Play your friends from different golf courses
Go Live Golf lets you play a golf match against friends who are on a different course, on a different day. Each player attaches their own round, and the app compares the scores net to par using each player’s course handicap for the tees they actually played.
Now on theApp Store- Any course, any day, one match
- Fair net-to-par comparison
- Stroke play or match play
What is a cross-course golf match?
A cross-course golf match is a head-to-head game between golfers who play separate rounds on different courses. Scores are converted to net to par with each player’s course handicap so the result is fair even though the courses differ.
It is made for friends who moved away, groups split across two clubs, and anyone whose regular game fell apart because of geography or schedules rather than lost interest.
- Price
- Free for golfers & spectators
- Works on
- iPhone app on the App Store, or any browser
- Watching
- One link, no account or download
- Available
- Courses across the United States
How to play a golf match on two different courses
You set the match once. Each player plays whenever and wherever suits them.
Create the match
Start a cross-course match, invite your opponent, and set the stake, 9 or 18 holes, and a play-by date.
Choose the format
Pick stroke play for total net score to par, or match play to compare hole by hole.
Play your own round
Each player plays their own course and scores as normal. The round can be followed live by anyone.
Attach the round
Attach your round to the match. When both cards are in, the head-to-head board shows the result.
How does the app make two courses fair?
Raw scores from two courses mean little on their own: a 78 on a hard course can be a better round than a 75 on an easy one. Go Live Golf uses the same principle a club uses to run a competition across different tee boxes.
- Course handicap per tee. Each player’s handicap index is converted into strokes for the course rating and slope of the tees they played.
- Net to par. Strokes are applied and the score is measured against par, not as a raw total.
- Compare. Stroke play compares total net to par; match play compares holes in round order.
Learn more in course handicap vs handicap index.
What the app does in a cross-course match
The tricky part of a long-distance match is the arithmetic. That is the part the app does.
Any two courses
Players can be at different clubs, in different states, on different days.
Course handicap per tee
Each player's handicap converts to strokes for the exact tees they played.
Net to par
Scores are compared to par after strokes, so a harder course is not a disadvantage.
Play-by date
Set a deadline so the match actually gets played.
Watch each other live
If your rounds overlap, follow each other hole by hole from two courses.
Stake and result
The head-to-head board shows the winner and what is owed.
What a cross-course match does not solve
Two golfers on two courses face different weather, different conditions and different pin positions, and no handicap system controls for that. The comparison is as fair as a club handicap event, which is the standard recreational golf already uses.
It also relies on honest scoring, because nobody from the other side is watching. That is fine for friends; for anything with real stakes, play in person.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play a golf match against someone at another course?
Yes. In Go Live Golf each player posts a round at their own course, and the match compares the two rounds net to par using each player's course handicap.
Is it fair if one course is harder?
Course handicap adjusts for difficulty through the rating and slope of the tees played, and comparing net to par handles the rest. It is about as fair as a club handicap competition, though weather and conditions still vary.
Do both players have to play on the same day?
No. You set a play-by date, and each player plays any time before it. The match settles once both rounds are attached.
Can a cross-course match be match play?
Yes. You can choose stroke play, which compares total net score to par, or match play, which compares holes in order — your 1st against their 1st.
How much does it cost?
Cross-course matches are part of the free golfer account.
Challenge the friend you never get a tee time with
Different courses, different days, one result. Free to set up.
Now on theApp Store