Commissioner Guide

Running a golf league takes more than collecting scores.

As a Golf League HQ commissioner, you manage the structure behind league night: players, seasons, teams, rounds, pairings, substitutes, scoring, standings, dues, and communication.

This guide walks through those responsibilities using the current Golf League HQ commissioner experience.

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Overview

Commissioners have access to the league-management tools needed to set up and operate a league.

Depending on the feature, you may be able to:

• Create and configure leagues
• Create seasons and schedules
• Add and manage players
• Approve Senior Tee eligibility
• Build teams and flights
• Schedule rounds
• Create and manage pairings
• Assign substitutes
• Monitor live scoring
• Unlock scorecards
• Resolve scoring issues
• Recalculate standings
• Manage dues and wallet activity
• Post announcements
• Manage course-related information

Some management responsibilities can also be handled by a league Secretary.

The exact controls available depend on the role and screen.

Before You Begin

A Golf League HQ league has several layers:

Organization The home for your leagues and players.

League The competition and configuration your golfers participate in.

Season The active period of league play, including scheduled rounds and season-specific information.

Rounds Individual league events.

Teams and Pairings Who plays together and how each round is organized.

Understanding that structure makes the rest of the commissioner workflow much easier.

Commissioner Workflow

A typical commissioner journey looks like this:

1. Create the league
2. Configure league settings
3. Create a season
4. Add or invite players
5. Build teams and flights
6. Schedule rounds
7. Review player availability
8. Create pairings
9. Assign substitutes when needed
10. Manage scoring during the round
11. Complete the round
12. Recalculate standings
13. Review dues and wallet activity
14. Communicate with players

Not every league uses every feature, but this is the general operating flow.

Two Important Commissioner Responsibilities

There are two current workflows worth understanding before league play begins.

Standings require recalculation

Completing or verifying rounds does not automatically update the standings.

After the appropriate round results are complete, use the standings Recalculate action to refresh the standings.

Assigning a substitute doesn't change the pairing automatically

Golf League HQ includes substitute-management tools, but assigning a player through the substitute-request workflow does not automatically place that golfer into the round's pairing.

If the substitute needs to appear in a pairing, review and update the pairing separately.

Commissioner vs. Secretary

Golf League HQ also supports a Secretary role.

Secretaries can assist with a number of operational tasks, including parts of:

• Handicap management
• Senior Tee approval
• Round management
• Substitute management
• Live scoring
• Scorecard unlocking
• Standings recalculation
• Wallet transactions
• Announcements

Some areas remain commissioner-controlled, including key league settings and several pairing and dues-management actions.

If you're working with a secretary, decide ahead of time which responsibilities each person will handle.

Your Dashboard

The Dashboard gives you a quick operational view of your Golf League HQ activity.

Commissioner-facing Dashboard information includes:

• Active Leagues
• Total Players
• Next Round
• Dues Outstanding

Quick Actions include:

• Add Player
• Schedule Round
• Start Scoring
• Subs

Use the Dashboard for the big picture, then move into the specific league when you need to manage setup or league-night operations.

Best Practices

Build the structure before adding complexity

Start with:

1. League
2. Season
3. Players
4. Teams
5. Schedule

Then move into pairings, substitutes, scoring, and standings.

Review your settings before opening play

Several commissioner settings affect scoring, handicaps, approvals, dues, and notifications.

Review them before the season begins rather than discovering them during league night.

Treat round completion as a checklist

A useful commissioner post-round routine is:

1. Confirm scorecards
2. Resolve discrepancies
3. Complete the round
4. Recalculate standings
5. Review special-hole results
6. Review dues or buy-in activity if applicable

Keep league communication clear

Golf League HQ provides announcements and email-related features, but commissioners should still make expectations clear around:

• Pairing times
• Substitute procedures
• Score approval
• Dues
• Rainouts
• League rules

Common Questions

Do I need to be a commissioner to manage a league?

Commissioners have the broadest league-management access. Secretaries can assist with several operational areas, but some controls remain commissioner-specific.

Can a secretary help with scoring?

Yes. Secretaries can access scoring-management functions, including score entry and scorecard unlocking.

Do standings update automatically after a round?

No. Use Recalculate in the standings area after the appropriate results are ready.

If I assign a substitute, are they automatically placed in the pairing?

No. Substitute assignment and round pairings are separate workflows. Review the pairing after assigning a sub.

Where should I start when setting up a new league?

Begin with Create Your League, then move through League Settings and Seasons & Schedule.