Classic 9-Category Golf Pool
The Classic is a 9-category golf pool format built for groups that want real strategy, not just picking favorites and hoping.
Split the tournament field into nine categories based on world ranking, age, nationality, and major championship history. Every player in your group picks one golfer per category. Simple to understand, impossible to master.
The nine categories
Past Champions — previous tournament winners in the field
World Top 10 — the highest-ranked players in the world
Contenders — OWGR 11–25, the guys on the edge of elite
Dark Horses — OWGR 26–50, the picks that win pools
Veterans 36+ — experience over athleticism
International — non-U.S. players
Rising Stars — age 26 and under
Favorites — major championship winners
Longshots — OWGR 51+, the picks that make Friday interesting
The rule that changes everything
Once you pick a golfer in one category, he’s removed from every other category on your sheet. Scottie Scheffler is in your World Top 10? He’s gone from Favorites. Rory McIlroy in Past Champions? Can’t use him as International. One rule, nine decisions, and every pick changes the board for the next one.
How scoring works
Total strokes across all four rounds. Lowest combined score wins. Your commissioner sets the missed-cut penalty before the tournament — most groups use +8 or +10 for each missed round. Tiebreakers are set by the commissioner too.
Why groups stick with it
We’ve been running this format since 2010. Started with 5 entries, grew to 40+ with zero marketing. 68% of players come back year after year. The cross-category mechanic creates arguments, strategy sessions, and trash talk that salary cap and snake draft formats just don’t produce.
Friday cuts are brutal. When your Longshot misses the cut, you feel it. When your Dark Horse is leading after Round 2, you’re the smartest person in the group. That’s the format working.
Run it on TILT
Set up your Classic pool in under 3 minutes. Categories are pre-loaded — edit them if you want. Share the invite link. Picks lock at tee time. Live leaderboard handles the rest.
Your first pool is free. $49/season after that.