What are greenies, sandies and barkies in golf?
Junk — also called dots — are small side bets for good things that happen during a round: birdies, eagles, greenies, sandies, barkies and chip-ins. Here is what each one means and how dots are paid.
The common junk
Each piece of junk is worth a dot (an eagle is usually worth two). Groups pick which ones they play before the round.
| Junk | How you earn it | Dots |
|---|---|---|
| Birdie | One under par on a hole | 1 |
| Eagle | Two under par on a hole | 2 |
| Greenie | On a par 3, closest to the pin with your tee shot, then make par or better | 1 |
| Sandy | Get up and down from a bunker for par or better | 1 |
| Barkie | Hit a tree and still make par or better | 1 |
| Chip-in | Hole a shot from off the green | 1 |
The par-or-better rule
Greenies, sandies and barkies only count if you finish the hole in par or better. Hit the closest tee shot on a par 3 and three-putt for bogey, and the greenie is void.
Only one greenie is awarded per par 3. Birdies and eagles come straight from the score.
Paying out dots
Dots are settled against the group. Each player collects their dots from every other player and pays for everyone else's, so with four players and $1 dots, a player with 5 dots in a group that made 12 in total is up (4 × 5 − 12) × $1 = $8.
Doing this on BirdieConnect
BirdieConnect counts birdies and eagles from the scores automatically. Tap greenies, sandies, barkies and chip-ins as they happen; ones that do not hold up are shown as void if the score is over par. Dots are totalled for everyone and folded into the settle-up with your other games.
Common questions
- What is a greenie in golf?
- On a par 3, the player whose tee shot finishes on the green closest to the pin wins the greenie — as long as they then make par or better.
- What is a sandy?
- Getting up and down from a greenside bunker for par or better.
- What is a barkie?
- Making par or better on a hole where your ball hit a tree.
- Can you play junk with other games?
- Yes. Junk is almost always played alongside something else, such as a Nassau, Skins or Wolf.