Compete with anyone, at any course, on your own schedule.
Every sport has its competitive "pickup" game.
Basketball has the park. Soccer has the rec league. Golf has always been the exception.
Private clubs. Invitation-only outings. Group chats that take two weeks just to lock in a tee time. If you wanted competitive golf outside an official tournament, it wasn't easy to find.
18Birdies just changed that.
Public Tournaments and Leagues are now live on 18Birdies. Open competition at any course, free for every golfer.
Two unique ways to play.
Public Tournaments
18Birdies Tournaments with your friends are already great. Public Tournaments take it further. An organizer creates a tournament at a course of their choosing, sets a window for it to run, and opens it up to anyone. Any golfer who plays that course during the window can join and compete on a live leaderboard. Tournaments can span multiple rounds and courses, giving organizers the flexibility to build a competition that fits their group.
Public Leagues
You don't have to limit yourself to the same people every season with traditional 18Birdies Leagues. A public league is a season-long competition built around your home course. An organizer sets up a series of public tournaments, each with its own format, window, and leaderboard. Your performance in each round rolls into a single standings board that tracks the entire season. Connect and compete with golfers who love the same courses you do.
How It Works
Finding a Public Tournament or League
Public events are built to be found.
Open any course in 18Birdies and look for the "Course Events" section on the course profile. Every active public event at that course will be listed there with the name, dates, and total participants.
Not sure where to start? 18Birdies surfaces public events near you automatically. When a friend joins or finishes one it shows up in your community feed with their result and a link to the leaderboard. Or have someone send you a direct link and you are in with one tap.
The Leaderboard Waits for No One
Every public tournament runs over a set window that the organizer determines, whether that is a single day or an entire week. Play whenever you normally would, post your round, and your score lands on a live leaderboard.
For league players the competition runs all season long. Every round counts toward a leaderboard that rewards consistency as much as it rewards a great score.
The leaderboard updates every time someone posts a round. You can see exactly where you sit, how close you are to the top, and who is climbing. And when someone passes you, you can see exactly how they did it.
Public Tournaments and Leagues are available in almost every major format.
Stroke Play
Lowest score wins. The classic.
Stableford
Score points per hole. More under par, more you earn.
Best Ball
Play your own round. Team takes the lower score each hole.
Scramble
Everyone tees off. Team picks the best shot and plays from there.
How To Create Public Tournaments & Leagues
Tournaments
- Open Community and select the Events tab
- Create a Tournament and select Public
- Choose your format, course, and duration
- Share your link and you are live
Leagues
- Open Community and select the Events tab
- Create a League, give it a name, and choose your home course
- Add tournaments to your season and watch the standings build
- Share your link
Golf is better together
The best rounds you have ever played probably had nothing to do with your score. It was the group. The banter on the tee box. The conversations at the 19th hole with other locals.
18Birdies has always been built around that version of golf. The competition no longer stops with your group.
Public Tournaments and Leagues open that up to every golfer at your home course. The golfer who plays every Friday morning, the one you've never met, is now on your leaderboard.
The game just got a lot bigger.
FAQs
Is it free to join or create a public tournament or league on 18Birdies?
Yes. Public Tournaments and Public Leagues on 18Birdies are 100% free for both organizers and players. No Premium subscription required.
Do I have to play at the same time as other players in a Public Tournament?
No. Public Tournaments run over a set window and you can play anytime during that window. Your score posts to the live leaderboard whenever you finish your round.
Do I need to know the other players to join a Public Tournament or League?
No. Public Tournaments and Public Leagues are open to any 18Birdies golfer playing that course during the event window. No invite needed.
How do Public League standings work?
Each tournament within a Public League contributes points to a season-long leaderboard. Standings update automatically as rounds are posted throughout the season.
Can Public Tournaments have multiple rounds?
Yes. Public Tournaments on 18Birdies can span multiple rounds and courses under one format, giving organizers the flexibility to build a competition that fits their group.
Can I limit how many golfers join my Public Tournament or League?
Yes. When creating a Public Tournament or Public League you can set a maximum participant count. Once the limit is reached the event stops accepting new joiners from public discovery.
