A Flag Tournament is one of golf's most visual and exciting formats, turning a regular round into a strategic race against your own stroke allowance. Instead of just posting a score, your goal is to make it as far as possible around the course before your strokes run out. In this guide, we'll walk through exactly how this format works, covering the rules, key strategies to help you get your flag further than anyone else, and even how you can set one up for your own golf group.
Imagine being given a specific number of strokes at the start of your round - let's say 90 - and being tasked with playing golf until you use every single one. You count every swing, every penalty stroke, every tap-in. When you take your 90th and final shot, you walk to where your ball comes to rest and plant a small flag in the ground with your name on it. That's your finish line.
The winner of the tournament is the player whose flag is the furthest along the course. It's a simple, brilliant concept that adds a layer of suspense to every shot, especially as you near your stroke limit.
The beauty of this format is its use of the handicap system, which makes it fair and competitive for golfers of all skill levels. Your total number of strokes for the day is determined by adding your course handicap to the par of the course.
Here’s a quick example:
Your mission is to play 90 strokes of golf. Your friend who is a 5-handicapper would have an allotment of 72 + 5 = 77 strokes. The competition is to see who manages their allotment a best to get further down the course.
The rules of a Flag Tournament are straightforward, which is a big part of its appeal. Here’s how a typical event unfolds.
This is the first and most important step. Before you tee off, you need to know your "magic number." The formula is simple:
Course Par + Your Full Course Handicap = Your Total Stroke Allotment
It’s essential to use each player's full, unaltered course handicap to keep the game fair. If a player doesn't have an official handicap, you can use the Callaway or Peoria handicapping systems for a one-day event, or just make an honest estimate.
The tournament organizer will provide each player or team with a small flag. It’s usually a small paper or plastic flag attached to a wire stake that's easy to stick in the ground. You’ll write your name (or your team’s name) on the flag so everyone knows who it belongs to. You hold onto this flag throughout your round.
This is where disciplined scorekeeping comes in. You must count every stroke you take.
There are no mulligans or friendly "gimmes." You play by the Rules of Golf, because every stroke is a precious resource you're spending from your allotment.
This is the dramatic conclusion to your round. As you play, you'll be ticking off strokes from your total. When you get to the point where you are about to play your final allotted shot, the game plan may change.
The moment arrives: Let's say you had 90 strokes, and you just finished putting out on the 17th green for your 89th stroke. You walk to the 18th tee with one stroke left. You take your driver and hit your 90th and final shot. Let's say it lands perfectly in the middle of the fairway, 220 yards out.
Your round is over. You walk right to where your ball came to rest, take out your flag, and plant it right there in the fairway. That's your final spot.
What about a few other scenarios?
After everyone has finished, someone (usually the event organizer or golf professional) will drive the course to find the final flag. It’s a fun celebration to drive past flags in the 16th fairway, on the 17th green, and an final discover the winner's flag sitting triumphantly in the middle of the 18th fairway.
A Flag Tournament is less about brute force and more about smart, steady play. Since every stroke moves you closer to the end of your game, the goal is to play efficiently and avoid costly mistakes. Here are some coaching tips to help your flag go further.
This is my biggest piece of advice. The handicap system is already working in your favor to level the playing field. You don’t need to do anything extraordinary. Your best path to success is to play solid, percentage-based golf. Going for a hero shot - like trying to carry a pond you only clear 1 out of 5 times - is a recipe for disaster. That one bad decision could cost you 2-3 extra strokes, which could be the difference of 100 yards at the end of your round.
Think of your strokes like a Caddie. You want to spend them wisely, and not waste them early. This means:
As you near your stroke limit, the nature of the game changes slightly. Every single yard matters. For instance, if you have two strokes left and you are 200 yards from the green on your final hole, normally you'd just trying to advance the a ball to setup your final shot. But int he Flag tournament you want advance to your ball as far a possible to improve to your finish line.
Here’s how to think about your final shot:
If you're in the fairway with one shot left, don't automatically grab your driver if you struggle to make solid contact. You'll gain a far more yardage making solid contact with a well-struck 3-wood for 210 yards down the fairway is much better than a topped driver that only rolls 50 yards. Your last swing isn't about getting to a target, it's about pure, unadulterated distance. Hit the club that gives you the most reliable distance.
While the classic single-player format is the most common, Flag Tournaments can be adapted for a team-based fun.
Want to try this with your weekend golf group? It's really simple to set up. Follow these five steps:
Imagine being given a specific number of strokes at the start of your round - let's say 90 - and being tasked with playing golf until you use every single one. You count every swing, every penalty stroke, every tap-in. When you take your 90th and final shot, you walk to where your ball comes to rest and plant a small flag in the ground with your name on it. That's your finish line.
The winner of the tournament is the player whose flag is the furthest along the course. It's a simple, brilliant concept that adds a layer of suspense to every shot, especially as you near your stroke limit.
The beauty of this format is its use of the handicap system, which makes it fair and competitive for golfers of all skill levels. Your total number of strokes for the day is determined by adding your course handicap to the par of the course.
Here’s a quick example:
Your mission is to play 90 strokes of golf. Your friend who is a 5-handicapper would have an allotment of 72 + 5 = 77 strokes. The competition is to see who manages their allotment best to get further down the course.
The rules of a Flag Tournament are straightforward, which is a big part of its appeal. Here’s how a typical event unfolds.
This is the first and most important step. Before you tee off, you need to know your "magic number." The formula is simple:
Course Par + Your Full Course Handicap = Your Total Stroke Allotment
It’s essential to use each player's full, unaltered course handicap to keep the game fair. If a player doesn't have an official handicap, you can use the Callaway or Peoria handicapping systems for a one-day event, or just make an honest estimate.
The tournament organizer will provide each player or team with a small flag. It’s usually a small paper or plastic flag attached to a wire stake that's easy to stick in the ground. You’ll write your name (or your team’s name) on the flag so everyone knows who it belongs to. You hold onto this flag throughout your round.
This is where disciplined scorekeeping comes in. You must count every stroke you take.
There are no mulligans or friendly "gimmes." You play by the Rules of Golf, because every stroke is a precious resource you're spending from your allotment.
This is the dramatic conclusion to your round. As you play, you'll be ticking off strokes from your total. When you get to the point where you are about to play your final allotted shot, the game plan may change.
The moment arrives: Let's say you had 90 strokes, and you just finished putting out on the 17th green for your 89th stroke. You walk to the 18th tee with one stroke left. You take your driver and hit your 90th and final shot. Let's say it lands perfectly in the middle of the fairway, 220 yards out.
Your round is over. You walk right to where your ball came to rest, take out your flag, and plant it right there in the fairway. That's your final spot.
What about a few other scenarios?
After everyone has finished, someone (usually the event organizer or golf professional) will drive the course to find the final flag. It’s a fun celebration to drive past flags in the 16th fairway, on the 17th green, and finally discover the winner's flag sitting triumphantly in the middle of the 18th fairway.
A Flag Tournament is less about brute force and more about smart, steady play. Since every stroke moves you closer to the end of your game, the goal is to play efficiently and avoid costly mistakes. Here are some coaching tips to help your flag go further.
This is my biggest piece of advice. The handicap system is already working in your favor to level the playing field. You don’t need to do anything extraordinary. Your best path to success is to play solid, percentage-based golf. Going for a hero shot - like trying to carry a pond you only clear 1 out of 5 times - is a recipe for disaster. That one bad decision could cost you 2-3 extra strokes, which could be the difference of 100 yards at the end of your round.
Think of your strokes like money in a budget. You want to spend them wisely, and not waste them early. This means:
As you near your stroke limit, the nature of the game changes slightly. Every single yard matters. For instance, if you have two strokes left and you are 200 yards from the green on your final hole, normally you'd just try to advance the ball to set up your final shot. But in the Flag Tournament, you want to advance your ball as far as possible to improve your finish line.
Here’s how to think about your final shot:
If you're in the fairway with one shot left, don't automatically grab your driver if you struggle to make solid contact. You'll gain far more yardage making solid contact with a well-struck 3-wood for 210 yards down the fairway than a topped driver that only rolls 50 yards. Your last swing isn't about getting to a target, it's about pure, unadulterated distance. Hit the club that gives you the most reliable distance.
While the classic single-player format is the most common, Flag Tournaments can be adapted for a team-based fun.
Want to try this with your weekend golf group? It's really simple to set up. Follow these five steps:
A Flag Tournament turns a normal round of golf into a fun, strategic competition that is accessible to all skill levels. By focusing on strategy and avoiding high-risk mistakes, you can give yourself the best chance of getting your flag further down the course than you ever thought possible.
To make the most of every single shot in a format where they all count, having an expert opinion can make a real difference. That’s where our tool, Caddie AI, can help. You can get instant advice on club selection or safe strategies for tricky holes, helping you make smart decisions to avoid wasting precious strokes. When you're standing over a tough shot that could be the difference between planting your flag in the middle of the 18th fairway or in a deep fairway bunker, we can give you the clear, confident plan to hit a great shot.
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