organiser · 30 June 2026 · By Simon Berriman, Founder of Caddie Live

How to Set Up a Live Leaderboard for Your Golf Day

Picture the end of a society day done the old way. Forty cards come in over twenty minutes, you're checking Stableford points by hand, someone's signature is missing, two cards don't agree, and a queue of players is asking who won while the beer goes warm. The prize-giving — the best bit of the day — turns into an admin scramble.

Now picture it the modern way. Scores go in on phones as the round happens. The leaderboard updates live on a screen in the clubhouse. The moment the last group enters its final scores, the full standings are ready to review, the winner is on the big screen, and you're handing out prizes instead of hunting for a calculator.

That's what a live leaderboard does, and setting one up is far easier than most organisers think. Here's how.

Why a live leaderboard beats paper cards

Three reasons, in order of how much they'll change your day:

No manual maths. Fewer mistakes. Handicaps and points are calculated automatically, so there's nothing to add up and far less to get wrong. The result is ready straight away. No twenty-minute gap between the last putt and the prize-giving — review the standings and you're done. It makes the day feel like an event. Players check their position at the turn, the chat in the groups picks up, and a leaderboard on the clubhouse TV gives the whole thing a proper tournament feel — especially for corporate and charity days where the experience is the point.

Once a group has played a day with a live leaderboard, paper cards feel like genuinely hard work.

What you need

Less than you'd expect. You don't need special hardware, scoreboards or a tech-savvy committee — just:

A scoring app that supports live leaderboards — Caddie Live is built specifically for this. Players with phones (one scorer per group is plenty — not everyone needs to enter scores). Optionally, a screen in the clubhouse — a TV or monitor to show the leaderboard to everyone. Nice to have, not essential.

That's it. If your group can use a WhatsApp chat, they can use a live leaderboard.

Setting it up, step by step

The exact taps vary, but in Caddie Live the flow is the same simple shape every time:

1. Create the event. Set the date, choose the course, and pick your format — individual Stableford, a team Scramble, Better Ball, whatever you've decided (see our guide to golf day formats if you're still choosing). The format you pick tells the leaderboard how to score.

2. Set the handicaps and allowance. Add your players' handicaps and the allowance for your chosen format, and the leaderboard will apply it consistently across the field — no manual stroke-counting. (More on getting this right in our handicaps for mixed-ability days guide.)

3. Invite your players. Share the event through WhatsApp, email, a link or QR code. Players can open the event on their phones and join their group without needing to create the competition themselves.

4. Sort the groups. In Caddie Live you can create the groups, assign players and adjust the draw before publishing it.

5. Nominate a scorer per group. One person per group enters the scores as you play. That's all it takes to keep the leaderboard live for everyone.

6. Put it on the clubhouse screen (optional). Display the live leaderboard on a compatible clubhouse TV setup so players can follow the standings as the scores come in. Test the connection before the day and leave the display running throughout the round. (See our separate guide on displaying a Caddie Live leaderboard on a clubhouse TV.)

Planning a day already? Create the event, add your players and set up the leaderboard in a few minutes. [Set up a free live leaderboard for your golf day →]

On the day: how it actually plays out

Players arrive, check the draw, and head to their tees. As each hole is played, the group's scorer taps in the scores — usually faster than filling in a paper card, and with no adding up at the end. The leaderboard updates for everyone in real time: players can glance at their phones at the turn, and anyone watching the clubhouse screen sees the standings shift as groups come in.

When the final group finishes, there's no lengthy scoring period. Review the final standings, confirm the result, and move straight to the prize-giving — reading the winners off the screen, handing over the prizes (see our prize ideas guide for what to give), and ending the day on its high point instead of in a queue.

Afterwards, each player keeps a shareable record of the round, complete with their score and performance from the day.

Tips for a smooth first time

Do a ten-second demo on the first tee. Show the scorers where to tap. It's obvious once seen, and it heads off questions later. One scorer per group is enough. You don't need everyone entering scores — pick the organised one in each group. Charge phones / mind battery. A round is four-plus hours; remind scorers to start with a decent charge. Test the clubhouse screen beforehand. If you're using the TV display, check it connects before everyone's standing around waiting. Keep paper as a backup the first time if it makes you feel better — you won't need it twice.

The bottom line

A live leaderboard turns the most stressful, error-prone part of organising a golf day — the scoring and the result — into the easiest and most enjoyable. It removes the manual maths, reduces scoring disputes, and gives your day the feel of a real tournament. The setup takes minutes, your players need nothing more than a phone, and the payoff lands at exactly the moment everyone's paying attention: the prize-giving.

If you're running a day this season, this is the single upgrade that makes the biggest difference. Set it up once and you'll never go back to paper.

[Create your golf day and start live scoring free →]