The List

Below is a small write-up on each of the books that are used for betting purposes on this site. They have been grouped according to the betting market and ranked in order of the number of times they have been cited for official plays since the start of the 2002 season. This should give a clear indication of which books are the best for golf betting.

BETTING EXCHANGES

1. Betfair
   When people talk of "The Exchanges" they're invariably talking about Betfair. Has far and away the largest turnover out of them all, probably several times all the rest put together, and the only benefit of the others seems to be that someone occasionally offers the odd decent price. Is open for business 24 hours a day and they cover an incredible amount of sports from all over the world. The main appeal of Betfair is that you often get better odds to back a selection than any of the traditional bookmakers are offering, and you can also choose to lay a selection you think will not do so well. Customers start off having to pay 5% commission on all their winning bets, an amount widely perceived to be too high, but to be honest it is worth it to be able to bet in this way.

SPREAD BETTING

1. Sporting Index / Bet HiLo
   Sporting Index are the biggest Spread Betting company and to be honest they do lead the way in Golf especially. They are usually first up with prices and have recently introduced a system whereby they put up a list of around 15-20 players and you can pick and choose your own selection(s) to back or oppose. Also the firm with the most novel markets when bigger events are being played. Full online trading available 24 hours a day and U.S. residents can have an account in U.S. dollars.
   
   Bet HiLo are a low risk option within the Sporting Index group whereby you can bet to much lower stakes. Excellent option for those who are unsure or do not have the funds to back to the minimum's required normally. Note that most bets advised with Sporting should normally be available at Bet HiLo.
    
2. IG Sport
   The 2nd biggest and the firm most likely of the remainder to take a view that differs from Sporting Index and stick to it whilst it is prudent to do so. Online trading is available but only during office hours
    
3. Spreadex
   Smaller outfit but not shy in taking a big position financially. One advantage in backing with them and something we may use periodically is that if you place 3 bets with them you can have a fourth "spread free". That can sometimes be the difference between a trade ignored and one taken that we perceive as value. Online trading unavailable just now but is being looked at. You can access your account details online but you cannot trade.
    
4. Cantor Spreadfair
   Offshoot of the large financial institution, critics would say they don't give the sports arm of their business as much time as their financial and therefore are unlikely to go out on a limb against the other firms on a price. Having placed less bets with them than the other four during my time spread betting would suggest this is partly true. Online trading (like IG) is only available when the office is open.
   In June 2004, Cantor opened up Cantor Spreadfair, which is an exchange alternative to spread betting along the lines of Betfair being an alternative to traditional firms. A guide to Cantor Spreadfair is available in the "spread betting guide" in the tab to the left. Prices will almost always be better at Cantor Spreadfair than they are at Cantor Sport themselves due to the very nature of the product. If the price is also more competitive than the other 3 firms and there is sufficient liquidity then we will advise placing a bet here up to a break point, at which it will then become more value to place elsewhere.
    
5. SportsSpread
   Dublin based firm who offer full online trading when the office is closed. Do tend to price up golf markets a little differently, indices can have different scoring, for example. However, their major difference is that their 72H scoring system is different from the other four, but this will be highlighted as and when we advise a bet with them
   
   Update 18/05/04:- Today, SportsSpread closed my account as I was "winning too much". It is a compliment I suppose but this site always backs the advices given on here and we can therefore no longer advise plays at this bookmaker. It is of course not advisable to promote a firm that will close down winning accounts so for these reasons we will no longer advise any plays from them. (Andy)
    

OUTRIGHTS AND MATCHUPS

1. Unibet
   A very appropriate site sponsor in 2008 as few other books offer such comprehensive golf coverage. In addition to live betting on a PGA or European Tour event each week, they offer win, place-only and tournament matchup odds for eight different Tours and they offer round-to-round coverage of the PGA, European, LPGA, Champions, European Challenge and Nationwide Tours as well. No-one else offers that much coverage on a round-to-round basis.
    
2. Five Dimes
   The best golf book for matchups by far. Has limited outright offers with win-only and top-5-place for the PGA and European Tour, but just won-only for the Champions and LPGA Tours. However, it is terms of their 72-hole and 18-hole matchups that there is no equal. No other book provides as man different matchups for each Tour as Five Dimes. They did remove their xml feed in 2006 which meant that the Five Dimes matchups did not appear in the matchup listings on this site, however this has now been rectified and they will be re-included in 2008.
    
3. SkyBet
   Excellent outright offers (win-only, each-way and place-only to both 5 and 10 places) for the PGA and European Tours each week, including live betting on both Tours, plus they offer outright odds for the widest range of Tours of any book. Very impressive effort! Matchup odds are only offered for the PGA and European Tour, though.
    
4. BetInternet
   Notable firstly for offering six places each week in their PGA and European Tour outright markets, though are rather inconsistent in offering them each week. They also cover the LPGA and Champions Tours with outright odds, but no matchups. However, the odds are generally better than most and always offer good place terms.
    
5. Stan James / BetDirect
   Very good coverage of the main Tours each week, including the Champions and LPGA Tours and has added the Nationwide Tour as a regular market in 2007. Plus, they are usually one of the first to price up events. They offer 5 places at 1/4 win odds for all the Tours, plus top-10 place betting for the PGA and European Tours.
    
6. Centrebet
   Very good golf coverage with outright betting (win-only and place-only) for the main Tours each week, including the Champions and LPGA Tours, and offer a limited number of matchups for each Tour. The place-only odds are rarely competitive though as they usually no better than 1/5 the win odds.
    
7. Expekt
   Cover the PGA, European, LPGA and Champions Tours will win-only and place-only odds, usually at 1/5 the win-only odds. Can always be counted upon to provide matchups at competitive odds for all four Tours, unlike others, and with ties void in tournament matchups.
    
8. Ladbrokes
   Offer outright and matchup betting for the PGA and European Tours and also offer outright betting for the LPGA and Champions Tour. Their odds are not particularly competitive on the main Tours, but they are prepared to lay bigger bets than many firms and do hold their prices for longer.
    
9. VCbet
   Good coverage of the PGA, European, Champions and LPGA Tours, with outright odds for all four Tours and distinctive handicap-only matchups for the first two, which makes them inappropriate for the matchup listings on this site. They have earned a reputation for offering good odds on the longshots for the PGA and European Tours, but there is generally little to distinguish them from others in the Champions and LPGA Tour markets.
    
10. Sportingbet
    Good coverage of the PGA and European Tours with a healthy offering of matchups and they are generally one of the first to price up events each week, which can make for good early odds. Have gradually started to cover other Tours as well, with the LPGA, Champions and Nationwide Tours now covered regularly.
     
11. Bet365
    Offer outright betting for a large number of Tours each week, including some of the minor Tours such as the European Challenge, European Senior and Japan Tour, as well as offer a limited range of matchups for the PGA and European Tours as well. Prices and matchups are not particularly unique, but their golf coverage is impressive.
     
12. William Hill
    Offer outright betting for the Champions and LPGA Tours as well as the PGA and European Tours. Prices are not particularly competitive, but they now offer 5 places on the Champions and LPGA Tours and so have this become the industry norm for these Tours.
     
13. Pinnacle
    Only offer win-only odds in the outrights, but they make up for this in terms of matchups. They consistently offer unique matchups for the PGA, European, Champions and LPGA Tours, which at 10-cent lines and no ties are the best on offer for this Tours, plus they offer 18-hole matchups for the PGA Tour. Surprisingly closed their doors to American customers on 11th January 2007, though hopefully their refocus towards European markets will encourage them to offer place betting odds as well.
     
14. Paddy Power
    Cover the four main Tours - PGA, European, Champions and LPGA - though largely only offer matchups for the PGA and European Tours. They were one of the first to offer a weekly 'top-10' betting market for the PGA Tour and occasionally offer six places in each-way betting so, together with their frequent propositions such as 'all losing outright bets will be refunded if your selection finishes ahead of Tiger Woods', they are a useful golf out.
     
15. BlueSq
    Have increased their golf coverage to include not only the PGA and European Tours, but also the LPGA and Champions Tour on a regular basis. Their outright odds are generally quite competitive, though the number of matchups offered each week is rather small.
     
16. BetFred
    Solid book with a good range of each-way, place-only and matchup offerings for the PGA, European, Champions and LPGA Tours, including the option of 6 places at 1/5 win odds for the first two Tours. Matchups for the latter two Tours is a particularly attractive feature that is not widely available.
     
17. The Greek
    Have significantly increased the golf coverage over recent years, with the biggest expansion taking place in 2007. Offer win-only, top-5 and top-10 markets for the PGA and European Tours as well as win-only (and sometimes top-5) markets for virtually all the Tour events taking place that week as well as matchups for most of them. This is a major and most welcome expansion, though the ruling in matchups that the winner is the player with the most birdies is unusual and causes confusion
     
18. ToteSport
    Began a major overhaul of their golf coverage in 2006 and is now one of the most comprehensive on the internet with regular weekly coverage of the PGA, European, Champions, LPGA and Nationwide Tours, plus occasional other Tour events as well. The focus does tend to be heavily upon outright markets and little upon matchups, though.
     
19. Boyle Sports
    Significant primarily for occasionally offering 6 places at 1/4 win odds on the PGA Tour each week. Returned to The List in 2005 after being cited extensively in 2003, but removed after claims that they were quick to close down winning accounts. Offer outright and matchup markets for the PGA and European Tours as well as outright markets for the Champions and LPGA Tour.
     
20. Coral
    Standard range of outright and matchups offerings for the PGA and European Tour, but other Tours rarely being covered. Odds not particularly competitive, though there does tend to be better value in their 18-hole match odds.
     
21. Carib
    Cover the PGA Tour with win-only outrights, plus a small selection of 72-hole matchups and 18-hole matchups each day. There are also 72-hole matchups for the European Tour, but no other coverage for this Tour.
     
22. WSEX
    Only cover the PGA Tour with win-only outright betting, though the 'interactives' (similar to spread betting win indices) are a novel market. Do offer unique matchups on the PGA Tour, but the matches are posted very late in the week and the prices are very quick to move and eliminate any value.
     
23. Intertops
    Offer win-only and place-only outright odds on the PGA and European Tour, though these are generally poor value, However, they do offer 72-hole matchups for both Tours and these are much more competitive and unique. They do have a strange ruling for matchups though: in the event of a tie, the player with the lowest final round is declared the winner; if still tied, the winner is the player with the lowest penultimate round and so on.
     
24. IASbet 
    Well-established Australian sportsbook that merged with Canbet to open up its client base and sports coverage to a global market. Offer win, place, each-way and matchup betting for the PGA and European Tours, but rarely anything else.