Ghost

With three real players, one (usually the highest handicap) partners with the Ghost, who makes par on every hole and plays as a scratch golfer. The other two form a team and play best ball against the Ghost team's best ball. Handicap strokes are taken against the Ghost's scratch rating. With five players, one Ghost makes three two-player teams; the same trick lets a threesome join any four-player game or tournament.

Best ball match play or stroke play; the Ghost's par counts as the team score on any hole its partner fails to beat net par. Rotate the Ghost partner every 6 holes (Ghost Sixes) so everyone gets it. Ghost Vegas: combine scores into two-digit numbers (4 and 5 = 45).

• Rotate the Ghost every six or nine holes
• Ghost Vegas or Ghost Wolf
• Ghost makes bogey for high-handicap groups

• Give the Ghost to the weakest player
• Attack on holes where you get no stroke; the Ghost's par is already banked
• Ghost is the universal fix for 'we have three, not four'