Golf Games: Bingo Bango Bongo or Bingle Bangle Bungle

Bingo Bango Bongo probably is one of the most-played side games in golf because it can give players with uneven skills sets a chance to compete evenly. For the game, each hole is worth three points. The first point—“Bingo”—goes to the player who first hits the green on that hole. The second point—“Bango”—goes to the player who is closest to the pin after all have finally landed on the green. A third point—“Bongo”—is awarded to the player who first puts the ball in the hole.

It’s important in this game to play in the proper order. The player who has the shortest tee shot (presumably the weaker player) will then have the first shot at Bingo on the green. A player who misses Bingo and the green may actually have the best chance at Bango with a nice chip toward the hole. Similarly, the person furthest from the hole will have the first crack at Bongo.

Because of the game’s format, the worst player in a group can actually score quite well. After hitting the shortest driver, he then has first crack at Bingo. If he misses the green, he has a legitimate shot at Bango. If the chip wasn’t good, he’ll then be in a position to take Bongo.

Bingo Bango Bongo does not often get played as a high stakes game. A bet that I’ve often seen with this game is five cents a point, so that the most anyone would lose is $2.70.