What Are Golf Tournament Flights?
Flights divide players or teams into brackets based on skill level- usually by handicap. This structure creates competitive balance, especially in large tournaments. Instead of crowning a single winner, each flight has its own standings and awards, which makes the event more fun for all skill levels.
Step 1: Choose Your Format - Individuals or Teams
Decide whether you’re flighting individual players or teams:
- Individual Flights are common in stroke play or match play formats. Players are grouped by individual handicap index.
- Team Flights are better for formats like scrambles, best-ball, or shambles. These require a group handicap calculation.
Shortcut: If you’re using a platform like Kismet, you can upload rosters and indicate the format- individual or team- and flighting setup is handled automatically.
Step 2: How to Assign Players to Flights
There are three common strategies:
Handicap Ranges
Divide players or teams into flights based on fixed handicap brackets. For example:
- Flight A: +4–5.9
- Flight B: 6.0–11.9
- Flight C: 12.0–17.9
This method keeps skill levels consistent within each flight.
Even Split
Divide the field into equal-sized flights without factoring in handicap. Best when skill levels are already fairly tight.
Hybrid Method
Create even groups while still observing rough handicap boundaries. This balances structure with fairness
Tip: With Kismet, you can choose any of these methods in just a few clicks.
Step 3: How Many Flights to Create
Use this rough guide based on field size:
- Fewer than 40 players: 1–2 flights
- 40 to 80 players: 3–4 flights
- 80 to 120 players: 4–6 flights
- More than 120 players: 6 or more flights
Aim for 10 to 20 players (or teams) per flight for balanced competition.
Let Kismet do the math. Enter your field size and preferences- it suggests the ideal number of flights automatically.
Step 4: Calculating Team Handicaps
If you’re using teams, you’ll need a fair way to determine each team’s handicap.
Option 1: Average
Add up all player handicaps and divide by the number of players.
- Example: (6 + 10 + 14 + 18) ÷ 4 = 12
Option 2: Percentage Method
Widely used in scrambles to level the playing field.Example for a 4-player team:
- 90% of lowest handicap
- 10% of second lowest handicap
Everyone else is excluded from the team handicap total.
This keeps stronger players from overpowering the format.
Option 3: Combined (Sum) Method
This method levels the playing field.Add all handicaps together for one total team handicap. Used in formats where the total team handicap is subtracted from the gross team score.
- Example: Team handicaps are 6, 10, 14, and 18
- Combined = 6 + 10 + 14 + 18 = 48
- Combined = 6 + 10 + 14 + 18 = 48
This method is straightforward and often used in net-score formats.
Shortcut: Kismet has these formulas built in. Select your format and it calculates the team handicap automatically.
Why Use Kismet?
Manually managing flights can take hours. Between spreadsheets, handicap lookups, and manual grouping, it’s easy to miss something.
Kismet automates the busywork:
- Import rosters from a spreadsheet
- Choose team or individual format
- Select a flighting strategy
- Auto-calculate team handicaps
- Generate and publish flights in minutes
Whether you’re a golf pro or planning your first outing, Kismet helps you run a fair, competitive event with minimal hassle.
Final Thoughts
Well-structured golf tournament flights are the foundation of a successful event. The right system keeps players engaged and the competition fair. With tools like Kismet, you can skip the grunt work and focus on delivering a great experience.
