Have you been hunting for a new game to play when out with your golf buddies?
Maybe something you guys can take as seriously – or as on seriously – as you like, whether or not there’s any money on the line?
If so, Animals is right up your alley.
The whole idea of this golf game is to have a great time while encouraging players to be a little more aggressive, have smart course management, and sharpen their game with a little extra competition.
Below we run through (almost) everything you need to know about the Animals golf game so that you can play it the next time you get a foursome together.
How to Play the Animals Golf Game
The Animals golf game is really pretty simple and straightforward.
The traditional game of “Animals” is played with seven different creatures representing different mistakes that can all be made on the golf course.
For example, you might have:
- Frog – A ball in a water hazard
- Camel – A ball in a sand trap
- Mole – Taking two or more shots to get out of the sand
- Snake – Three or more putts on the green
- Woodchuck – A ball lost in the woods
- Gorilla – A ball that lands out of bounds
- Kitten – A ball that doesn’t make it past the ladies’ tee box
Every time one of these mistakes is made, a player gets to “own” the animal until the next time a player makes the same mistake. The animal is then transferred to that golfer, over and over, until the round is done.
That’s when the total animals each golfer has at the end of the round are totaled up and winners (and losers) are announced.
How to Score the Animals Golf Game
Scoring animals is really simple and straightforward, mostly because these animals are always on the move.
Just as an example, let’s say that a player hits their approach shot on the second hole right into a pond.
Five holes later, another player gets unlucky and hooks a drive into the lake.
The frog “jumps” from the original player to the new player – and will again if anybody finds themselves wet.
For every animal that a golfer has at the end of the round they get a single point. The player with the least amount of points at the end of the game is the winner, and the player with the most amount of points might have to buy everybody else a round at the 19th hole.
How to Win the Animals Golf Game
Winning the game of Animals is pretty simple and straightforward – so long as you can play a controlled round of golf.
Sometimes that’s the hardest thing in the world to pull off successfully.
Play Aggressive Golf When You Need To
For one thing, Animals really rewards consistent and “safe” play most of the time.
Every now and again, though, you are going to have to let it rip and take a shot that you might not have otherwise tried.
Maybe you are boxed in on all sides with a bunch of woods and you don’t want to get a woodchuck.
Maybe the green is surrounded with bunkers and you know that if you miss your shot even just a little bit you are going to be coming out of the round with a camel (at least).
Maybe there’s a really narrow fairway and you don’t want to catch a gorilla right before you go into the clubhouse.
This is going to change the way you play and you have to be comfortable getting more aggressive when the round calls for it.
Course Management is Huge
Course management, though, is a huge piece of the puzzle – not just in the game of Animals, but in the game of golf in general.
You know from the jump that you have to play as mistake free a round as possible. Even just a couple of hiccups here or there will send you spiraling down the scoreboard.
Be smart.
Layup, take a little less club than you might have otherwise, and play to your advantages while taking what your shots give you.
You’ll end up being a much smarter golfer when you have a couple of rounds of Animals under your belt.
Dial in That Short Game!
When you get right down to it, the overwhelming majority of mistakes made in the game of golf (the majority of points scored in the game of Animals) are going to happen 75 yards and in to the pin.
You need to lean on your short game if you are going to win Animals consistently.
Just look at all the different ways you can get new animals. Landing in a sand trap, taking a lot of time to get out of the sand trap, three putting, landing in the water – it goes on and on.
Dial in your short game and you’ll have a lot less to worry about when you play Animals.