The full rules

How to play Shoreputt

Beach golf, built for low tide. Find firm sand, set up a hole, and draw your course. Count your shots on each hole, then compare shot counts to award points. The lowest total wins.

A golf hole above three optional Wi-Fi sand berms, with ocean waves below. Optional

Set up the hole

  1. Choose a spot on firm, hard-packed sand near low tide.
  2. Dig a hole with the included shovel and insert the Shoreputt cup.
  3. Add the flag so everyone can see the target.

Add Wi-Fi, if you like

Use the sand you dug out to build a small, curved berm behind the cup on the downhill side. It acts as a backstop for putts rolling toward the water. Add more arcs if the beach is sloped. These optional sand berms are called Wi-Fi.

Draw a scoreboard nearby. Write each player’s name and leave room to record their points after each hole.

A golf ball inside a horseshoe tee box, with an arrow showing play through the open end.

Pick a tee box

On the first hole, the first player chooses the hole location and starting area. After that, the winner of the previous hole chooses the next hole location and tee box.

Draw a horseshoe or three-sided boundary in the sand. Everyone starts inside it and hits out through the open end, as shown by the arrow.

There are no fixed distances or permanent tee boxes. Make the next hole short, long, straight, or challenging. The beach is your course.

If players tie for the win, the one who played earlier in the previous hole’s order chooses the next hole and tee box.

Three golf balls at different distances from the hole.

Alternate shots

  • First hole: tee off in age order.
  • Later holes: the winner of the previous hole goes first. The remaining players follow from lowest to highest total points for the round.
  • Tied players: keep their relative order from the previous hole.

Once a hole starts, keep that order until everyone finishes. Take one shot per turn and skip anyone who has already holed out. Distance from the cup does not change whose turn it is.

The previous winner gets to choose the next challenge, but must play first. Everyone else gets a look at how the hole plays.

A dashed putting path leads to a golf ball dropping into the cup.

Drain your putt

Count every shot until your ball is in the cup. When everyone finishes, group players by their shot count, from lowest to highest. Each distinct shot count sets a points tier, regardless of how many players share it.

  • The lowest shot count earns 0 points for every player in that tier.
  • The next distinct shot count earns 1 point, the next earns 2 points, and all remaining shot counts earn 3 points.
  • Players with the same shot count earn the same points. Count the distinct lower shot counts, not the number of players who beat you.
Example: scoring one hole
PlayerShotsPoints
Player A20
Player B20
Player C41
Player D52

Here, the shot-count tiers are 2, 4, and 5. Players A and B share the lowest tier, so both earn 0 points. Player C earns 1 point for the next tier, even though two players took fewer shots. Player D earns 2 points for the third tier. The gap from 2 to 4 shots does not add an extra points tier.

Record each player’s points on the scoreboard. No one earns more than 3 points on a hole.

Play the beach as it lies

Leave the lie alone

Water, shells, seaweed, footprints, slopes, and sand ridges are part of the course. Play your ball where it stops. Do not move it or smooth the sand to improve your next shot.

Stymies are legal

If another player’s ball blocks your line, you may hit it with your shot. Use it as a backstop, knock it farther away, or help it toward the hole. Leave displaced balls where they finish.

Finish the round

Play as many holes as you like; nine is a good starting point. At the end, add up each player’s points. The lowest total wins.

Then jump in the ocean or set up another round.

Low tide. Firm fairways. Good company.

1. Set Up the Course

Choose your hole. Find a spot on firm, hard-packed sand near low tide. Use the included shovel to dig a hole, insert the Shoreputt cup, and add the flag.

Add a Wi-Fi backstop (optional). Use the sand you dug out to build a small, curved berm between the hole and the ocean. This helps stop putts from rolling into the water. Add more berms if needed on sloped beaches. These optional sand barriers are called Wi-Fi.

Draw your scoreboard. In the sand nearby, write each player's name and leave room to record points after every hole.

2. Choose your tee box

The youngest player goes first and chooses where to start. They draw a horseshoe or three-sided boundary in the sand to mark the tee box (this is where you place the ball). Everyone starts inside the boundary and putts out through the open end.

Make each hole as short, long, straight, or challenging as you like. You can even add obstacles using shells or beach accessories!

3. take turns putting

On the first hole, the youngest player putts first. Everyone else follows in the same order until all players have holed out.

On every following hole:

  • The winner of the previous hole chooses the next starting location and putts first. 
  • Everyone else follows in order of their total points for the round, from lowest to highest (If your score is lower you will go sooner in the lineup).
  • If players are tied, the person that is furthest left on the scoreboard goes first.************

Take one putt per turn. Once your ball is in the cup, you're done for that hole. Skip players who have already finished, and keep the same playing order until everyone has holed out.

Notice: Play the ball as it lies! If the ocean tries to sweep your ball away, play on! Stymies are also in play, meaning if your ball is in the path of another player's ball, they can hit your ball during their shot.

4. count your shots and earn points

Count your strokes on each hole and compare scores with the other players. THIS IS IMPORTANT (and not just for smack-talking purposes.) Your points are based on where you finish relative to the other players, not the actual number of strokes you take.

  • Fewest shots: 0 points
  • Next-lowest shot count: 1 point
  • Third-lowest shot count: 2 points
  • Fourth-lowest shot count and beyond: 3 points

Players who take the same number of shots earn the same points. Each distinct shot count creates a new points tier, regardless of how many players share a tier.

No player can earn more than 3 points per hole.

Example: Four players finish a hole:

  • John takes 2 shots and earns 0 points.
  • Sam takes 4 shots and earns 1 point.
  • Karen takes 4 shots and earns 1 point.
  • Susie takes 5 shots and earns 2 points.

Notice: the points are 0,1,1,2 and are not 0,2,2,3.

Record everyone's points on the scoreboard. Remember: the goal is to keep your points low!

5. choose the next hole

After each hole, the winner chooses the next tee box. They can make the next hole easy, challenging, or add an obstacle for fun! *Option to move the hole to a new location.

The previous hole's winner must putt first on the new hole, giving everyone else a chance to see how the challenge plays out.

If players tie for the lowest score on a hole, the younger player???????  chooses the next hole and tee box.

Repeat Steps 3–5 for as many holes as you like.

6. Win the Game!

Play as many holes as you like - nine holes is a great starting point.

At the end of the round, add up each player's points across all holes. The player with the lowest total score wins!

Then, jump in the ocean or set up another round!