Side Games for a Shotgun Start

How a Shotgun Works

Each group is sent to a different starting hole, and everyone tees off at the same time. A group starting on the 7th plays 7 through 18 and then 1 through 6. Par 5s and long par 4s can take two groups, labelled A and B, so a course can handle more groups than it has holes.

In theStick, the organizer turns on Shotgun start when building the groups. Each group gets a starting hole and one shared time, and the tee sheet shows both.

Field-Wide Skins

Skins across the whole field are the classic shotgun side game. On each hole, the lowest score across every group wins the skin, but only if no one else matches it. Ties usually carry over to the next hole.

The order holes are played in doesn't change the result. Skins are decided hole by hole across the field, whatever hole each group started on. theStick settles them once every group has finished.

Closest to the Pin and Long Drive

These contests are claimed on the course, not read from a scorecard, so they suit a shotgun well. Choose a par 3 for closest to the pin and a par 5 for long drive, and put a marker or a sign-off card at each.

theStick runs them as contests: a player claims a distance on the hole, the leader is whoever holds the best claim, and a later, better claim takes over. A contest can pay from the pot or be put up by a sponsor.

A Low Net (or Stableford) Pot

Most shotgun events have a main competition for the whole field. Low Net is simplest; Stableford is kinder to a field with a wide range of ability. Pay the top few places from the pot, with more places for a bigger field.

Keeping Score Across the Field

The hard part of a shotgun is pulling every group's results together. A few rules help:

In theStick, each group scores on one phone. The organizer sees every group's progress on the Live tab, and the leaderboard, skins and contests update for everyone with the link. When the round is finalized, the payouts are worked out for the whole field at once.

Paying Out

Agree the entry fee, the split between the main pot and the side games, and any rake before the event. The rake is the organizer's money. theStick doesn't take a cut or hold anything: players and the organizer settle with each other directly.