It’s exciting to see online golf betting in Virginia because golf is one of the most diverse betting markets in all of sports.
From betting on who will win outright to who will score lowest among a group of golfers, to props on whether any golfer can hit a hole-in-one or how many birdies will be scored on a specific hole, Virginia online sportsbooks have an amazing range of options for most PGA, European Tour, and LPGA events.
Four-round golf tournaments begin with 75-plus golfers and Virginia sportsbooks will let you bet on all the action in a variety of ways. Here’s what you need to know about betting on golf in Virginia.
Best Virginia Sportsbooks To Bet on Golf
We’ll break down all the top golf betting apps in the state, the ways you can place golf bets online, and how to find your biggest edges.
Latest Odds and Lines for Golf in Virginia
Betting on golf isn’t all that different from betting on other sports. It’s just that there are more betting opportunities than most. Most golf bets are listed in moneyline odds. Here’s a look at the basic golf bets available in Virginia.
- Win: Pick a golfer to win a tournament. Lock in the bet at currently posted moneyline odds that will change alongside that golfer’s chances.
- Against the field: Pick a golfer over a group of other golfers or against the entire field. Or take the group or the field against that golfer.
- Finishing position: Pick a golfer to finish in the top five, 10, or 20 at reduced odds compared to win bets.
- Matchups: Pick one golfer to finish better than another. Lock in the bet and get paid if your pick scores lower.
- Groups: Pick a golfer to finish best in a group of four or more. Book the bet and get paid if your pick posts the lowest score.
- 2/3 balls: Pick one golfer to finish best in a group of three. Book the bet and get paid if your pick posts the lowest score.
- Each way: Pick one golfer to finish in the top three, four, or five.
- First-round leader: Pick the golfer who will lead after the first round of a tournament. Book the bet and get paid if your pick is the first-round leader.
- Nationality: Pick the nationality of the golfer who wins. Book the bet and get paid if the winning golfer is from the country you picked.
Best Majors Odds Boosts
Betting on Golf Live
Live golf betting is the evolution of traditional golf betting. It allows you to bet on basic golf markets in the middle of an event at odds that change with the action. Live golf betting also opens up even more golf betting markets than before a tournament, as you can bet on the next hole or even the next shot.
Access to official tournament data makes live golf betting possible. Sportsbooks use this data to define the live golf odds on various shots, holes, and rounds. League data shouldn’t be a problem in Virginia, as the law mandates that all sportsbooks utilize it for wagering.
It all moves pretty fast, which makes live golf betting perfect for Virginia sports betting apps. Most PGA Tour events run Thursday through Sunday, so you’ll have a full four days of live betting markets that you can indulge in.
Golf Futures
Golf futures are the easiest way to bet on golf action. Most surround the sport’s four majors, which traditionally happen in this order:
- The Masters
- The PGA Championship
- The US Open
- The Open Championship (British Open)
Sportsbooks will post the odds on all the top golfers to win one of these four tournaments well ahead of the events. You simply pick a golfer to win one and lock in the bet at the current odds.
The futures odds are adjusted throughout the season, but you lock them in when you bet, which means the earlier you place a bet on a real favorite, the better the price usually is. Virginia sportsbooks may also post futures markets surrounding the PGA Tour’s FedExCup.
Golf Props
Golf also features an active prop bet market that lets you bet on all kinds of things outside of who will win an event or finish the highest. That means bets on things like:
- Will there be a hole-in-one?
- How many combined birdies or bogies will be hit on a particular hole?
- Will a golfer post a bogey-free round?
Prop markets are often specific to individual Virginia sportsbooks, so you can shop around for specific props and prices on bets you like. Ask any question about a golf tournament, and you can probably book a golf prop for it.
Betting on Golf Majors
The golf season surrounds the sport’s four major championships: the Masters, the PGA Championship, the Open Championship, and the US Open. These events are generally held in that order in April, May, June, and July, respectively. Each attracts worldwide media attention and more betting action than other golf tournaments throughout the year.
Virginia online sportsbooks will go beyond basic golf bets when it comes to the majors, offering an increased slate of props, live betting, and traditional betting options.
Below is a look at the schedule for golf’s four majors.
The Masters
The Masters is traditionally the first major of the season and golf’s most popular tournament. It is scheduled for April 6-9, 2023.
First held in 1934, it is always held on the traditional course at Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA. Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters at -10 to win his first green jacket.
The PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is usually held a month after the Masters. The next edition is scheduled for May 18-21, 2023.
It’ll be held at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. Justin Thomas is the defending champion after he won a three-hole playoff over Will Zalatoris in 2022.
The US Open
The US Open is traditionally held on one of the toughest golf courses in the US and is viewed by many to be the most difficult to win.
The next US Open is scheduled for June 15-18, 2023, at The Los Angeles Country Club in LA. Matt Fitzpatrick outpaced Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by a single stroke to win the 2022 edition.
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, also known as the British Open, is held in the UK on a traditional links course with deep rough.
The 2023 Open Championship is scheduled for Royal Liverpool Golf Course in England from July 20-23, 2023. Cameron Smith is the defending champ, while Cameron Young finished second at the last edition.
The PGA in Virginia
There are no PGA Tour events scheduled to take place in Virginia as a part of the 2022-23 PGA schedule. The state hosts a Champions Tour stop, however. The Dominion Energy Charity Classic takes place Oct. 21-23 at The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond.
The PGA did hold the Virginia Beach Open for three years in the mid-1950s at the Cavalier Yacht & Country Club in Virginia Beach. Plus, several early Presidents Cup competitions were held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Prince William County.
How To Earn Bonus Bets on Golf
As they have all across the country, online sportsbooks in Virginia should launch with a number of bonus bet offers. Bonus bets give you the chance to bet up to a certain amount of money and collect any winnings normally.
However, if you lose these bets, sportsbooks will refund you in site credit. You can use this site credit to bet again, giving you a second chance. For more information, see the details of the bonus offer that the particular sportsbook is offering.
How to Follow Your Golf Bets Online
You can follow most PGA Tour events on TV, but live streaming golf on the internet goes more in-depth, allowing you to follow all your golf bets even more closely.
The PGA’s own PGA Tour Live product allows you to stream live golf, watch specific groups and get 10-minute condensed speed round coverage of certain golfers. It’s the key to watching every shot by every player in all four rounds of many events and closely watching the outcome of all your PGA bets.
Golf Betting Tips
The key to making winning golf bets is to turn semi-educated guesses into informed picks by doing your homework. That means consuming as much as you can about golf before you bet. The following factors should be considered when developing your golf betting system:
- Look at the recent performance of the game’s top golfers, skill sets, and the course and conditions.
- Diversify and take advantage of the usually long golf odds by betting on more than one golfer in multiple golf betting markets.
- Study golf and develop your own golf picks rather than paying for someone else’s.
- Understand all the rules surrounding any golf bets you decide to make.
Golf betting FAQ
Golf uses a par scoring system. Par is set for each hole and the entire 18-hole course. Scoring is based on the number of strokes taken compared to par. Most tournaments are played over four rounds, with the lowest score in relation to par winning.
For example, Tiger Woods shot 70, 68, 67 and 70 to win the 2019 Masters at the Par 72 Augusta course. That means he shot -13 to win his fifth green jacket.
Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors throughout his illustrious career, a PGA Tour record. He won six Masters, five PGA Championships, four US Opens and three British Opens. Nicklaus’ last major win came at the 1986 Masters.
Tiger Woods is second to Nicklaus with 15 majors. He won the 2019 Masters to get within three major titles of Nicklaus’ record 18.
There are also majors in women’s golf. Patty Berg has won the most with 15 majors. Mickey Wright is second with 13.
Those two played in the 1960s and 1950s. Swedish pro Annika Sorenstam has the most majors in the modern era with 10, although she’s retired now as well. South Korea’s Inbee Park has won the most majors among active LPGA players, with seven.
Like many sports, it depends on what types of bets you are placing. For example, picking the outright winner of a golf tournament is a tricky and high-variance endeavor.
However, there are lower-variance options in golf like head-to-heads if you aren’t excited about placing wagers on winners with low odds for a big payday. Newcomers to golf betting might want to focus first on props and match-ups before moving on to outrights and futures.
Golf pairing betting or matchup wagering is about picking one of two golfers in a pair to finish better than the other. Bets on the golfer who scores lowest or finishes best at the end of the tournament are winners. If one of the golfers in the pair misses the cut, the other one wins. If both miss the cut, the golfer with the lowest score wins.
You book these bets at currently posted moneyline odds and get paid if your golfer wins the matchup. Who wins the entire tournament is of no consequence.
Greenies are awarded to golfers who make a green in regulation and make par or better. If competing golfers both make a green in regulation, whoever is closer to the pin has the chance to win the greenie. Sandies are awarded to players who get up and down out of a bunker. In other words, they make par or better after hitting the ball in a bunker.
Betting on greenies and sandies may be available during certain PGA events.