Engagement

Tournament System Guide

14 min read Free+ plan Engagement

Overview

The Tournament System runs competitive events end to end: bracket generation, player registration with entry fees, phone-based scoring, live leaderboards, and a wall-TV display. It supports individual play and 2-4 person teams, and four competition formats: Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Round Robin, and Swiss.

Available on all plans. Free plan includes 1 tournament/month. Standard: 3/month. Premium and Enterprise: unlimited.

Before You Start

  • Stripe account connected (only if you charge an entry fee)
  • Format decided: elimination for knockout drama, Round Robin for everyone-plays events, Swiss for large fields without eliminations
  • For team events: team names decided ahead of time (players pick from your list at registration)
  • A staff member available on event day to start matches from the dashboard
  • Optional: lobby TV for the live standings display

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Create the Tournament

Go to Manage → Tournaments and click "Create Tournament". The wizard walks you through name, format, and settings: max players, start date, entry fee, holes per round, and Team Size (Individual, Pairs, Trios, or Foursomes).

2

Define Teams (team events)

When Team Size is Pairs or larger, enter your team names in the wizard, one per line. Players then pick their team from a dropdown at registration, and each team caps automatically at the team size. Leave the list empty to let players type their own team name instead.

3

Open Registration

Click "Open Registration" in the tournament admin, then share the registration link or QR code. Each registrant gets a confirmation email with their personal scorecard link. You can also add players manually from the dashboard: if you enter their email they get the same invite email, and every roster row has a copy-link button for walk-ups without email.

4

Seed and Generate the Bracket

Close registration, adjust seeds if you want (or use Randomize), then Generate Bracket. Team events automatically avoid teammate matchups in round one, and byes always pair against a real player. Team names and assignments lock at this point, so finalize the roster first.

5

Run the Event

Click Start Tournament, then start each match from the dashboard as its players head out. Once a match is live, players tap it on the bracket page and score hole by hole on their phones; both phones stay in sync in real time. Staff can enter or correct scores for anyone from the same match page.

6

Finish and Celebrate

Winners advance automatically as matches complete. When the final ends, the champion card lights up on the bracket page and the TV display, team events show final team standings, and you can export full results as CSV from the tournament admin.

Configuration

Formats & Teams

  • Single Elimination: One loss and you're out. Fast-paced knockout rounds; the classic bracket.
  • Double Elimination: Lose twice to be eliminated. A losers bracket gives everyone a second chance.
  • Round Robin: Everyone plays everyone (teammates excluded in team events). Best for smaller groups and "beat the host" style events.
  • Swiss: Players face opponents with similar records each round. No eliminations; great for larger fields.
  • Team Size: Individual, Pairs, Trios, or Foursomes. Teams are shared banners: each player still plays their own one-on-one matches, and team standings aggregate the results.
  • Player Cap: Registration closes automatically when the cap is reached (up to 256 players).

Scoring

  • Stroke scoring: Players enter 1-7 (or X) per hole; lowest total wins the match.
  • Live sync: Scores appear on both players' phones, the bracket page, and the TV display in real time.
  • Tiebreaker: Tied matches resolve by scorecard countback (last 9, 6, 3, then final hole). A dead tie prompts a playoff putt: staff adjust one hole to record the result.
  • Staff control: Matches are started by staff, and staff can score any player and finalize any match from the match page. Players finalize their own match in self-scoring mode.
  • Team standings: Team events show a ranked team table (combined wins, losses, and stroke differential) above individual standings on the bracket page and TV display.

Entry Fee Settings

  • Fee Amount: Fixed amount per player, charged at registration through Stripe. Set $0 for free tournaments.
  • Tax: Your tournament tax configuration (Manage → Pricing) is shown at registration and included in the charge automatically.
  • Ledger: Every paid registration is recorded in your Transactions ledger for payout tracking, including tax breakdown.
  • Plan fees: Standard platform transaction fees apply, same as bookings and kiosk sales.

Example Scenario

Scenario: "Battle of the Fans" — 2-Person Teams vs the House

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

A course runs a Friday-night event where fan pairs try to beat the two house pros. Setup: Round Robin, Team Size Pairs, team names entered ahead of time (The House plus each fan team). Every fan plays both pros one-on-one, teammates never face each other, and the lobby TV shows live team standings so the whole room knows if anyone is beating the house. Five teams of two means eight matches per player across the night.

5
Teams of 2
20
Cross-Team Matches
0
Teammate Matchups
1
TV Everyone Watches

Tips & Best Practices

Predefine Team Names

Typing team names in the wizard prevents typos from splitting a team and enforces the roster size automatically. Rename or reassign from the dashboard any time before the bracket is generated.

Use the TV Display

Every tournament has a dedicated TV page (the TV button in the tournament admin). Standings and matches update live. See the TV Display Guide.

Rescue Lost Links

If a player can't find their confirmation email, the copy-link button on their roster row gives you their personal scorecard link to text them on the spot.

Big Bracket? Fit It

The bracket page has a "Fit to screen" toggle that scales large brackets to one screen: perfect for a quick overview or a wall display between rounds.

Video Walkthrough

Video walkthrough coming soon.

FAQ

Every registration (online or added by staff with an email) sends a confirmation email with a personal link. Tapping it once identifies the player's phone and opens the live bracket; when staff start their match, they tap it and score. For players without email, use the copy-link button on their roster row and text it to them.
Yes, while registration is open and the cap isn't reached. Staff can also add walk-ups from the dashboard. Add everyone before generating the bracket: the field is locked once the bracket exists.
Not while it can be avoided. Elimination round one, Swiss pairings, and Round Robin schedules all skip same-team matchups automatically. In an elimination bracket, two teammates who keep winning can still meet in a late round — most events consider that a feature.
Open the match from the dashboard and re-enter the correct score for that hole — staff can score any player while a match is in progress. Correct scores before the match is finalized, since completion advances the winner.

Troubleshooting

IssueCauseFix
Player can't open their match The match hasn't been started, or their phone isn't identified Start the match from the dashboard (matches are staff-started). If the card still won't open for them, resend their personal link with the roster copy-link button.
"Team is full" at registration The team already has its allowed number of players (the team size) That's the cap working. If someone is on the wrong team, change their team from the roster before generating the bracket.
Can't rename or reassign teams The bracket has been generated, which locks team assignments Team changes are only possible before Generate Bracket. If the event hasn't started, delete and recreate the tournament with the correct teams.
Entry fee not collected Stripe not connected or fee set to $0 Verify your Stripe connection and check the entry fee in the tournament settings.