Resources
Guides and free tools for the people who run recreational golf leagues.
Written by Rich Dunmore, founder of LeaderBoard Caddie, after fifteen years of playing in and running recreational golf events. Each section covers a question that comes up every season: which format to play, how to score it fairly, and which software is worth paying for.
How each format works, how to score it, and how to run it for a league.
Golf league software compared on price, features, and which leagues each one fits.
How to run a golf league without drowning in spreadsheets.
How golf league handicaps work, from the World Handicap System to custom formulas.
How golf league handicaps work: the World Handicap System, why some leagues build their own, and how to set best-of-last differentials and a multiplier.
A 40-player league took 3 hours a week on spreadsheets. Here is where they break, what changed with software, and when a spreadsheet is still fine.
Can't post league scores to GHIN? Here is how to build a fair league handicap with hole caps, a best-scores formula and a fast start for new players.
A handicap index measures your ability across courses. A handicap is the strokes you get on a given day. Here is why leagues often run their own.
A golf handicap measures how well you usually play so golfers of different ability can compete fairly. Here is how it works, and how league handicaps differ.
Calculate a golf handicap step by step: score differential, handicap index, course handicap, and how a 40-player league can build its own formula.
The Ryder Cup format explained: foursomes, four-ball and singles, how points work, and how to run your own Ryder Cup-style event for your league.
Alternate shot (foursomes): partners share one ball and take turns hitting. Rules, tee-off order, team handicaps, strategy, and four-ball vs foursomes.
Best ball: every player plays their own ball and the lowest score on each hole counts for the team. Rules, handicaps, best ball vs scramble, and league setup.
Golf League Tracker has 250+ settings and a desktop-first admin. Here is what that costs a commissioner, and how LeaderBoard Caddie runs a league from a phone.
Scramble golf rules: the team picks the best shot after every stroke and plays from there. Format, ball placement, handicap formulas and league setup.
I set up a league on X4Golf, scored a round and fixed a score. Here's where it leaves work for the commissioner, and how LeaderBoard Caddie handles it.