What Is a Calcutta in a Golf Tournament?

A Calcutta is essentially an auction where teams (or individual players) are “sold” to the highest bidder before or during a tournament. The money raised from this auction goes into a prize pool, which is then paid out to the owners of the top-performing teams—usually a percentage of the pot based on how well their team finishes.

This format adds a twist to the tournament, encourages friendly competition, and effectively raises significant funds for a cause.

• Each team (or golfer) is introduced, and a bidding war begins.
• Participants bid on the team they think will win or place highly in the tournament.
• The highest bidder becomes the “owner” of that team for the duration of the event.

• All money from the auction goes into a pot.
• A portion (e.g., 25–50%) can be retained for the charity; the rest is paid out as prize money.

• Teams compete in the tournament as usual.
• Final standings determine which bidders win portions of the prize pool.
  

They win a portion of the Calcutta prize pool if their team places high enough (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Pay out 60% to the winners

• 1st place:  Their owner gets 50% 
• 2nd place:  Their owner gets 30%  
• 3rd place:  Their owner gets 20%  

• Doesn’t automatically get a share unless:
• They bought themselves in the auction
• They made a deal with the winning bidder ahead of time

• Receives 40% 

These are informal agreements between the bidder and the team. For example:

• 50/50 Split: The bidder and the team agree to split any winnings.
• 75/25 Split: Bidder keeps 75%, team gets 25%.
• Team Buys Themselves: If a team thinks they’ll win, they might bid on themselves.
  

• Team Birdie Bros is bought by Tom Garcia for $1,500.
• They come in 2nd, earning Tom a $1,800 payout.
• Tom had a prearranged deal with the team to split winnings 50/50.
• So: Tom keeps $900, and Team Birdie Bros splits $900 among its players

Have more questions, please email us at info@charityunite.org