Getting Started as a Tournament Organizer

18Birdies makes it easy to create and manage golf tournaments directly inside the app.

Tournament organizers can choose the tournament type, scoring format, course, date, handicap settings, tiebreakers, skins, and invite options. Once the tournament is created, players can join and start their tournament rounds from the 18Birdies app.

Before creating your tournament, decide whether your event will be played in person at one course or virtually across multiple courses.

In this Article:

• Before Setting Up a Tournament
• Where can I create a tournament?
• How do I create an in-person tournament?
• How do I create a virtual tournament?
• What should I know about virtual tournament courses?
• How do I choose a scoring format?
• How do I configure handicap settings?
• What is a Course Handicap?
• Can I edit a player’s handicap during a round?
• How should I organize teams or pairings?
• How do players join my tournament?
• How do I remove a round from a tournament?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Before Setting Up a Tournament

Before setting up your tournament, decide:

• Will this be an in-person or virtual tournament?
• Will the tournament be public or private?
• What scoring format will the tournament use? (Individual Stroke, Stableford, Best Ball, Scramble, Stroke Play + Best Ball)
• Will players compete individually or as teams?
• Will handicaps be used?
• Will the event use tee times or a shotgun start?
• Will you use skins or tiebreakers?
• How will players join the tournament?

For more information about scoring options, see Scoring Formats for Tournaments & Leagues.

Tournament Types Comparison

Where can I create a tournament?

1. Open the 18Birdies app
2. Tap Community at the bottom
3. Tap Events at the top of the page
4. Go to the Tournaments tab
5. Tap “Create a Tournament”

From there, follow the setup prompts to configure your event.

How do I create an in-person tournament?

Use an in-person tournament when players will be competing at the same course or on selected tournament courses. For more information on the tournament types, see What are18Birdies Tournaments?

To create an in-person tournament:

1. Open the 18Birdies app
2. Tap Community at the bottom
3. Tap Events at the top of the page
4. Tap Create a Tournament OR the plus button in the top right if you already have an active tournament
5. Choose your tournament format: Public or Private, Scoring Format
6. Select In-Person Tournament
7. Choose the course or courses for the tournament. In-person tournaments can support up to 4 rounds on one course.
8. Configure the tournament settings
   1. Set the start date
   2. Assign the tees to be played
   3. Configure the number of rounds
   4. Set Net leaderboard and handicap options
   5. Choose your tiebreaker settings
   6. Add auto disqualify
   7. Turn skins on or off, if available
   8. Enter your tournament name
   9. Enter your tournament description (Optional)
   10. Set max number of players (Optional)
9. Review your tournament settings
10. Tap Save

Once the tournament is created, share the tournament code, invite link, or QR code with your players.

How do I create a virtual tournament?

Use a virtual tournament when players will compete from different courses or locations. 18Birdies uses each course’s slope and rating to help adjust scores and create a more level playing field. For more information on the tournament types, see What are18Birdies Tournaments?

To create a virtual tournament:

1. Open the 18Birdies app
2. Tap Events at the top of the page
3. Tap Create a Tournament OR the plus button in the top right if you already have an active tournament
4. Choose your tournament format: Public or Private, Scoring Format
5. Select Virtual Tournament
6. Choose the round type, such as 9 holes or 18 holes. Note: players will be eligible to play any course they choose to.
7. Add additional rounds, if needed. Virtual tournaments can support up to 7 rounds.
8. Configure your tournament settings
   1. Set the start date
   2. Set Net leaderboard and handicap options
   3. Choose your tiebreaker settings
   4. Add auto disqualify
   5. Turn skins on or off, if available
   6. Enter your tournament name
   7. Enter your tournament description (Optional)
   8. Set max number of players (Optional)
9. Tap Save

After the tournament is created, invite your players using the tournament code, invite link, or QR code.

When should I use a virtual tournament?

Use a virtual tournament when players will compete from different courses or locations, or when your event needs a flexible date window.

In a virtual tournament, players can choose from courses available in the 18Birdies course database. 18Birdies uses course details such as par, slope, and rating to help adjust scores and create a more level playing field across different courses.

For the fairest competition, organizers should provide course guidelines before the event, such as asking players to choose full-length courses with similar par, slope, and rating.

Use an in-person tournament instead if all players must play the same course for the event.

How do I choose a tournament scoring format?

During tournament setup, you can choose the scoring format for your event.

18Birdies supports the following formats:

• Stroke Play
• Stableford
• Best Ball
• Scramble
• Stroke Play + Best Ball

Each format works differently. For a full explanation of each format, see Scoring Formats for Tournaments & Leagues.

How do I configure handicap settings?

During tournament setup, you can choose how player handicaps are used after toggling “Show Net Leaderboard”.

Options include:

• Use the player’s full handicap
• Apply course handicap
• Use a percentage of handicap
• Use no handicap

If you choose no handicap, the tournament will display a gross leaderboard only. Net scoring will not be calculated.

Note: Currently, handicap settings are only adjustable during tournament setup. Once the tournament has started, organizers will not be able to adjust how handicaps are set.

What is a Course Handicap?

Course Handicap adjusts a player’s handicap based on the course slope/rating and tees being played.

If Course Handicap is enabled, 18Birdies can apply the course and tee information to help calculate net scoring for the tournament.

If Course Handicap is not enabled, the player’s unadjusted 18Birdies Handicap may be used for net calculations.

Can I edit a player’s tournament handicap during a round?

Yes. Once a round has started, players in the group can adjust tournament handicaps for players on the scorecard.

To edit a player handicap during a round:

1. Start the tournament round
2. Add the player to the scorecard
3. Tap the Group icon on the GPS screen
4. Tap Edit Player
5. Tap the pencil icon next to Tournament Handicap
6. Enter the updated handicap
7. Tap Confirm

How should I organize teams or pairings?

For tournament organizers, the best option is to predetermine teams and pairings outside the app before the tournament begins.

The actual team formation in 18Birdies happens when players start their tournament rounds and add teammates to their scorecard.

For team formats like Best Ball or Scramble, make sure players only add the teammates who are on their team. If a foursome contains two separate 2-person teams, each team should create its own 2-person tournament round in the app.

For example:

• Jim and Tom are Team 1.
• Steve and Larry are Team 2.
• Jim starts a tournament round and adds Tom.
• Steve starts a separate tournament round and adds Larry.

If all four players are added to one scorecard, the app may treat all four players as one team.

How do players join my tournament?

Players can join a tournament using:

• Tournament code
• QR code
• Invite link
• Direct invite
• Public tournament listing, if the tournament is public

Invitation details can be found by going to the tournament homepage and tapping Invite Players. For detailed player instructions, see How to Join a Tournament.

How do I remove a round from a tournament?

If your tournament schedule changes, you can remove a round from the tournament settings. To remove a tournament round:

1. Open the tournament homepage
2. Tap the three-dot menu
3. Tap Tournament Settings
4. Confirm the change

If a tournament has already begun, rounds cannot be deleted.

If the tournament is part of a league and has already started, complete the tournament from the tournament homepage. Then, from the league settings, exclude that tournament from contributing to the league leaderboard.

Frequently Asked Questions