A golf pool works like this: each person picks a set of golfers for a tournament, and you score based on how those golfers finish — lowest combined score (or most points) wins. The wrinkle that makes golf pools different from other sports pools is the cut: about half the field is eliminated partway through, so what happens to your missed-cut golfers is a rule you have to settle up front.

Here's the whole thing.

What is a golf pool?

A golf pool is a group game built around a golf tournament — usually a major or a big PGA Tour event. Instead of one bracket, everyone assembles a lineup of golfers and competes on a leaderboard based on their golfers' real results. Unlike a knockout pick'em pool, golf scoring is cumulative across all four rounds.

The main formats

Pick-your-golfers (draft/roster). The most common. Everyone picks a set number of golfers (say 4–6) for the tournament. Your score is the combined result of your lineup. Simple and social.
One-and-done (season-long). Pick one golfer per event across the season, and you can't reuse a golfer. The strategy is saving the stars for the right weeks — burn Scheffler at the Masters and you can't use him again. Great for a long-running group.
Salary-cap. Each golfer has a "price"; you build a lineup under a budget. Rewards finding value picks over just stacking favorites.
Sweepstake (random draw). Everyone's randomly assigned a golfer (or a few) from the field — zero skill, maximum fun, perfect for an office. Deal it instantly with the free sweepstake generator.
Skins / matchplay. Head-to-head or hole-by-hole variants for smaller, more hardcore groups.

How scoring works

Three common approaches:

Total strokes — add up your golfers' actual scores; lowest wins. Purest, but one missed cut can wreck you.
Finish position — points by where each golfer places (1st = most points, and so on). More forgiving of a single bad golfer.
Best N of M — pick 6 golfers, count only your best 4. Softens the blow of a missed cut or a withdrawal.

Best-N-of-M is the most popular for casual pools because it keeps everyone in it even if a pick flames out.

The missed-cut rule (the golf-specific gotcha)

After two rounds, roughly the bottom half of the field is cut and doesn't play the weekend. You must decide before the tournament how missed-cut golfers score. The common options:

Assign a penalty score (e.g. worst weekend score among golfers who made the cut, plus a stroke or two).
Count only golfers who made the cut (pairs naturally with best-N-of-M).
Zero points for a missed cut in a position/points format.

Whatever you choose, put it in the rules up front — the cut is where golf-pool arguments happen.

Handling ties and majors

Ties: decide a tie-break in advance — best single-golfer finish, or the performance of a designated "captain" pick.
Majors (Masters, PGA, U.S. Open, The Open) are the natural big-turnout events — most one-and-done and sweepstake pools center on them.

Frequently asked questions

How does a golf pool work?

Each player picks golfers for a tournament and scores based on how those golfers finish — usually lowest combined strokes or most position points, often counting your best N of M picks. The main formats are pick-your-golfers, one-and-done, salary cap, and a random sweepstake.

What happens if my golfer misses the cut?

That's set by your pool's rules, chosen in advance: either the golfer gets a penalty score, or they're dropped if you're using a best-N-of-M or made-the-cut-only format. Deciding this up front avoids disputes, because the cut eliminates about half the field.

What's the best golf pool format for an office?

A random sweepstake or a simple pick-your-golfers pool. Both need no golf knowledge to join, which maximizes turnout. Assign golfers instantly with the sweepstake generator and track it on a shared leaderboard.

What is one-and-done?

A season-long format where you pick one golfer per event and can't reuse them — so the skill is deciding which weeks to spend your best golfers. It runs all season and rewards planning.

Run your golf pool free

Set up a free golf pool, invite your group with a link, and let the leaderboard track every round.