Tournament System Guide

Overview

The Tournament System lets you organize competitive events with brackets, live leaderboards, automatic scoring, and entry fee collection. Whether it's a casual Friday night tournament or a multi-day championship, PuttScores handles registration, scoring, and results.

Available on all plans. Free plan includes 1 tournament/month. Standard: 5/month. Premium: 10/month. Enterprise: unlimited.

Before You Start

Tournaments available on all plans (Free: 1/month, Standard: 5/month, Premium: 10/month)
Stripe account connected (for entry fee collection)
Tournament date, format, and rules decided
Prize structure planned (if applicable)
Course holes and par values configured correctly

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Create a Tournament

Go to Dashboard → Manage → Tournaments tab. Click "Create Tournament". Enter the name, date, start time, and format (stroke play, match play, or best ball).

2

Set Entry Details

Configure the entry fee amount, player cap, and registration deadline. Enable or disable online registration. Add a description with rules and prize info.

3

Configure Scoring

Choose scoring method: total strokes, Stableford points, or custom. Set tiebreaker rules. Enable live leaderboard updates.

4

Open Registration

Share the tournament registration link with players. Registration can be via PuttScores or manual entry by staff. Players pay the entry fee during registration.

5

Run the Tournament

On tournament day, players score on their phones as usual. Scores feed into the live leaderboard automatically. The TV Display shows real-time standings.

6

Finalize Results

After the last group finishes, review scores, resolve any disputes, and finalize the leaderboard. Results are saved permanently and shareable.

Configuration

Tournament Formats

Stroke Play: Lowest total score wins. Classic and straightforward. Best for all skill levels.
Match Play: Head-to-head bracket format. Winner of each hole gets a point. More exciting but requires even player counts.
Best Ball: Teams of 2-4. Best score on each hole counts. Great for casual/corporate events.
Rounds: Single round or multi-round tournaments. Multi-round uses cumulative scores.
Player Cap: Set a maximum number of participants. Registration closes automatically when full.

Scoring Settings

Live Leaderboard: Updates in real-time as players enter scores. Displayed on TV Display and accessible via link.
Tiebreakers: Configure tiebreak rules: back-nine score, last-hole comparison, or sudden death.
Score Verification: Require players to confirm each other's scores (attestation) before finalizing.
Handicaps: Enable net scoring with handicap adjustments for mixed-skill tournaments.

Entry Fee Settings

Fee Amount: Fixed amount per player. Set to $0 for free tournaments.
Tax: Tournament entry fees use your tournament-specific tax configuration.
Refund Policy: Configure whether cancellations before the deadline get a full refund.
Prize Pool: Optionally allocate a percentage of entry fees to the prize pool. Display this to drive registrations.

Example Scenario

Scenario: How Ace Putt Runs Monthly Tournaments with 60+ Players

Illustrative example with projected results. Not based on a specific customer.

Ace Putt in Denver runs a "First Friday" tournament every month. They charge a $15 entry fee, cap at 64 players, and use stroke play format. The live leaderboard on their lobby TV creates excitement, and the monthly consistency has built a loyal tournament community.

64

Avg Participants

$960

Monthly Entry Revenue

3x

F&B Sales on Tournament Nights

78%

Repeat Participants

Tips & Best Practices

Be Consistent

Monthly or bi-weekly tournaments build a community. Pick a recurring day/time and stick with it.

Use TV Displays

Show the live leaderboard on your lobby TV. It creates buzz and keeps spectators engaged. See the TV Display Guide.

Prizes Drive Signups

Even small prizes (free rounds, merchandise, food credits) increase registration by 40%. Sponsor prizes with local businesses.

Promote Results

Share final leaderboards on social media. Tag winners. This is your best marketing for the next tournament.

Video Walkthrough

Video walkthrough coming soon.

FAQ

Yes, if registration is still open and the player cap hasn't been reached. You can also manually add walk-up players from the dashboard.

Admins can edit any player's scores from the tournament dashboard before finalizing results. Use score attestation to catch errors early — playing partners confirm each other's scores.

Yes. When you create a tournament, those time slots are automatically blocked from public booking. Players will see those slots as unavailable.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Fix
Leaderboard not updating	Players haven't submitted scores yet, or browser needs refresh	Scores update in real-time. If delayed, refresh the leaderboard page. Check that players are entering scores on their scorecards.
Registration link not working	Tournament not published or registration deadline passed	Check tournament status in dashboard. Make sure it's set to "Published" and the registration deadline hasn't passed.
Entry fee not collected	Stripe not connected or fee set to $0	Verify Stripe connection and check the entry fee amount in tournament settings.