Public Leagues

What are Public Leagues on 18Birdies?

A public league on 18Birdies is a season-long competition built around a home course that any golfer can find, join, and compete in without an invite.

An organizer sets up a series of tournaments, each with its own format, window, and leaderboard. Your performance across each tournament rolls into a single standings board that tracks the entire season. It is free for both organizers and players, no Premium subscription required.

How are Public Leagues different from regular 18Birdies Leagues?

Regular 18Birdies Leagues are invite-only. Public Leagues are open to any golfer who plays that home course. Anyone who tees it up there during an active tournament window is in the mix.

How does scoring work across a season?

Each tournament within a league contributes points to a season-long leaderboard. Standings update automatically as rounds are posted throughout the season. More rounds means more chances to climb.

How is a Public League different from a Public Tournament?

A Public Tournament is a single event with one window and one winner. A Public League is a season-long series of tournaments where standings accumulate over time and reward consistency across the full season.

Is there a cost?

No. Public Leagues are 100% free for both organizers and players.

How do I find and join a Public League?

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

Finding a league at a specific course:

Open any course in 18Birdies
Tap the “Course Events” section on the course profile
Select a league and tap Join
You are now a member of that public league

Not tied to a specific course?

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

Finding through friends

When a friend joins a public league it shows up in your community feed with a direct link. Tap the link and join directly from there.

Joining via invite link

Every public league has a shareable link. If someone sends you a direct link you can join with one tap.

What happens after you join?

Once you join a league the organizer schedules tournaments throughout the season. When a tournament window is open, play your round at that course and your score automatically counts toward the league standings. Every tournament you play in contributes points to your overall season standing.

Do Public Leagues have to play at the same course every time?

No. Your league is anchored to a home course for discovery but the organizer can schedule tournaments at any course. If your league is traveling or wants to play somewhere new, 18Birdies supports that.

Can I join multiple leagues?

Yes. You can be a member of more than one public league at the same time.

Can I join a league mid-season?

Yes. As long as the league is still active you can join and start competing. Rounds you play after joining count toward the season standings.

How do I create a Public League?

Any 18Birdies user can create a public league in a few easy steps.

Creating a Public League:

Open the 18Birdies app and tap Community on the bottom menu bar
Tap the Events tab
Tap Create a League
Select Public when prompted
Choose your format and home course
Give your league a name and description
Share your link and you are live

What settings can I configure?

When creating a public league you can set:

Home course for discovery
Maximum number of participants
League name and description
Player limits per tournament

How do I add tournaments to my league?

Once your league is created you add tournaments throughout the season. Each tournament has its own course, format, and window. Tournaments do not have to be at the home course — you can schedule them anywhere.

How do people find and join my league?

Once created your league is visible on the home course profile, in course search results, and in the community feed for golfers near that course. You can also share a direct link.

What can I do as a league admin?

Schedule tournaments across the season
Track standings in real time
Set player limits
Post announcements directly to your league
Add additional admins

Can I run a league with a buy-in or prizes?

18Birdies does not handle payments directly. You can coordinate buy-ins and payouts via league announcements but payments must be handled through external tools like Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App. 18Birdies is not responsible for any financial transactions or disputes that occur outside of the app.