Jackson Reid
Golf pools are a fun way to engage with coworkers, friends, and family, and are especially popular during major golf tournaments. The premise is simple: participants are tasked with picking golfers and the person whose team earns the most money wins. There are several ways to score a golf pool, including adding golfer's scores relative to par, adding golfer's money earnings, or using the best golfer's scores from each day. Divisions can also be created to separate golfers into categories, such as top golfers, amateurs, and seniors. Ultimately, the pool admin decides what is in play for their pool and how to handle any tiebreakers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of golfers to pick | Up to 10 |
| Scoring methods | TO PAR Scoring, Earnings Scoring, Daily Bests Scoring, Round by Round Scoring |
| Divisions | Division A: Top 10 golfers in the world; Division B: Next 50 golfers; Division C: Amateurs; Division D: Seniors (over 50 years old) |
| Handling ties | Admin decides the tiebreaker; Closest guess to the winning golfer's score; Scorecard playoff winner |
| Withdrawn golfers | Automatically assigned a score of 80, the Highest Carded Round, or a stroke penalty |
| Golfers in playoffs | Do not receive credit for strokes gained or lost during the playoff |
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What You'll Learn
- Scoring methods: Add golfer's earnings or scores relative to par
- Divisions: Group golfers by skill or age, e.g. top 10, amateurs, seniors
- Tiebreakers: Pool admins decide how to break leaderboard ties
- Invite process: Send invites once you've set up your pool template
- Prizes: Combine prize money to calculate the total purse
Scoring methods: Add golfer's earnings or scores relative to par
There are two main scoring methods for golf pools: 'to par' scoring and earnings scoring.
To Par Scoring
The 'to par' scoring format is the most popular, recognised, and easiest to follow golf pool scoring option. It works by adding up a team of selected golfers' scores relative to par for a tournament. The team with the lowest cumulative score at the end of regulation play wins.
Scores update live throughout the tournament and can be followed by all participants on the pool's live leaderboard. The leaderboard will adjust, listing the teams from lowest to highest team score relative to par.
Earnings Scoring
Earnings scoring works by adding golfers' money earnings for the tournament. Projected earnings will update live throughout, and official earnings are typically posted within a few hours of tournament completion.
Golfers who miss the cut receive $0 for official earnings by default, although some tournaments award cut golfers unofficial money. Amateurs who make the cut will be assigned a sum of money for the pool, usually $50,000, as they cannot win prize money.
If the tournament ends in a playoff, the golfers in the playoff will not receive credit for the strokes earned or lost during it. The results of the playoff will influence the earnings each golfer is awarded, aligning with official earnings.
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Divisions: Group golfers by skill or age, e.g. top 10, amateurs, seniors
When setting up a golf pool, one of the first steps is to create a list of all the players in the field. Once you have this list, you can separate them into "divisions". Dividing golfers by skill or age is a common way to group golfers into divisions. For example, you could put the top 10 golfers in the world in division A, the next 50 golfers in division B, all the amateurs in division C, and all seniors (over 50 years old) in division D.
Dividing golfers by skill or age can create a more level playing field and make the game more fun and competitive. It can also help to ensure that golfers of similar skill levels are playing against each other, which can make the game more challenging and exciting for all participants. For instance, in the example above, the top 10 golfers in the world would compete against each other in division A, while those with less experience or skill would compete in divisions B, C, or D.
Additionally, dividing golfers into skill divisions can help with scoring the pool. You can take all the prize money that the players win and combine them for a "total purse". This makes it easy to score the pool and prevents participants from questioning the results. If one of the players misses the cut, they earn $0. Amateurs cannot win money, so if they make the cut, they will be assigned a predetermined amount, such as $50,000, for the purpose of the pool.
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Tiebreakers: Pool admins decide how to break leaderboard ties
Golf pools are a fun way to engage with coworkers, friends, and family. When it comes to tiebreakers, the pool admin has the final say and can decide how to break leaderboard ties.
Firstly, the pool admin decides if a tiebreaker selection is in play. In the case of a tie, the pool admin can manually determine the winner by comparing the best scores of the players involved in the tie. For example, if Player A has Tiger at -5 and Rory at -3, and Player B has Bubba at -4 and Phil at -4, then both players have a combined score of -8, but Player A wins because their best score (-5) is better than Player B's best score (-4).
Another option for tiebreakers is to use the "Last Played" option, which is based on the USGA's tie-breaking rules. In this case, the hole scores of the tied golfers from the last 9 holes are added up and compared, and the golfer with the best total score is deemed the winner. If the tie persists after comparing the last 9 holes, the system can sort the golfers alphabetically by their names, leaving the final decision to the event organizer or pool admin.
For point-based events, the system can also consider the number of points earned on each hole to determine the winner. The USGA's previous recommendation for tiebreakers was to use hole handicaps, where ties are broken based on the golfers' scores on the hardest hole.
These tiebreakers can be applied systematically to any position on the leaderboard, not just the winner, ensuring a fair and consistent approach to resolving ties in golf pools.
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Invite process: Send invites once you've set up your pool template
Once you've set up your pool template, you're ready to send out invites and get your golf pool started. This is a simple process, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, review the Drop Worst scoring system before sending out your invites. This scoring system is worth understanding, as it is the default setting for golf pools. You can change the default to align with your template if needed.
Next, you can decide who to invite to join your pool. Consider inviting your friends, family, and co-workers to take part. It's a good idea to invite people who are interested in golf and perhaps follow the PGA Tour, as they will likely be more engaged and competitive. However, it's not necessary for participants to know any players, as they can simply pick at random and still have a chance of winning.
When sending out invites, it's important to provide clear instructions and any relevant information about the pool. This includes details such as the entry fee (if applicable), the scoring system being used, and any other rules or guidelines participants should be aware of. Make sure to include all the necessary information for joining the pool, such as any links or codes they need to sign up.
Finally, it's worth noting that some platforms may have specific instructions or requirements for sending invites, so be sure to review any available resources or guidelines provided by the platform you're using to set up your golf pool.
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Prizes: Combine prize money to calculate the total purse
Golf pools are a fun way to engage with the sport and can be a lucrative endeavour for professional golfers. The total purse refers to the total amount of prize money distributed among the players, which is determined by tournament organisers and influenced by factors like sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and broadcast rights.
When calculating the total purse for a golf pool, it's important to combine the prize money earned by all the players in the pool. This includes the money earned by each player based on their performance and final standing in the tournament. The higher a player finishes, the more money they typically earn.
For example, let's consider a golf pool with the following prize money distribution:
Division A - Jordan Spieth (1st Place) - $1.2 Million
Division B - Marc Leishman (MC) and Xander Schauffele (14th Place) - $450,000
In this case, you would add the prize money for each player to calculate the total purse. So, the total purse for this example is $1.7 million.
It's worth noting that amateur golfers may participate in professional tournaments, but they usually cannot accept prize money. If an amateur finishes in a position that would earn a payout, their portion of the purse is typically redistributed among the professional players or treated as if it doesn't exist when dividing the purse.
Additionally, if any players miss the cut, they earn $0 and are not included in the calculation of the total purse.
By combining the prize money earned by all the players in the pool, you can calculate the total purse for your golf pool. This provides a straightforward way to score the pool and ensure all participants understand their earnings.
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Frequently asked questions
A golf pool is a game in which participants pick golfers and compete based on the performance of their selections.
There are several ways to select golfers for your pool. One way is to create a list of players and separate them into divisions. For example, you could put the top golfers in Division A, the next best golfers in Division B, amateurs in Division C, and seniors in Division D. You could also hold a draft, where participants take turns selecting golfers within a predetermined budget.
There are multiple ways to score a golf pool. One method is to add up the prize money won by each golfer in a participant's pool, with the highest total earning the most points. Another method is to score relative to par, where the golfers' scores are added up and sorted by the team with the best cumulative score.
In the event of a tie, the pool administrator can decide on a tiebreaker. One common tiebreaker is to have participants guess the winning golfer's score, with the closest guess breaking the tie.
