Question 1

How do entry fee payments work?

Accepted Answer

When participants join your pool, they pay their entry fee securely through our payment system. The money is held safely until the tournament ends, then automatically distributed to winners based on your payout structure (default: 70% / 20% / 10% for 1st / 2nd / 3rd place).

Question 2

Is my money safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All payments are processed through bank-level secure payment infrastructure. Entry fees are held in escrow until the tournament concludes, then distributed automatically. We never touch your funds directly.

Question 3

Can I really use it for free?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The Free tier supports up to 5 participants with basic pool features. Perfect for small friend groups. No credit card required to start. You only pay if you need automated payments, live scoring, and automatic payouts for larger pools (6+ players).

Question 4

What tournaments can I use this for?

Accepted Answer

RunPools works for all major golf tournaments including The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. We're also expanding to support football, basketball, and other sports leagues.

Question 5

How is this different from other golf pool platforms?

Accepted Answer

Most platforms only provide scoring tools - you still have to collect entry fees and pay winners manually via Venmo. RunPools automates the entire process: entry fee collection, live scoring, and instant winner payouts. Save 8+ hours per tournament.

Question 6

What happens if a golfer misses the cut?

Accepted Answer

Golfers who miss the cut receive a standard penalty score (typically 10 over par for the remaining rounds). This ensures fair scoring while keeping all participants in contention throughout the tournament.

Question 7

Do you support tiered and salary cap formats?

Accepted Answer

Yes! RunPools supports all popular formats including tiered (pick one golfer from each tier), salary cap (build your lineup within a budget), and snake draft formats. Choose the format that works best for your group.

Question 8

How do payouts work for ties?

Accepted Answer

If multiple participants tie for a winning position, the prize money for those positions is combined and split evenly. For example, if two participants tie for 1st place, they split the 1st and 2nd place prizes (70% + 20% = 90% divided by 2 = 45% each).

Question 9

Can I run pools for all four majors?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Our Enterprise plan ($199) includes all four major championships: The Masters (April), PGA Championship (May), U.S. Open (June), and The Open Championship (July). Pro plan covers individual tournaments at $49 each.

Question 10

How long does it take to set up a pool?

Accepted Answer

Creating your pool takes about 90 seconds. Name your pool, set the entry fee, choose your format (tiered, salary cap, or draft), and generate your invite link. Participants can join and make picks immediately.