Why flights exist
Handicaps are supposed to make golfers of different ability compete fairly, but in practice a field with one prize table is won by whoever has the most generous handicap. Flights fix this by sorting the field into groups of similar ability, each with its own prizes. Everyone has a realistic chance at something, and the lowest handicappers are not competing against a field they cannot beat.
Step 1: Decide what you are flighting
In an individual event, you flight players. In a team event you flight teams. In a mixed event you may flight the teams by their team handicap, which is the handicap your format gives the team. For a scramble the team handicap comes from the percentage method; for best ball it is each player's own allowance. Work out the number you will flight on before you cut anything.
Step 2: Rank the field
Sort players or teams from lowest to highest handicap. Use the same handicap basis for everyone: Course Handicap for the tees they will play, not Handicap Index. A player on the back tees will have a higher Course Handicap than one on the forward tees with the same index, and the ranking should reflect that.
Step 3: Choose how many flights
The right number depends on the size of the field and how many prizes you want to give. A rough guide is to keep at least four teams or six individuals in a flight so a prize means something. A field of 60 players in 30 teams could comfortably have three flights of ten teams, or two flights of fifteen. More flights means more winners, but it also dilutes each prize and raises your cost.
Step 4: Cut the flights
There are three common ways to cut the flights.
- Equal numbers: divide the ranked list into equal parts. Simple and predictable. It can split two players with nearly identical handicaps across a boundary.
- Handicap bands: set the cut points by handicap, for example 0 to 9, 10 to 18, and 19 and over. Flights end up different sizes, but the bands are easy to explain.
- Natural gaps: look for a gap in the ranked list and cut there, so no two close players are separated.
Whatever you choose, never cut between two players with the same handicap. If a boundary would split a tie, move it to the next gap. And publish the rule before you publish the flights so nobody thinks you tuned them to pick winners.
A worked example
Thirty two-person teams play a scramble, and their team handicaps range from 2 to 17. Ranked from lowest to highest, the tenth team has a handicap of 6, the eleventh also 6, the twentieth 11 and the twenty-first 12. A cut after team ten would split two teams on 6, so you move the first boundary to after team eleven (or before team ten) and cut the second between 11 and 12 after team twenty. You now have flights of 11, 9 and 10 teams, and no tie is separated.
Step 5: Choose the format and allowance for each flight
Flights can play different formats. A common pattern is a best ball format for the low handicap flights and a scramble for the high ones, as many outings do, with one flight playing a shamble and another a scramble. Set the allowance for each format and publish it. The strokes by hole come from the stroke index on the scorecard.
Step 6: Decide net or gross
Flights are normally net, so that handicaps do the levelling within a flight. Many events also give a gross prize across the whole field for the best raw score, which rewards the low handicap players who would otherwise never win a net prize. If you give both, decide whether one person can win both.
Step 7: Cap the handicaps
A cap on the Playing Handicap stops a very high handicap from having an unfair advantage. A cap of 36 is a common example, or a lower cap such as 18 in a low handicap flight. Set the cap before the event and apply it equally. Keep it simple enough to explain in a sentence.
Step 8: Plan the tie-breakers
You will have ties. Pick a method in advance and print it on the rules sheet. A common method is a scorecard playoff: compare the last nine, then the last six, then the last three, then the last hole, using each team's score. Another is a coin toss, which is fast, but people rarely like it for the top prize. Whatever you choose, apply it to every flight.
Dealing with sandbagging
Sandbagging is playing to a handicap that is higher than your ability. You will never remove it entirely, but a few measures help: ask for a recent score or a handicap record when entering; review the handicaps after the first day of a two-day event and adjust those who are clearly out of line; and keep a modest prize for the best gross score. Do it openly and consistently, and make the process the same for everyone.
After the first round
In a multi-day event you can re-flight after day one, using the scores to move teams that played far better or worse than their handicap suggests. Announce the rule up front if you plan to do this so it is not a surprise.
Checklist
- Rank by Course Handicap on the tees played.
- Pick the number of flights and the cut method.
- Never separate players or teams with the same handicap.
- Set format, allowance, cap and tie-breaker for each flight.
- Publish the rules before the flights.