Payout Structure
Below is a breakdown of how the payout system works for TwinCitiesGolf.com events.
Note that since 2000, we have used a skewed (payout different placements) so that all players have a chance to win something every time they tee it up. Specific payouts at each event is provided on the rules sheet at check-in and may vary event to event based on format and prize pool.
Clarification on what happens if one (or more) members of a team does not get in on the prize pool:
a) SKINS - If a member of a team does not get in on SKINS, they do not get paid if their team wins a skin and that portion of the skins pot prize money is distributed amongst the other skins winners. For Best Ball events, skins are paid to individuals.
b) TEAM PLACEMENT - If a member of a team does not get in on TEAM PLACEMENT, their portion of the placement prize money is rolled to the next placement position (eg. if 1st Place, rolled to 2nd). If one member of the team did get in on the placement prize pool, they are awarded their portion of the team payout and the remainder is rolled down to the next placement position (eg. if $200 for 1st place two-person team and one enters and one does not, the player who entered gets $100 and the other $100 is rolled to 2nd place).
>>For examples, view actual event payouts from recent events, click here (link to view results are at the top of that page)
Each event will feature 2 optional prize pools: #1 Placement & On-Course Contests & #2 Skins. Each prize pool is $10 to enter.
Beginning in 2022, if a team wins a tournament (lowest team score) and played from the closer set of tees, both players must then play from the further tees (same as 84 or less average score players) in future TCG events.
History of How our Prize Payout System has Evolved (by Kevin Unterreiner, Founder)
When I founded TwinCitiesGolf.com and first started running events back in 1997, we were paying out the top 10 places.
What quickly happened was people stopped playing saying “We don’t have a chance to win anything as we are average golfers” and the SAME players won all the time. We tried handicapping but that only attracted sandbaggers and again more people stopped playing because “it wasn’t fair” and “we don’t have a chance to win”.
By 2000, we had settled into our current payout system of paying out random places…as outlined above.
Since then, we have run over 1,000 events with this format (locally and nationally as the Golf Galaxy Tour) and while I agree it’s a bummer when a team shoots better than another team and they get paid and you don’t, our payout system does give EVERY team a chance to win EVERY time they tee it up. Over the past 20+ years, I can honestly count on one hand the number of people who have complained about the way we do our current payouts and our player replay rate is very high. Most importantly, golfers have FUN in our events because the focus is on enjoying the round, the course, and the team they are playing with…not the prize pool.
For most TCG events, our entry fees are the SAME or LOWER than the courses actual green fee so we hope that golfers play to enjoy a fun round of golf with some friendly competition – and view it as a bonus if they end up winning some prize money. Because of this, we attract great quality players who are playing for the right reasons. You can also just relax and enjoy the round because you never know if you’ll end up in the middle of the pack and still win something.
As always, we love hearing feedback from players and take all comments to heart. We’ll continue to strive towards running events that are fun and that attract our target player – ones that are playing for FUN and to enjoy some friendly competition at great tracks.
See you on the tee!
Kevin Unterreiner
Founder, TwinCitiesGolf.com
