Getting Started with netGolfLeague

Everything you need to get your golf league up and running — from creating your account to posting your first scores.

Create a Member Account

The first step when signing up for netGolfLeague is to create your user login. You'll need basic contact information and must agree to the Terms of Service.

1

Visit netGolfLeague.com

Go to www.netgolfleague.com and click Sign Up or Free Trial.

2

Enter Your Information

Provide your name, email address, and create a password.

3

Accept Terms of Service

Read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to complete registration.

4

You're In!

Your account is ready. Now you can create your first league.

Tip: If you received a login & password via email from your league administrator, use those credentials instead of creating a new account. Log in, complete your member profile, and head to your league homepage.

Setup Your League

After creating your account, set up the basic parameters for your league. You can choose between a Premium subscription (full features) or a Basic plan.

What you'll configure:

  • League Name — the name that appears throughout the site
  • Season Description — a label for the current season (e.g. "Summer 2024")
  • Season Duration — start and end dates
  • Subscription Type — Premium or Basic
Premium subscribers: Once your league is set up, follow these six steps — verify setup, add golfers/teams, configure scoring, schedule rounds, play golf, and enter scores.

Setup a Season

A Season ties all your golfers, teams, events, and scores together. Season setup has five key components:

1. Golfer Management

Add, delete, move, or copy golfers between seasons. You can also change member status, send invite emails, and compose general messages to your league.

2. Team Management

For leagues using team scoring, create team names and assign golfers to teams. Teams are the foundation for Match Play and Best Ball scoring.

3. Schedule & Scoring Management

Generate or add events with automatic scheduling. Set the golf course from the NGL database (or submit a new course). Create team matches and golfer pairings. Post individual scorecard results.

4. Team Scoring Setup

  • Match Play — configure hole points and match points
  • Best Ball — use the lowest score per hole from each team

5. Individual Scoring Setup

  • Stroke Play / Medal Play — total strokes count
  • Stableford — points awarded per hole based on score vs. par

Scorecard Options

  • 9-hole or 18-hole rounds
  • Maximum hole score limit
  • Optional putt tracking

Golfer Management

The Golfer Management screen gives administrators full control over league membership.

Adding a New Golfer

Click Edit on the Golfers section, then the Add button. Required fields are marked with asterisks. You can use Quick Add Golfer with an email address — if that email already exists in the NGL system, the golfer is automatically linked to your league.

Sending Login Credentials

Select one or more golfer names, choose Invite from the Email dropdown, then click Email. This sends each golfer their personal login ID and password.

Giving Members Access — Two Methods

  • Shared Login: Distribute a shared Player Login ID & Password that golfers use to create their own profiles.
  • Individual Invite: Add each member individually and email their personal credentials directly.
Golfer already in another league? Use Quick Add with their email address. NGL will automatically link their existing account to your new league — no duplicate profiles needed.

Team Management

For leagues using team-based scoring, you'll need to set up teams before scheduling matches.

1

Open Team Management

Navigate to Season Setup and select the Teams section.

2

Create Team Names

Enter a name for each team in your league (e.g. "Eagles", "Birdies").

3

Assign Golfers

Drag or assign golfers to each team. A golfer can only belong to one team per season.

4

Save Configuration

Click Save to finalize your team roster before scheduling matches.

Schedule & Scoring Setup

The scheduling system lets you generate a full season calendar automatically or add events one by one. Access it via Schedule & Scoring in the Main Menu, the Schedule link on the Homepage, or Setup → Schedule & Scoring Management.

Generating Events

Click Schedule and Scoring → Generate Events. Set parameters including first group tee time, start/end dates, frequency (weekly or bi-weekly), and day(s) of play. Events auto-generate with default names "Week 1," "Week 2," etc. — which can be edited. Running Generate Events multiple times will not delete previously configured events.

Adding a Single Event

Use Schedule & Scoring → Add Event. The event form includes fields for date, time, event type, status, and a description area for notes.

Setting the Course

Two methods: search the NGL database by course name, city, and/or state; or submit new course information (typical processing time: 48 hours). Course Rating and Slope Rating are needed for accurate handicap calculations.

Setting Up Matches

From Schedule & Scoring: Generate All Matches creates team pairings across all events (skipping events already configured). Use Edit Matches or Generate Matches to modify individual event pairings.

Setting Up Pairings

Select Generate Pairings from the event dropdown for automatic golfer pairings within team matchups. Use Edit Pairings to customize individual pairings. Pairings must be created before player names appear on the scorecard entry screen.

Playing both nines? Create two same-day events per week (e.g. "Week 1 Front 9" and "Week 1 Back 9") with separate team and pairing schedules. This lets you track front and back nine scores independently.

Posting Scores

Click the Scorecard option in the event dropdown. Enter the gross score for each hole. If tracking putts, append a slash and the putt count (e.g. 5/2 = 5 strokes, 2 putts). The system enforces your configured maximum score per hole. Past scores can be backdated using the Post League Info feature if your league joins mid-season.

Team Scoring Setup

Access via Setup → Team Scoring System Wizard. Choose between Match Play, Best Ball, or disabled. Each has its own configuration screen.

Match Play

Players compete hole-by-hole. The lowest gross or net score (configurable) wins the hole and earns points per your setup. Key settings:

  • Pairings per Match — number of pairings per match (e.g. 4 pairings)
  • Standings Display — Total Match Points or Wins & Losses
  • Hole Points — points awarded for winning or halving individual holes
  • Match Points — points awarded for winning or tying overall matches
  • Net Score Option — use net or gross score to determine hole winners
  • Match Outcome Determination — Option 1: compare total holes won; Option 2: compare total net/gross strokes
  • Forfeit Points — points awarded when a golfer has no opponent (plays against course par) and for attendance
  • Match Best Ball Points — additional team points based on combined net scores of a specified number of players

Match Play Examples (Net Score)

PlayerHole PointsMatch Points (Option A: Holes Won)Match Points (Option B: Net Score)Total
Player AWon 3, Halved 3 → 3 + 1.5 = 4.5Tied 3–3 → 1 ptLost 34–33 → 0 pts5.5 / 4.5
Player EWon 3, Halved 4 → 3 + 2 = 5Tied 3–3 → 1 ptWon 33–34 → 2 pts6.0 / 7.0

Match Play Examples (Gross Score)

PlayerHole PointsMatch Points (Option A: Holes Won)Match Points (Option B: Gross Score)Total
Player AWon 3, Halved 4 → 3 + 2 = 5Won 3–2 → 2 ptsWon 36–37 → 2 pts7.0
Player EWon 2, Halved 4 → 2 + 2 = 4Lost 2–3 → 0 ptsLost 37–36 → 0 pts4.0
Note on Best Ball net score: If Total Net Score is used to determine which team wins the match (rather than holes won), the result may differ. For example, if Team 2 had a lower combined net score than Team 1, Team 2 would win the match points even if Team 1 won more holes — making the point totals much closer.

Handicap Distribution in Match Play

  • Option 1 — Full handicap distribution without difference calculation
  • Option 2 — Subtract lower handicap from higher before allocating strokes

Best Ball

The best net or gross score of a specified number of golfers per team counts for each hole. Key settings:

  • Golfers per Team — how many players per team in each match
  • Scores to Determine Best Ball per Hole — e.g. best 2 of 4 scores count
  • Score Type — Net or Gross
  • Standings Display — Total Match Points or Wins & Losses
  • Hole Points & Match Points — same as Match Play
  • Match Outcome Determination — Option 1: lowest combined net scores; Option 2: holes won

Best Ball Examples

TeamHole PointsMatch Points (Option A: Holes Won)Match Points (Option B: Total Score)Total
Team 1Won 5, Halved 1 → 5 + 0.5 = 5.5Won 5–3 → 2 ptsWon 79–80 → 2 pts7.5
Team 2Won 3, Halved 1 → 3 + 0.5 = 3.5Lost 3–5 → 0 ptsLost 80–79 → 0 pts3.5

Individual Scoring Setup

Access via Setup → Individual Scoring System Wizard. Two choices:

Stroke Play / Medal Play

Two types:

  • Total Gross Score — total actual strokes; lowest score wins
  • Total Net Score — total strokes minus course handicap; lowest net score wins

Stableford Scoring

Points are awarded per hole based on the golfer's score versus par (adjusted for handicap). Settings include:

  • Points Determination — net or gross scores relative to par
  • Rounds Used — how many rounds to include in total points calculation
  • Custom Point Values — configure points for each score relative to par

The standard Stableford system awards positive points only. "The International" modification also penalizes scores with negative points for holes scored poorly.

Setting Up for Year 2 and Beyond

Starting a new season is quick when you already have golfers in the system.

1

Create a New Season

Go to Setup and create a new season. Set the start date earlier than today so it becomes the active season.

2

Copy Golfers from Last Season

On the Golfer Management screen, use the Copy function to bring all previous golfers into the new season automatically.

3

Update Teams & Schedule

Reassign golfers to teams if needed, then generate your new season's schedule.

4

Review Handicap Settings

Decide whether to use all-time scores or current-season-only for handicap calculations.

Split seasons? Create separate seasons with distinct date ranges and set handicap calculation to "Use scores for all seasons for this league" (the default) to carry handicaps across splits.