Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles)
Rules for "golf pool" played with skittles.
NOTE: This game differs from standard golf pool rules, which is played without skittles.
Golf pool (with skittles) is best played with about 3-4 players as the number of balls on the table grows by 2 for each player and can get a little challenging with 5 or 6 players simultaneously playing for the same hole. Naturally, this is a game of finesse and a light touch.
The game, at the time, was played on a full-size snooker table.
The golf "holes" are numbered 1 through 6, with hole 1 being at the bottom left pocket of the table and then sequentially going clockwise around the pockets.
Each player would take a pair of colored balls from a stripes and solids set (using the smaller diameter balls suitable for a snooker table), and the stripe would be that player's cue ball, while the solid of the same color would be that player's object ball. Like in conventional golf, each shot by a player counts as a stroke, and the player with fewest combined strokes and penalties wins the match.
Each player takes turns by initially placing his object ball on the black ball spot of the table, and his cue ball within the "D". The player must make his cue ball contact his object ball without first making contact with any other ball on the table, and failing that, the player fouls. Additionally, either the player's cue ball, or object ball must also make at least one carom off a rail either before or after the cue ball contacts the object ball, and failing that, the player fouls.
Other Fouls:
- Pocketing the cue ball into any of the holes, or the object ball into the wrong hole is considered a foul.
- Inadvertently knocking down any of the skittles is also considered a foul.
When a player fouls, he must pick up his balls off the table and wait until it's his turn again and then replace the balls into their default starting positions (object ball on black ball spot, cue ball within the "D"). When spotting the ball on the black ball spot of the snooker table, if that spot is already occupied (even partially), place your object ball as close as possible to the obstruction (ball or skittle) but nearer to the top rail.
A simple foul occurring due to not striking the ball correctly is assessed one penalty "stroke".
Knocking down any of the skittles adds a stroke for any of the white skittles knocked down, and 3 strokes for any black skittles knocked down. The penalties for knocking down skittles are cumulative so knocking down a white and black on the same shot results in a 4 stroke penalty.
The penalties are also cumulative for both failing to strike the ball correctly and knocking down skittles, so failing to make a carom and knocking down a white skittle on the same shot results in a 2-stroke penalty.
Any skittles knocked down in the course of play are to be set standing again where they fell, not where their default spot would be.
When a player legally pockets the object ball (by first making a carom with the cue ball) and without subsequently knocking down any of the skittles or otherwise fouling, the player completes that hole, and is allowed to move to the next hole, even if other players are still playing on that hole.
When the last player completes the last hole, the "strokes" are tallied and the player with the lowest overall total wins.
Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles)
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Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles) History
I used to play these specific Skittles pool rules with a group of friends but I don't believe this was a set of rules invented by that friend group—I suspect these rules exist, officially, somewhere.
I'm hoping someone else has played this variation of the game and can confirm my somewhat hazy recollection of the rules as I've outlined here.
The official Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles) are predominently observed in North America.
How to Play Golf Pool (with Skittles)
- Title: Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles)
- Author: cesinco
- Published: 4/12/2025 6:27:53 PM
- Last Updated: 4/13/2025 7:30:35 AM
- Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
- Source: Submitted by a Billiards Forum Member
Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles)
The Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles) article belongs to the Obstacle Billiards Rules category. Obstacle billiards is a class of billiard games that are played with various obstacles on the table.
Golf Pool Rules (with Skittles) Comments
billiardsforum from Halifax, NS on 3/15/2025 8:38:42 AM@cesinco - Thanks for taking the time to spell out the detailed rules by which you played.
Yes, I too suspect that those rules exist somewhere.
What era would you have played that game, roughly? e.g. 1980s, 1990s, 2000s?
We have a set of [rules for playing golf pool](/pool-rules/golf-pool-billiards-rules "Rules for Playing Golf Pool) on this site, but they were written in 2008, back when I didn't record any info about the source. They don't mention the use of skittles anywhere.
Not sure if those are close to what you described above (haven't had time to compare yet). If not, I'm happy to publish a page with the rules based on what you wrote above.
I also have a few sets of rules for Golf Billiards in the to-do list for publishing, but none of those mention the use of skittles either.
If you happen to come across the official rules for the game you played in the meanwhile, please do share them!
cesinco from Boca Raton, FL on 3/17/2025 11:53:46 AM
I honestly don't know if I will ever find the "official rules" since this was a game I only ever played with that specific group of friends.
I'd be happy to make my recollection as the "official" set of rules (and honestly, it's very close - I'm just not sure about the placement of the skittles on the table and their penalty point values, although white was certainly only a penalty of a single stroke).
I am confident of everything else about the rules (sequence of play, caroms, etc.) as I wrote them down.
The only thing I didn't mention is how to choose the order of players - but there are many ways to do that including drawing cards, or playing "closest to the back rail of a carom", etc.
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