Decide the format before you invite anyone

The most common source of disputes in office pools is a rule that was never discussed before the tournament started. Lock in your decisions first, then open entries.

The key questions to answer up front:

• Which tournament? Pick one that your group will actually follow. Marquee events like the Masters, PGA Championship, and U.S. Open tend to drive the most participation because casual fans already know them.
• Scoring method. To Par scoring rewards balanced lineups and creates tighter standings. Earnings scoring rewards bold picks and creates more top-heavy outcomes. Neither is better — but you need to commit to one before entries open.
• How many tiers, and how many picks per tier. More tiers mean more golfers per team, more depth, and more ways for lineups to diverge. Fewer tiers keep setup simple and are easier for first-timers. If in doubt, start smaller.
• How many golfers count toward the score. Counting all picks rewards depth and punishes missed cuts more severely. Counting fewer than all picks adds a safety net and increases volatility. This is sometimes called a "pick 6, use 4" format or similar.
• Entry fee and payout structure. If money is involved, have the payout breakdown written down before you collect a single dollar. Agreeing on the split after the fact is how conflicts start.
• Entry deadline. Picks should lock before the first tee shot of the tournament. Some commissioners lock entries a day before to reduce last-minute scrambles.

Set up the pool

Once you have the format decided, create the pool and configure the settings to match.

The pool setup form lets you choose the tournament, scoring format, number of tiers, golfers counted, and whether entries are approved automatically or manually. If you are collecting fees, turn off auto-approval so you can confirm payment before a team goes live.

After creation, review the tier list before you send invitations. Golf Pool Pro pre-populates tiers based on world rankings and tournament field data, but you can adjust the groupings to reflect current form, course history, or any other criteria your group cares about. Changes to tiers need to happen before any teams are entered, so this is the time to get them right.

Write down the rules and share them

Players are much easier to manage when the rules are in writing before the tournament starts. A short message with the following is usually enough:

• Who can enter and how. Include the entry link and any age, eligibility, or organizational limits.
• How many teams each person can submit. One team per person keeps things simple. Multiple entries are fine, but be explicit about the limit.
• When picks lock. State a specific time and time zone, not just "before the tournament starts." Tee times vary and people will ask.
• How missed cuts and withdrawals are handled. In To Par pools, missed rounds score as +8. In Earnings pools, missing the cut typically contributes $0. State this clearly so there are no surprises mid-tournament.
• How ties are broken. Golf Pool Pro doesn't have a default tiebreaker (yet) but you should decide on one before you start collecting entries. If you are paying out money, if two teams tie for second place you would typically add up second and third place money and split it with the tied teams.
• How payouts work. List the finishing positions that pay out and the percentage or flat amount for each. If you have an odd number of entrants or a pot that does not divide evenly, decide in advance how you will handle the remainder.

Send this as a message, a pinned note in a group chat, or a direct email. The format does not matter. What matters is that everyone has it before they submit picks, and you have a record of what was communicated.

Collect entries

Share the pool entry link with everyone you want to invite. The link takes players directly to the picks form without requiring them to create an account first.

A few things to watch for during the entry window:

• Follow up with stragglers. Most pools have a few people who mean to enter but forget. A reminder the day before the deadline usually recovers several entries.
• Confirm payment before approving entries (if applicable). If you turned off auto-approval, entries will sit in a pending state until you approve them. Review each one against your payment records before approving.
• Watch the tier list if a golfer withdraws. If a notable golfer pulls out of the tournament before picks lock, notify the group and tell them to update their teams. If there is a withdrawl before the tournament starts, the dashboard will show an error indicator.

During the tournament

Once play begins, your main job is to keep communication flowing and avoid making exceptions on the fly.

Share the leaderboard link early. Post it to wherever your group communicates — group chat, Slack, email — before the first round starts. A leaderboard people can check on their phones makes the pool feel alive throughout the weekend.

Answer rule questions in writing. If someone asks a question in a group chat or direct message, answer it there and leave the reply visible. This creates a record and avoids the same question coming up twice from different people.

Do not make ad hoc rule changes mid-tournament. Once play has started, changing a rule — even a minor one — is perceived as unfair by the players it affects. If a genuine edge case comes up that your rules do not cover, acknowledge it, explain how you will handle it, and apply the decision consistently to everyone in the same situation.

Be consistent about missed cuts and withdrawals. Golf Pool Pro handles scoring automatically, but players will sometimes ask why a golfer is showing a particular score. Having the rules written down makes these conversations short.

After the tournament

Once the final round is complete and scores are official, verify the standings before paying out.

Check the leaderboard one last time after all scores are posted, since late corrections to official scores occasionally change the standings by a position or two. Most major tournaments finalize scoring within an hour of the last putt.

If there is a tie for a paying position, apply the tiebreaker you stated in your rules. If you did not specify a tiebreaker, the fairest default is to split the combined payout for the tied positions evenly.

Pay out promptly. The longer payouts sit, the more awkward the follow-up becomes. If you collected entry fees digitally, paying out the same way is usually the smoothest option.

Running the same pool again next year

Pools that run well year after year usually have a commissioner who keeps a few notes:

• What format worked and what felt off
• Whether the entry count was about right or if you want to grow or cap it
• Any rule questions that came up that the original rules did not cover
• When you started promotion and whether entries came in early or all at the last minute

A short note at the end of the tournament — even just a few bullets — makes the setup conversation the following year much faster and avoids repeating the same friction.