Note: This article is still being edited and will be updated as needed to better reflect the feature.
This feature is available for the following products:
Note: Group Leaders is currently in Beta. Features and behavior may change as development continues.
Setting up a casual game should not take as long as setting up a full tournament. The setup wizard walks Group Leaders through a group event in five short steps, on a desktop or a phone, and nothing is visible to Players until setup is finished. A new or cloned event opens directly in the setup wizard, as covered in Creating and Cloning Group Events. For an overview of the full group event process, see Getting Started as a Group Leader.
In this article, we will discuss:
Using the Setup Wizard
Step 1: Games
Step 2: Golfers
Step 3: Pairings
Step 4: Course & Tee
Step 5: Review and Finish Setup
Returning to the Setup Wizard
Using the Setup Wizard
A new group event opens in the setup wizard, which walks through the following steps:
Games
Golfers
Pairings
Course & Tee
Review
The step bar at the top of the page marks finished steps and can be used to jump to any step at any time. Each step also has a bottom bar with "Back," a short summary of what was set on that step, and a button to continue (as shown below).
Notes:
Every change is saved as soon as it is made, so the wizard can be closed and reopened later without losing anything. If a save fails, a notification explains what went wrong.
On a phone, the step bar shows the name of the current step and numbers for the others, and the bottom bar stays fixed at the bottom of the screen.
Step 1: Games
On the Games step, choose what the event is scored on. Formats are divided into two tabs, Individual and Team. Games can be selected and added to the event from each.
Individual: The Individual tab includes the following formats (as shown below):
Stroke Play: Lowest strokes wins.
Stableford: Highest points wins.
Quota: Most points above quota wins.
Net Skins: Best score on each hole wins.
Gross Skins: Best score on each hole wins.
Nassau Match Play: Front 9, Back 9, and Overall matches.
Closest to the Pin: Closest shot from the tee on the hole wins.
Longest Drive: Longest tee shot on the hole wins.
Custom Game: Create a format by defining select settings.
Team: The Team tab includes the following formats (as shown below):
1 Best Ball of 2: 1 best score on each hole.
2 Best Balls of 4: 2 best scores on each hole.
3/2/1 Best Ball by Par: 3 best scores on Par 3s, 2 on Par 4s, and 1 on Par 5s.
2-Person Scramble: Choose the best shot of two Players.
4-Person Scramble: Choose the best shot of four Players.
Nassau Match Play - Pair v. All Other Pairs: Front 9, Back 9, and Overall matches.
Custom Game: Create a format by defining select setting.
Adding a Predefined Game
To add a predefined game, follow these directions:
Select a format from the predefined options. Its settings are preconfigured by default, so most games can be created with minimal changes.
Adjust any of the following settings as needed:
Game Name: Defaults to the format's name.
Show Advanced Options: See every setting the format supports. More details can be found below.
Holes: The holes the game is played on.
Handicap: Net or gross scoring.
Handicap Allowance: The percentage of handicap used. In team formats where each Player gets a different allowance, such as the scrambles, one percentage is shown per Player, labeled A, B, C, and D.
Points: Stableford and Quota also show the points for an eagle, birdie, par, bogey, and double bogey.
Payout: Define how purse or points are awarded to Players and teams. For more details, see Payouts below.
Save the game.
Several games can be added to the same event, and each gets its own Leaderboard on the results page. An added format is ticked in the list of formats, and its settings open inline when it is edited from the list of active games (as shown below). Games can be edited or removed one at a time.
Advanced Options
When adding a predefined game, you can click "Show advanced options" to see every setting the format supports, such as Competition, Scoring, Tie-break, Balls counted, Points (for quota and stableford formats), and more depending on the format. Opening advanced options doesn't change anything until the game is saved. For details on each setting, see Game Settings below.
Adding a Custom Game
Click "+ Add a custom game" on either the Individual or Team tab to build a game outside the presets (as shown below).
To add a custom game, follow these directions:
Click "+ Add a custom game."
Enter a Game Name.
Complete the game format settings. For details on each setting, see Game Format Settings below.
Select a Payout Type, if needed.
Click "Add game" to add the game to the event.
Game Format Settings
The following settings appear on a custom game and in a preset game's advanced options. The options available depend on the format and the other settings selected:
Format: The scoring format. Stroke Play and Match Play are the most common, but many others are available, including Stableford, Quota, Basic Skins, Silk Skins, Canadian Skins, Eagles, Birdies, Deuces, Treys, and Nassaus.
Competition: Who plays against whom. The options change with the selected format. The numbers in parentheses show Player positions in each pairing group. For example, (1v3 & 2v4) means the Player in position 1 plays the Player in position 3, and the Player in position 2 plays the Player in position 4. For details on all the Competition options, Click Here.
Balls: Which balls count toward the score. The options change with the selected Competition. For details on all the Ball options, Click Here.
Holes: The holes being played. For details on all the Holes options, Click Here.
Handicap: How Playing Handicaps are calculated. The options change with the format and the balls counted. For details on all the Handicap options, Click Here.
Tie-Breaking: How ties are broken throughout the Leaderboard. For details on all the Tie-Breaking options, Click Here.
Handicap Allowance: The percentage of handicap used.
When No Opponent(s): Only shown for match play formats. Sets whether a Player without an opponent wins by default or plays against par. For example, when singles matches (1v3 and 2v4) are played in the pairing group below, Linda either wins by default or plays against par, depending on the option selected.
This also applies when a pair has no opponents in Pair v. Pair (1&2 v 3&4) matches.
Payout Type: How purse and points are awarded to Players and teams. For details, see Payouts below.
Payouts
Each game can carry a payout. Purse and points are entered based on the selected options. An example below shows a Match format where they pay out points per match and per hole. For complete details on the available Tournament Score Points and Purse Options, Click Here. Note: Not all point and purse options listed in the linked article are available for Group Events.
Finishing Games Setup
When you are done with the games setup, click "Continue to Golfers" to continue setting up your event.
Games Step Notes:
A format whose scoring cannot share a round with the games already added is marked as an incompatible format and cannot be selected. Hover over it to see why.
Team formats are not available on a walk-on event, because teams are built from the pairings.
Adding a Skins game includes every Player already in the event. Skin games "Game Name" cannot be adjusted.
Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive only need a name, can be added more than once, and are scored by entering winners on the results page. So if you have several of one type, include the hole number in the name of the game. For example, if we have closted to teh pin on hole 4, you might call it "CTP #4".
At least one game is needed to continue with the setup.
Step 2: Golfers
After completing the games setup, you will move to the Golfers step in the wizard (as shown below).
On the Golfers step, you will add the Players who are playing in your event. Players can be added in the following ways (as shown below):
Search: Finds a Player by name across the group roster, the club's Master Roster, and other events on the customer account. Results appear from the second letter typed, each result shows where it comes from, and a Player found in several places is only displayed once. Pressing Enter adds the first result, or click the "+Add" to add a specific golfer.
Group Roster: Lists the group's roster, with its own search box, "Add" next to each Player, and "Add all" to add everyone at once (as shown below).
For more details on managing the group roster, Click Here.Previous Events: Select one of the group's earlier events and add its Players one by one or all at once.
Add Golfer Manually: Adds a Player who is not on any roster.
Note: Players already in the event are skipped, so adding everyone from a source never creates duplicates. A source with nothing to offer is disabled, with a short note explaining why.
Adding a Player Manually
To add a Player manually, follow these directions:
Click "Add golfer manually."
Complete the following fields (as shown below):
First Name: Required.
Last Name: Required.
Email: Optional, and checked before saving.
Handicap Index: Optional.
Handicap ID: Optional.
Phone Number: Optional. Only appears when the group already uses a phone field, and is used for scoring link text messages.
Gender: Optional.
[Screenshot needed: TM-GL-46 – Adding a Player manually]
Save the Player.
Golfer Notes
Each Player added is also entered into any Skins game on the event and added to the group roster.
Handicap Indexes are refreshed when the club's handicap service supports it, so Players added on the day of the round play off a current index.
Players can be edited, or removed after confirmation. Removing a Player takes them off the tee sheet and out of the event's games but leaves them on the group roster.
The step can be completed without Players, and Players can be added after the round has started.
Step 3: Pairings
On the Pairings step, decide how Players are grouped and when each group starts, then build the tee sheet. The step has three parts: the Pairings configuration panel, the tee sheet, and the list of Players who are not on the tee sheet yet (as shown below).
[Screenshot needed: TM-GL-47 – Pairings step]
Pairings Configuration
The configuration panel holds the group size, start type, and start times. It is open while nobody is on the tee sheet and collapses once the first Player is placed, leaving a one-line summary such as "Groups of 4 · Tee times from 9:00 AM, every 10 min." Click its title to open or close it at any time.
Pairing Group Size: Select groups of two to six Players. Making groups smaller asks for confirmation when Players would lose their place. Those Players are placed again wherever there is room, and any blind draws in those places are removed.
Start Type: Select one of the following:
Tee Times: Enter a first tee time with AM or PM, an interval in minutes, and a starting hole.
Shotgun: Enter a start time, a starting hole, and a hole assignment (Auto-assign (sequential) or Reverse direction).
Walk-on: There is no tee sheet. Players turn up and play, and the step lists them for reference only. Each walk-on Player still gets their own group and GGID, so everyone can score from their phone. Walk-on is not available when the event has a team game.
Click "Apply Tee Times" to write these values to every group on the tee sheet. With Tee Times, each group starts one interval after the one before it, all from the starting hole. With Shotgun, every group starts at the same time from its own hole.
Note: Switching between Tee Times and Shotgun changes nothing on the tee sheet until "Apply Tee Times" is clicked. Switching to Walk-on asks for confirmation, because it takes everyone off the tee sheet.
Placing Players on the Tee Sheet
Above the tee sheet, a status line counts the Players on the tee sheet, the Players not on it yet, and the groups. To place Players automatically, follow these directions:
Click "Place all on tee sheet." Note: Once Players are placed, this button becomes "Reorganize."
Select a placement method (as shown below):
Random: The default.
AB / ABCD: Offered by group size (for example, ABC for threesomes). Then choose Balance total H.I. (groups of four or fewer), Place from low to high, or Random.
By Entry Number: Available when the club has an Entry Number custom field.
By Custom Field: Groups Players by any custom field, with an option to consolidate pairings.
[Screenshot needed: TM-GL-48 – Placing Players on the tee sheet]
Players who are not on the tee sheet are placed first, in free places and then in new groups at the end. Each group keeps its tee time, starting hole, and blind draws.
Editing Groups and Places
Add Group: Click "Add group" to add an empty group at the end of the tee sheet with its own GGID.
Tee Times and Holes: Click a group's tee time or starting hole to change it. A tee time needs AM or PM (for example, 9:15 AM), and a hole can include a letter, such as 10A.
Reorder Groups: Drag a group's row, or use the arrow keys on the handle at the start of the row. Tee times and starting holes stay with their position on the tee sheet.
Delete a Group: Click the × at the end of the group's row and confirm. Its Players move to the list of Players not on the tee sheet.
Fill an Empty Place: Click the place and select a Player, or click "Add blind draw" to fill it with a blind draw.
Player Options: Click a Player to "Swap with another player," "Swap with blind draw," or "Remove golfer."
Blind Draw Options: Click a blind draw to "Replace blind" or "Remove blind."
Not on Tee Sheet: Click the arrow next to a Player in this list to place them in the first group with room.
On a desktop, Players and blind draws can also be dragged to another place on the tee sheet to move or swap them. If a move cannot be completed, the tee sheet returns to how it was and a notice explains why (as shown below).
[Screenshot needed: TM-GL-49 – Drag and drop on the tee sheet]
Notes:
On a phone, each group is shown on its own. Dragging, reordering groups, and editing tee times and holes are available on a desktop only.
Continuing with Players still off the tee sheet asks for confirmation, and any group without a tee time is given one.
Step 4: Course & Tee
On the Course & Tee step, select the course, the holes played (18 holes, front 9, or back 9), and the men's and women's tees (as shown below). The tees start from the course's default tee for each gender.
[Screenshot needed: TM-GL-50 – Course & Tee step]
Same Tee for All: Applies the selected tees to every Player on the tee sheet. Women play the women's tee, and every other Player, including Players with no gender saved, plays the men's tee.
Individual Tees: Lists every Player by group with a tee list next to each, so any Player can be given a different tee. Click "Apply to all golfers" to set the selected tee for everyone.
In Individual Tees, an orange dot marks every Player on a tee other than the selected men's tee, and a hollow red ring marks a Player who has no tee saved on this course yet. Hover over either badge for details.
Notes:
Changing the course resets the tees to the new course's defaults.
A nine-hole tee can only be played as nine holes.
On a walk-on event, this step only sets the default course, tees, and holes.
A course and a tee are needed to continue.
Group Leaders cannot add, import, or edit a course directly. Clicking "Edit" on a course offers "Create" or "Edit Copy."
Step 5: Review and Finish Setup
The Review step summarizes the event exactly as it is saved, with a link back to the step that owns each part (as shown below). It shows the games and their main settings, the number of Players, the course and tees, and the pairings. Anything missing is explained on the page, but nothing prevents finishing setup.
[Screenshot needed: TM-GL-51 – Review step]
Click "Finish Setup" to start the round. The round is set to In Progress, score entry is prepared for every Player, and Players can see their groups, tee times, and Leaderboards in the member portal. The results page then opens, and from then on it is where the event opens. For details on running the event, Click Here.
Returning to the Setup Wizard
Changes can be made in the setup wizard at any time, before or after setup is finished. To return to the setup wizard, follow these directions:
From the Group Leader dashboard, click "Go to Event" for the event (as shown below).
If setup has not been finished, the event opens in the setup wizard. If setup has been finished, the event opens on the results page. Click "Edit Event" to return to the setup wizard.
Click a step in the step bar to go straight to the part of the event that needs changing.
Notes:
Changes are saved as soon as they are made. A round that has already started is not started again when "Finish Setup" is clicked.
Customer Managers can open a group event from the Customer Center, which takes them to the same setup wizard or results page.
What's Next
Players added in the setup wizard are saved to the group roster automatically. The next step is reviewing the group roster, where Players can be added ahead of time, invited to Golf Genius, or downloaded. For details on managing the group roster, Click Here.