Per player pricing means you pay a set fee for each golfer in your event, and nothing else. For tournament scoring, that makes your cost easy to predict: 40 players at $1 each is $40, whether you run one event this year or five. With Chase Birdies, that flat $1 per player per tournament is the whole bill. There is no subscription and there are no hidden fees.
This guide explains how per player pricing works, how to add up the full cost of an outing, and how to decide whether it fits your event.
TL;DR
- Per player pricing charges a flat amount for each golfer in your tournament, so your cost grows only when your field does.
- Chase Birdies charges $1 per player per tournament, billed before the event goes live. No subscription, no hidden fees.
- Scoring is a small slice of your budget. Course fees, food, and prizes are the big lines, so budget those per player too.
- Per player pricing fits one-off outings, member events, and fundraisers best. Organizers who run many events should simply multiply and compare.
- Set your entry fee from your total cost per player, then add a buffer.
Table of Contents
- What per player pricing means for tournament scoring
- What the $1 per player gets you
- How to calculate your total cost per player
- What typical per player prices look like
- Per player fees, flat fees, subscriptions, and free tools
- Is per player pricing right for your event?
- Who pays, and when
- How to set up your tournament in six steps
- Setting your entry fee with scoring included
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Perspective
- Ready to price your event?
- FAQ
- Sources
What per player pricing means for tournament scoring
Most software is sold in one of three ways: a monthly or yearly subscription, a flat fee per event, or a fee per person. Per player pricing is the third one. You count your golfers, multiply by the rate, and that is your cost.
Here is why that matters when you organize golf events yourself.
- You pay for what you use. A 16-player member-guest costs less than a 120-player charity scramble, and that is fair.
- You can predict it. You know the number before you start, because you set the field size.
- You are not stuck in a contract. If you run one event a year, you do not pay for the other eleven months.
With Chase Birdies, the rate is $1 per player for each tournament. You can see the current price on the pricing page. We bill it at checkout, before your tournament goes live, so you know exactly what you owe up front.
For a deeper look at how this compares with other pricing styles, read our guide to golf tournament software pricing.
What the $1 per player gets you
A per player fee is only a good deal if the tool does the job. Here is what a tournament on Chase Birdies includes:
- Hole-by-hole score entry. Players or designated scorers enter scores as they go. See how it works on the scoring page.
- Editable scorecards. Fix a mistake without starting over.
- A live leaderboard. Standings update as scores come in. Take a look at the live leaderboard feature.
- Public or PIN-protected leaderboards. Share it with everyone, or keep it to your group.
- Multiple formats. Scramble, shamble, scotch, best ball, stroke play, and match play.
- Any device. It is mobile-friendly, and viewers do not need to register or download an app.
- Quick setup. You do not need technical skills to build your event.
That is the entire package at one rate. We do not split features into tiers, so you do not have to decide which plan you need before you know how your day will go.
How to calculate your total cost per player
Scoring is the cheap part of a tournament. The real money goes to the course, food, and prizes. If you only budget for scoring, you will undercharge on entry fees. Build the total cost per player instead.
Step 1: Start with the course quote
Ask the course for a price. Some courses charge per player. Others charge a flat rental fee for the whole field or the whole course. If you get a flat quote, divide it by the number of players you expect.
Example: a $5,000 course quote with 100 players is $50 per player.
Step 2: Add the per player extras
List everything each golfer receives. Common lines include:
- Meal or lunch
- On-course drinks
- Goody bag or giveaway
- Mulligans or contest add-ons
- Scoring software
The scoring line is the easy one. At $1 per player, it adds $1 to your cost per player.
Step 3: Add the event-wide costs
Some costs are not per person: signage, printing, prizes, payment processing, and marketing. Add them up, then divide by your expected number of players, just like the course quote.
Step 4: Add a buffer
Players drop out and prices creep up. A cushion of 10 percent or so protects you. Pick a number you are comfortable with and stay consistent.
A worked example
Here is a sample 100-player outing. These are illustrative numbers for planning, not a quote from any course.
| Line item | Total | Per player |
|---|---|---|
| Course quote (flat) | $5,000 | $50.00 |
| Lunch | $1,800 | $18.00 |
| Prizes and signage | $700 | $7.00 |
| Scoring at $1 per player | $100 | $1.00 |
| Subtotal | $7,600 | $76.00 |
| 10% buffer | $760 | $7.60 |
| Break-even per player | $8,360 | $83.60 |
In this example you would need to charge at least $83.60 per player to break even. A charity event would charge more, since the extra is what you raise. Our golf tournament budget guide walks through a full charity template.
What typical per player prices look like
If you are setting an entry fee, it helps to know the range. One golf event planning guide suggests budgeting $75 to $125 per golfer for a casual event, $125 to $200 for a standard charity event, and $200 or more for a premium one. It describes a typical per-golfer price as bundling the round, cart, and range balls, with food, gifts, and signage as extras.
Use those ranges as a starting point, not a rule. Your course, region, and field will move the number. Get your own quote first, then compare.
Per player fees, flat fees, subscriptions, and free tools
There are four common ways to pay for scoring. Here is how they differ, described by type.
| Pricing type | How you pay | Works well when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per player | A set amount per golfer, per event | You run a few events a year, or field sizes vary | Total grows with field size |
| Flat event fee | One price per tournament | Your field is always about the same size | Small fields may pay more than they need to |
| Subscription | Monthly or yearly | You run events all year, or manage a whole facility | Paying in months you run nothing |
| Free tools | No charge | You just need a basic tally | Fewer features, and you may do more by hand |
None of these is wrong. The question is how often you run events and how big they are. A subscription is built for large facilities with year-round play. A per player fee is built for the individual organizer.
Do the quick math
Take your yearly player count and multiply by $1. If you host two events with 60 and 90 players, that is 150 player entries, or $150 for the year. You never pay for months with no events. If you want the long version, see our post on pay-as-you-go golf scoring.
Is per player pricing right for your event?
Run through these questions.
- How many events will you run this year? One to a few: per player pricing is a natural fit.
- Does your field size change? If it does, you want a cost that moves with it.
- Are you a volunteer or nonprofit? You likely want a cost you can state to a board or a sponsor in one line.
- Do you need it fast? If your outing is next week, quick setup with no contract matters more than a long feature list.
- Do players need to download anything? Not with Chase Birdies. Viewers open the leaderboard on any device without registering or installing an app.
Best fits
- Casual outings and friend groups. A weekend scramble, a bachelor party, a family reunion.
- Club member events. Member-guests, club championships, and season-opening days.
- Nonprofit fundraisers. You can pass scoring costs into the entry fee at a rate that is hard to notice.
- Last-minute events. No sales call, no onboarding, no contract.
Who pays, and when
You, the organizer, pay. Players and viewers never pay to score or watch. We bill the $1 per player at checkout before your event goes live, so there are no surprises on tournament day.
If you collect entry fees in advance, think about how to schedule those payments too. Some organizers split registration into a deposit and a balance to keep the budget safe. This guide on registration payment plans with deposits shows how clubs set that up.
How to set up your tournament in six steps
If you decide per player pricing works for you, here is the quick path.
- Count your players. Use your best guess. You can plan from there, and your cost is simple: players times $1.
- Choose your format. Scramble, shamble, scotch, best ball, stroke play, or match play. If you are not sure, our guide to golf tournament games can help you pick one that raises money and keeps pace.
- Build the event. Add your course, groups, and format. It takes minutes, and no technical skill is needed.
- Choose public or PIN-protected. Public suits a fundraiser with sponsors and spectators. A PIN suits a private club event.
- Pay at checkout. $1 per player, before you go live.
- Share the link. Players and scorers enter scores hole by hole, and the leaderboard updates as they go.
Want the full plan from start to finish? See how to run a golf tournament step by step or the 8-week planning checklist.
Setting your entry fee with scoring included
Once you know your break-even cost per player, you have three ways to set the fee.
- Break-even pricing. Good for club events where the goal is a fair day, not profit.
- Break-even plus a margin. Good for fundraisers. The margin is what you give to the cause.
- Sponsor-supported pricing. Sponsors cover holes or prizes, and you keep the player fee lower.
Because scoring costs just $1, it should not change your entry fee in a visible way. That is the point of per player pricing. It stays small and stays honest as you grow. If your event has payouts, our 1-in-4 payout rule shows how to build them. If handicaps matter in your field, see how to automate golf tournament handicaps for the same $1 per player.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Budgeting only for the software. The course and food drive your price. Start there.
- Forgetting dropouts. Count on a few no-shows, and plan your buffer.
- Paying for a year to run a day. Match the pricing style to how often you play.
- Waiting until the last minute to choose a format. Format decides your scorecard setup, so pick it early.
- Skipping the test. Open the leaderboard on a phone before the day. Make sure scorers know how to enter a score and fix one.
Perspective
Most organizers we talk to are not running a business. They are a volunteer on a committee, a club member who got asked to "handle the tournament," or a friend who wants a good day for a group of golfers.
Those people do not need a plan with tiers. They need to know what it costs, that it works on a phone, and that they will not be charged next month for an event that is over. That is why we charge $1 per player and nothing else.
We built Chase Birdies for the individual organizer rather than the large facility. Setup is fast, viewers do not need an app or an account, and the leaderboard updates as scores come in. You should spend your energy on the golfers and the cause, not on a billing page.
If you can count your players, you can price your scoring.
Jon
Ready to price your event?
Chase Birdies is built for organizers who want live scoring and a leaderboard without a subscription. You pay $1 per player for each tournament, billed before your event goes live, and that is all.
See the pricing page to get started, or browse a few live golf leaderboards to see what your players and spectators will see. For a charity event, our charity golf tournament checklist covers the rest.
FAQ
How much does per player pricing cost with Chase Birdies?
It costs $1 per player for each tournament. You pay at checkout before your event goes live. There is no subscription and there are no hidden fees, so 72 golfers cost $72.
Is per player pricing cheaper than a subscription?
That depends on how often you run events. If you host a few tournaments a year, you pay only for the players you score, rather than for months with no event. Add up your yearly player entries and multiply by the rate to compare.
Do my players have to pay or sign up?
No. You, the organizer, pay the per player fee. Players and viewers can follow the leaderboard on any device without registering or downloading an app.
Should I include the scoring fee in my entry fee?
Most organizers fold it into the total cost per player. At $1 per player it is a small line, so add it to your budget next to the course, food, and prizes, then add a buffer.
Can I use per player pricing for a charity tournament?
Yes. Nonprofits and fundraisers are among the events it suits best, because your cost is predictable and rises only with your field. Build your total budget per player first, then set your entry fee from it.