For as long as golf has been played, there has been a member of a foursome willing to put some money up on a 10-footer for par.

For many, gambling can make an otherwise ordinary Sunday round a bit more interesting.

For the record, the United States Golf Association does not object to a friendly wager among golfers.

I am not endorsing gambling, and some country clubs have rules against it. But if the USGA — the guardian of golf — does not object, who am I to judge?

Of course, there are many bets that can be made.

The bet could be a $2 Nassau, perhaps the most common of all golf bets.

Or the bet can be something made up. The members of my high school team far too long ago, for instance, played a skins game in which the winner of each hole was awarded tacos after practice at his favorite fast-food restaurant. Not so creatively, we called it “taco skins,” and we played nearly every day during practice.

As you might have guessed, there were no big-money players in the group. The size of the wager, in a game such as taco skins can be miniscule (and probably should be), and if you are playing in my group, it always is.

But no matter the stakes — and many of these games can be played with no money on the line — golfers should know the menu of wagering options before they step out on the first tee.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Wolf: My personal favorite game if playing in a foursome, though keeping track of the winnings can get a bit confusing. Players rotate as the “wolf” after each hole. The wolf tees off last, and that player has to decide to go one-on-three — which will pay more — or two-on-two for the duration of the hole. After each player’s drive, the wolf has to choose whether he wants to play with that person. If one would-be partner smokes a 300-yard drive down the fairway, the wolf can choose that player as a teammate for the hole. If the first three players have knocked their drives two fairways over, the wolf can choose to go it alone. It can be a cutthroat game.

Gruesomes: Speaking of cutthroat, this one can be vicious. Two-person teams square off, but don’t expect any help from the other team. Both members of Team A tee off, and the players on Team B decide which of the two drives Team A will play. Here’s a hint: The most gruesome of the two drives is the most likely pick.

Nassau: One of the most straightforward bets, which is probably why it is so common. In a $2 Nassau, for instance, $2 is awarded to the golfer with low score on the front nine, another $2 for the golfer who goes low on the back side, and $2 for low score over all 18 holes. Players who are trailing can press, which allows an additional bet on the backside, for instance, along with the original bet.

Whack-n-hack: Another simple game played between multiple foursomes in which the highest and lowest scores on each hole are counted as a foursome’s team score. For example, if a foursome scores a 3, 5, 7 and 8, the team score is 11. Low score at the end of the round is the winner.

Money ball: Similar to whack-n-hack but with a little more pressure, at least for one member in a foursome. One golfer from each foursome is designated on each hole as the money ball, and players rotate as the money ball after each hole. The money ball’s score counts no matter his score for the hole. Add the money ball’s score with the lowest score among the other three players on the team to come up with a team score. A snowman by the money ball can draw a lot of nasty looks from team members.

Bingo Bango Bongo: This game works no matter how many players are in the group. A point is awarded to the first golfer to reach the green, the golfer closest to the pin once everybody is dancing, and a third point for the first in the hole. At the end of the round, the points are added up to determine the winner. Any game that awards two points before anyone touches a putter is a good one for me.

Criers and whiners: A game that works best with an official handicap index. If a golfer has an 18 handicap, he gets 18 mulligans during the round to be used whenever he or she chooses, even on the green. That can really help level the playing field for a double-digit handicap against a scratch golfer.

If those games are not enough, players can make side bets on things like barkies and sandies. Both are simple enough.

A barkie is scored when a golfer makes par or better after hitting a tree. Lord knows there is plenty of opportunity to smack some bark on Central Oregon courses.

Sandies are won when a golfer gets up-and-down from a greenside bunker.

And, of course, there are other games: Acey Deucey, air presses, Arnies, cha-cha-cha, round robins, Vegas and Chicago. Literally, there are hundreds.

The key is to keep it friendly.

Wolf: My personal favorite game if playing in a foursome, though keeping track of the winnings can get a bit confusing. Players rotate as the “wolf” after each hole. The wolf tees off last, and that player has to decide to go one-on-three — which will pay more — or two-on-two for the duration of the hole. After each player’s drive, the wolf has to choose whether he wants to play with that person. If one would-be partner smokes a 300-yard drive down the fairway, the wolf can choose that player as a teammate for the hole. If the first three players have knocked their drives two fairways over, the wolf can choose to go it alone. It can be a cutthroat game.

Gruesomes: Speaking of cutthroat, this one can be vicious. Two-person teams square off, but don’t expect any help from the other team. Both members of Team A tee off, and the players on Team B decide which of the two drives Team A will play. Here’s a hint: The most gruesome of the two drives is the most likely pick.

Money ball: Similar to whack-n-hack but with a little more pressure, at least for one member in a foursome. One golfer from each foursome is designated on each hole as the money ball, and players rotate as the money ball after each hole. The money ball’s score counts no matter his score for the hole. Add the money ball’s score with the lowest score among the other three players on the team to come up with a team score. A snowman by the money ball can draw a lot of nasty looks from team members.

Criers and whiners: A game that works best with an official handicap index. If a golfer has an 18 handicap, he gets 18 mulligans during the round to be used whenever he or she chooses, even on the green. That can really help level the playing field for a double-digit handicap against a scratch golfer.