Tournament games step with Calcutta toggle

Step 1 of 6

Enable Calcutta

On the Games step of tournament setup, toggle Calcutta on. This adds a betting pool that runs alongside your tournament's other games.

The Calcutta works with any tournament format — Standard, Team v. Team, or Scramble.

What's a Calcutta? A betting pool where players are grouped into "lines" and payouts are based on combined performance. Think fantasy golf for your group.

Step 2 of 6

Configure Your Calcutta

Set the buy-in amount each participant pays into the pool. Choose how many players per line and pick your scoring mode — Gross, Net, or Off-the-Low (OTL).

Set payout tiers to decide how the pool is split — top 3, top 5, winner-take-all, or custom percentages.

Net vs Gross: Net scoring applies handicap strokes, so lines with higher-handicap players aren't at a disadvantage. OTL adjusts everyone off the lowest handicap in the field.

Step 3 of 6

Choose Assignment Method

Pick how players get assigned to lines:

Manual — tap to assign each player yourself. HCP Snake Draft — the app balances lines by handicap using a snake-order draft. Random — lines are shuffled and hidden until locked.

HCP Snake Draft creates the most balanced lines — the best and worst players are paired together, so every line has a fair shot.

Calcutta lines grid showing player assignments

Step 4 of 6

Review Lines

See the visual grid showing which players are on each line. For HCP and Manual assignments, lines are visible immediately.

For Random, each line shows "?" until you lock — keeping things interesting until everyone's committed.

Line names are auto-generated (Line A, Line B, etc.) so they're easy to reference during the round.

Step 5 of 6

Lock Lines in the Lobby

In the tournament lobby, tap Lock Lines to finalize all assignments. Random lines are revealed at this point — no take-backs.

Everyone in the tournament can see the full line assignments once locked. The Calcutta pool total is displayed based on buy-in count.

Timing: Lock lines before starting the tournament. Once locked, assignments can't be changed.

Step 6 of 6

Track Live Standings

On the Board tab, the Calcutta card shows ranked lines with combined net scores and projected payouts — updating in real time as scores come in.

See which lines are in the money, who's on the bubble, and how the pool is shaping up hole by hole.

Live payouts: Projected payouts update after every score entry, so everyone knows the stakes at all times.

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More Guides

Tournament Guide Side Bets Guide View All Guides →

The Easiest Way to Run a Golf Calcutta

A Calcutta is one of the most exciting formats in golf betting — players are grouped into lines, everyone buys in, and the pool pays out based on combined performance. Settle Up Golf handles all the complexity: balanced line assignments via HCP snake draft, real-time score tracking, and automatic payout calculations as the round unfolds.

The app supports three assignment methods so you can run the Calcutta however your group prefers. Manual mode gives full control, HCP Snake Draft creates balanced lines automatically, and Random mode adds suspense by hiding assignments until everyone's locked in. Once lines are set, the Board tab shows live standings with projected payouts updating after every hole.

Calcutta works alongside any other tournament games — add Skins, Nassau, or any side bet on top. When the tournament wraps up, the Settle Up sheet shows every payment including the Calcutta pool distribution. Looking to set up a full tournament? Start there for the complete guide.

How to Run a Calcutta