Getting Started as a Tournament Organizer

Organizing a golf tournament with 18Birdies is made simple. Whether you’re planning an in-person or virtual event, follow these steps for a seamless experience. Learn about formats, customization options, sponsorship opportunities, and more below.

Quick Overview

18Birdies allows for easy setup of both single-course and virtual tournaments, featuring customizable handicaps, round rules, player invites, and score tracking. These tools are available free of charge and are accessible via the app.

Before You Begin

Decide whether you want to run an in-person or virtual tournament.
Consider your tournament format (Individual stroke, Stableford, Best Ball, Scramble, etc.)

Important

Ensure all players have downloaded the 18Birdies app and joined the tournament before starting your tournament.

Tournament Types

In-Person Tournaments

Can be set up for a single course
Allows up to 4 rounds on one course
Options for consecutive tee times or shotgun start

Virtual Tournaments

Players can compete from different courses
Maximum of 7 rounds possible
Players select courses from 18Birdies' database of over 40,000 worldwide
Free for both organizers and players

Tournament Types Comparison

Setting	In-Person Tournament	Virtual Tournament
Location	Single course	Multiple courses
Rounds	Up to 4 rounds	Up to 7 rounds
Skins Game	Available	Not available
Tee Options	Mixed or Assigned	Player selected
Cost	Free	Free

In-Person Golf Tournaments

In-person tournaments are ideal for groups playing together at the same golf course. You can choose from various formats, such as individual stroke play, Stableford, Best Ball, or Scramble.

Steps to Create an In-Person Tournament:

Open the 18Birdies app and tap Community from the bottom menu.
Select Tournaments and tap Create a Tournament.
Choose In-Person Event and set details like:
- Tournament name and description.
- Start date and number of rounds (up to 4 rounds per course).
- Enable or disable player handicap adjustments.
- Select tiebreaker preferences.
Optionally toggle additional features like skins games.
Save your settings and invite all participants to download the 18Birdies app to join.

Tournament Features	Details
Formats	Stroke Play, Stableford, Best Ball, Scramble
Number of Rounds	Up to 4 on a single course
Tee Choices	Mixed tees or specific tees per group
Handicap Adjustments	Full, Partial, or Percentage of the player’s handicap
Starting Options	Tee times or shotgun start

Virtual Golf Tournaments

Virtual tournaments are designed for friends or players competing at different courses, whether in another state or worldwide. Golfers can play on over 40,000 golf courses available in the 18Birdies system.

Highlights of Virtual Tournaments

Flexible scheduling: Events can last from one day to a year.
Unlimited players and rounds (up to 7 rounds per tournament).
Compatible with any course, allowing for diverse participation.
A centralized leaderboard that adjusts based on course difficulty.

Steps to Create a Virtual Tournament:

Open the 18Birdies app and tap Community from the bottom menu.
Select Tournaments and tap Create a Tournament.
Select Virtual Leaderboard as the event type.
Customize round settings, including the number of holes (9 or 18).
Assign a name and description, then save your tournament.

Virtual Tournament Features	Details
Formats	Stroke Play, Stableford, Best Ball, Scramble
Rounds	Up to 7 rounds allowed
Leaderboards	Gross and net scoring by difficulty adjustments
Global Reach	Players can choose courses worldwide within the 18Birdies system
Cost	Free for organizers and participants

Additional Features and Tips

Handicap Configuration

Use 18Birdies to manage player handicaps with options like full, partial, or percentage scoring. You can also explore the Peoria scoring system for custom configurations.

Official Tournament Feed

Each tournament receives a private feed for live updates, which:

Functions like a social timeline (e.g., Twitter or Facebook).
Allows organizers to post updates, announcements, or sponsor ads.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Promote your sponsors through:

Selling advertisement spots on the Tournament Feed to engage participants and push notifications to their devices.

Sponsorship Ideas	Examples
Sponsored Posts in Feed	Sell ad slots for timeline updates.
On-Site Events	Include sponsor banners or prizes for winners.
Scorecard Branding	Add logos to printed or emailed scorecards.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Are tournaments free to host?

Yes, both in-person and virtual tournaments are 100% free for organizers and golfers.

2. How does 18Birdies handle scoring across multiple courses?

The app adjusts scores based on the course par, slope, and rating, creating a "generic course" to ensure fair competition. To ensure the fairest scoring, we recommend having golfers play on similar length/difficulty golf courses. For example, if you want your golfers to play on a full-length 18-hole course, a player should not select a par-3 course.

3. Can players choose any course to compete on in a virtual tournament?

Players have access to over 40,000 golf courses worldwide within the 18Birdies system. Organizers may also suggest specific courses to ensure comparable difficulty.

Use 18Birdies to manage your next golf tournament!

18Birdies makes hosting golf tournaments of any scale seamless. Whether you're organizing a local event or a worldwide tournament, the app's customization tools and user-friendly interface ensure everyone enjoys the game. Explore its functionality today, and start creating unforgettable golf experiences!