a certain number of positions.

• Six Shooter: This betting market is similar to the match betting market we explained earlier, except online bookmakers pair up to six golfers from the field with the Six Shooter market. You will need to choose one of the six golfers to win that group for your wager to be successful.

• Place Bets: This market involves punters placing wagers on a golfer to finish within a specific number of places, usually up to the top 5 for most sports betting sites.

• Betting on the cut: In this market, you will need to bet on whether you think a player will make the cut or not when the elimination time comes around.

Live Golf Betting

Live betting, also commonly referred to as in-play betting, is one of the most innovative forms of sports betting in recent years, and it is not left out of the golfing betting scene. You will be able to see the live-action of the competition and how the participating golfers are performing before you commit to any betting market. When it comes to how live betting works, it is a pretty simple process that involves placing bets in the same way as pre-tournament bets.

The only difference is that the golf betting odds are not static in live golf betting. Instead, they change from time to time, depending on what happens during the golfing tournament. Nowadays, any sports betting site worth its salt provides live betting services to its players. However, not all bookmakers' live betting services are the same. Some online betting sites offer better live golf betting services to their players when compared to others. For example, sites like Betfred, Ladbrokes, and many of the sports betting sites on our website feature some of the best live betting environments.

How to Bet on Golf

Now that you know how golf betting odds work and the popular golf bet types you can place on golf events, we should look at how to go about betting on golf. The content in this section covers a step by step instructions on how an Irish punter can go about the process from start to finish:

1. Sign up with a sports betting site: The first step to betting on golf is finding the right sportsbook for you if you don't already have one. Then create a player account with the site.

2. Fund your account: Like any other sports betting, golf betting requires the use of real money to place wagers. So, as soon as you successfully create an account with the betting website that catches your fancy, you need to fund the account by making a deposit.

3. Make your selections: This is where you will make your selection on the golf tournaments you are interested in. Here, you will need to navigate to the Golf sports section of the bookmakers and find the golf events that interest you. Then make your selection of bet markets or markets, as the case may be. As this is an essential part of the golf betting process, you should always do proper research and analysis before making any selections.

4. Do a final check: As you click the selection of matches and markets you want to wager on, then bets will be automatically added to your bet slip. Once you are done with all your selections, do a final check to make sure everything is as it should be as a mistake or error can be costly.

5. Add your stake: Once you are satisfied with your picks, enter the amount you want to wager and submit the bet slip. With the bet placed, you simply now need to sit back and watch the action unfold.

How Did We Select the Best Sites for Golf Betting

As we have mentioned earlier, there are plenty of options available to Irish punters when placing wagers on golf tournaments. That being said, one thing you should note about golf betting is that not every site offers the same experience. While one site may offer an incredible golf betting experience, another may not. This is why it is essential for Irish punters, especially the newbies, to be selective when choosing where to bet on golf. 

Here are some of the tips our team of betting experts at Irishluck concluded while selecting sites for you.

• Licensing: A valid gaming license shows that a golf betting site is legal and can provide golf betting services to Irish punters.

• Reputation: No punter wants to fall victim to the shenanigans of a bookmaker. So, before you choose, make sure the site has a good reputation in the betting world.

• Availability of Golf Betting: Although golf betting is pretty popular in many circles, not all sportsbooks offer it to their punters. So, the first thing you need to consider when choosing a site for golf gambling is whether or not the site provides golf betting.

• Competitive Odds: Market odds usually vary from one bookmaker to another, with the odds difference being significant for some. So, when you are making your choice, you should compare the odds on offer to find the very best golf betting odds.

• Golf Betting Market: Just as the odds offered by sports betting sites vary from one to another, golf betting markets are not the same for all bookmakers. Some sites provide a more comprehensive market coverage than others. So, keep an eye out for the site that offers all the possible varieties for golf gambling.

• Live/In-play betting: Live betting has become a popular feature that many Irish punters use to bet on golf today.

• Extra Features: Features like live streaming services, bet builder, early cash out, and many others have become an integral aspect of the online gaming experience. So, you should keep an eye out for sites that provide their players with these features.

• Bonuses and Promotions: One simple truth is that bonuses and promotions can be a great way for punters to have more fun when betting on golf.

Golf Betting Tips & Strategy

You need to know that, like any other sports betting, golf betting is a game of probabilities, and no betting strategy can guarantee a win in golf betting. This is because there are usually dozens of golfers on the field, each of whom has a chance of achieving victory in the tournaments, though some have better chances than others.

That being said, there are some golf betting tips and practices that can lead punters to success when they bet on golf. These tips don't guarantee wins, but they will give punters an edge and improve their chances of winning. 

Here are some golf betting tips that our team of betting experts at Irishluck believe will prove helpful to you when you bet on golf tournaments:

• Always assess a golfer’s form before you place a wager to see what condition they are in.

• Look at the golfer’s data, stats, previous results, previous performance, and anything that will help you gauge if the golfer stands a winning chance.

• Believe it or not, some golfers prefer one golf course to another and tend to perform better when they are on their preferred course. So, make sure to study the course being used before placing your wagers.

• Make sure to always do thorough and detailed research on any market before you place your bets.

• Look for value in market odds and not quantity. This means that you need to look out for outcomes that have higher chances of winning than those that just feature attractive odds.

• Don’t get greedy with your wagers.

• Stay informed on golf news to be up to date on different golf and golf betting world events.

• Take advantage of the different golf betting markets and don't stick to the outright winner bets alone.                                                                                                                                                    

Closing Thoughts

At this point, we have come to the end of our Golf Betting guide, and we are confident that with this, any Irish punter will have an easy time betting on golf tournaments. Golf betting will remain a staple in the Irish sports betting community, and as the golf industry keeps progressing, the golf betting scene in the country will also keep improving.

References

• Golf In Ireland

•  PGA Tour, Tournaments