How Elo Golf Works
The same rating system that powers chess rankings, adapted for golf. Simple, fair, and incredibly competitive.
What is Elo?
The Elo rating system was invented by Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-American physics professor, to rate chess players. It has since been adopted by countless competitive games and sports.
The core idea is simple: your rating changes based on the outcome of matches against other rated players. Beat someone higher rated than you? Big gain. Lose to someone lower rated? Big loss.
Over time, your Elo rating becomes a highly accurate measure of your skill relative to everyone else in the system.
Starting Rating
How Golf Matches Work
Groups Form Automatically
When you tee off, everyone in your group (same tee time, same starting hole) becomes your opponent. A typical foursome creates 6 head-to-head matches: Player A vs B, A vs C, A vs D, B vs C, B vs D, and C vs D.
Stroke Play Determines Winners
At the end of the round, whoever has fewer strokes wins the head-to-head. It's that simple. No handicaps, no adjustments—just raw scores. This means your Elo truly reflects your playing ability.
Elo Changes Based on Expected Outcome
If you beat someone rated much higher than you, you gain more points (and they lose more). If you beat someone lower rated, you gain fewer points. This creates a self-correcting system where upsets are rewarded and beating weaker players doesn't inflate your rating.
Example Match
Foursome Match Results
Marcus (1850) beat all 3 opponents and gained +12 points. Chen (1790) lost to everyone and dropped -16 points. Notice how Chen lost more than Marcus gained—that's because Marcus was expected to win against lower-rated players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why no handicaps?
Elo is designed to measure raw skill. Handicaps already exist for casual play. Elo Golf is for those who want to know where they truly stand against other golfers worldwide.
What if I only play at one course?
That's fine! As long as you're playing against other Elo-rated players, your rating will be accurate relative to them. Over time, as they play elsewhere, the entire network becomes connected.
How do I improve my Elo quickly?
Beat players rated higher than you. The bigger the rating gap, the more points you earn. But be careful—losing to lower-rated players will cost you more than beating them gains you.
What happens in a tie?
Ties are counted as half a win and half a loss for both players. The Elo change is typically small since neither player exceeded expectations.
Can I see my ranking history?
Yes! Your profile tracks your Elo over time, showing your peak rating, recent form, and full match history.