Public Tournaments

What are Public Tournaments on 18Birdies?

A public tournament on 18Birdies is an open competition at a golf course that any golfer can find, join, and compete in without an invite.

An organizer creates a tournament at a course of their choosing and sets a window for it to run. Any golfer who plays that course during that window can join and compete on a live leaderboard. It is free for both organizers and players, no Premium subscription required.

How are Public Tournaments different from regular 18Birdies Tournaments?

Regular 18Birdies Tournaments are invite-only. You need a tournament code or direct invite to join. Public Tournaments are open to anyone playing that course during the event window.

What formats are available?

Public Tournaments support Stroke Play, Stableford, Best Ball, Scramble, and a mix of Stroke Play + Best Ball

Can tournaments have multiple rounds?

Yes. An organizer can set up a tournament that spans multiple rounds and courses under one format.

Can I limit how many people join?

Yes. When creating a tournament you can set a maximum participant count.

How do I find and join a Public Tournament?

Public tournaments are discoverable directly from any course profile in 18Birdies.

To find a tournament at a specific course:

  1. Open any course in 18Birdies
  2. Tap the “Course Events” section on the course profile
  3. Select a tournament that suits your game
  4. Tap Join

Not playing anywhere specific?

18Birdies surfaces public tournaments near you automatically. Browse open tournaments from the Tournaments tab in the Community section.

Finding through friends

When a friend joins or finishes a public tournament it shows up in your community feed with their result and a link to the leaderboard. Tap the link and join directly from there.

Joining via invite link

Every public tournament has a shareable link and QR code. If someone sends you a direct link you can join with one tap.

Do I need an account to join?

Yes. You need a free 18Birdies account to join a public tournament. No Premium subscription required.

Can I join a tournament that has already started?

Yes. As long as the tournament window is still open you can join and compete.

How do I create a Public Tournament?

Any 18Birdies user can create a public tournament. No Premium subscription required.

Creating a Public Tournament

  1. Open the 18Birdies app and tap Community on the bottom menu bar
  2. Tap the Events tab
  3. Tap Create a Tournament
  4. Select Public when prompted
  5. Choose your home course
  6. Set your format, window, and duration
  7. Share your link or QR code and you are live

What settings can I configure?

When creating a public tournament you can set:

  • Tournament format (Stroke Play, Stableford, Best Ball, Scramble)
  • Tournament window (start and end date)
  • Maximum number of participants
  • Multiple rounds and courses under one tournament

How do people find and join my tournament?

Once created your tournament is visible on the home course profile, in course search results, on the Tournament and League home page, and in the community feed for golfers near that course. You can also share a direct link or QR code.

Can I edit my tournament after creating it?

Yes. As the organizer you can edit tournament settings, manage participants, and post announcements directly to your tournament.

Can I limit how many people join?

Yes. Set a maximum participant count during creation. Once the limit is reached the tournament stops accepting new joiners from public discovery.

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