Pin HighCalcutta
Auction off the field. Bid on golfers, build the pot, and get paid out on how your players finish.
Start a Calcutta- Runs forOne tournament
- Auction16 golfers + the field
- The potEvery winning bid
- PaysTop four finishers
What is a golf Calcutta?
A Calcutta is an auction pool and a long-standing tradition at member-guests and club events. Instead of picking golfers, you buy them. Every winning bid goes into one pot. When the tournament ends, whoever owns the best finishers splits it.
Because the pot is made of everyone's bids, a Calcutta grows with your group. It's also the most social format: the auction itself is half the fun.
How a Calcutta works on Pin High
- Start a Calcutta for the tournament and invite your group.
- Run the auction. The top sixteen golfers by the odds go up one at a time, and the highest bid wins each one.
- Sell the field. Everyone else in the tournament, plus anyone nobody bid on, is sold as one final lot.
- Build the pot. Every winning bid is added to the pot automatically.
- Get paid on finishes. When results are final, the owners of the top four finishers are paid out.
Calcutta payouts
| Finish | Share of the pot | On a $1,000 pot |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 50% | $500 |
| 2nd | 25% | $250 |
| 3rd | 15% | $150 |
| 4th | 10% | $100 |
Payouts are rounded to whole dollars, and any leftover goes to the winner's owner so the pot always pays out in full.
Running a great auction night
Get everyone together, in person or on a call, before the first round. Agree on bid increments up front, give each lot a short countdown so the auction keeps moving, and save the field for last when people know what's left in their budgets. Pin High shows the current lot, who's winning it and the running pot, so nobody has to keep a spreadsheet.
Calcutta bidding strategy
Know the pot before you bid
A golfer is only worth buying if their chance of finishing top four, times the payout, is more than you pay. Estimate the total pot early so you know what a fair price looks like.
The favourites are usually overpriced
Bidding wars on the top names push their prices past their real odds. The best value is often in the middle of the auction, after the big spenders have used up their budgets.
Don't ignore the field
The field lot is dozens of golfers in one, and someone outside the favourites finishes top four more often than people expect. It can be the best buy of the night.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Calcutta in golf?
A Calcutta is an auction pool. Entrants bid to own golfers in a tournament, every winning bid goes into one pot, and the owners of the best finishers split the pot.
How is a golf Calcutta paid out?
On Pin High, the owner of the winner takes 50% of the pot, 2nd place pays 25%, 3rd pays 15% and 4th pays 10%.
What is "the field" in a Calcutta?
The top sixteen golfers by the odds are auctioned one at a time. Everyone else in the tournament, plus any golfer nobody bids on, is sold together as one final lot called the field.
Does Pin High handle the money?
No. Pin High runs the auction and tracks the pot, owners and payouts. Your group settles up however it normally does.
Run your Calcutta on Pin High
Live bidding, an automatic pot, and payouts worked out for you.
Start a CalcuttaOther formats: 5 Majors · One and Done · Tiered Picks