How the 'Designated Round' Format Works
Designated Round is usually played by golf associations or leagues, although it can also be used by a group or groups of friends playing recreationally. In associations and leagues, golfers know they will be playing multiple rounds over the course of a month, or over the length of a season. But any extended time period can be use for Designated Round — even an entire year. The key is that all the golfers participating will be playing multiple rounds — rounds with friends, rounds for league play, rounds for association play, rounds in other tournaments. Rounds.
So Designated Round is a format that runs along side of those rounds already being played. And what has to happen is this: At some point within the stated time period (one month, one season, whatever), you must notify the tournament committee and/or your playing partners (no solo rounds can be used), "this is my designated round." Then you go out, play the round, and turn in your score. That is your designated round. And you must turn in a witnessed scorecard.
At the end of the tournament period, the tournament organizers compare all the scores made in the designated rounds, and announce the four lowest scores.
The four golfers who turned in the lowest designated rounds then get together for an additional round, the championship round: They play off over 18 holes. When those four golfers finish that playoff round, the winner is crowned, and the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers are known.
And that is Designated Round as a tournament format. Note that net scores are used, and also that tournament organizers might decide that the 4-man playoff does not have to be a full 18 holes. Maybe they decide on a 9-hole playoff, a 3-hole playoff, or even a sudden-death playoff.
As a format for a group of golf buddies, Designated Round doesn't use the playoff at all. If four friends play together every weekend, they can play Designated Round once per quarter (every three months). At the end of each quarter, the golfer who had the lowest score for her designated round (again, that round must be announced before teeing off) is the winner and claims a bonus pool they all contributed to at the start.
More formats:
