The Invitational
Friendship · Competition · Tradition
September 16–19, 2026 · Pinehurst, North Carolina
| Date | Course | Format | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 9/1611:44 / 11:52 AM | Matchbox | Team Aggregate Par-3 SCRATCH — NO STROKES | 1 |
| Wed 9/162:12 / 2:24 PM | Tobacco Road | 2-Man Best Ball Match Play | 2 |
| Thu 9/172:00 / 2:10 PM | No. 8 | 4-Man Team Stableford | 3 |
| Fri 9/188:20 / 8:30 AM | No. 2 | 2-Man Aggregate Match Play | 2 |
| Fri 9/183:30 / 3:40 PM | The Cradle | Team Shootout / CTP SCRATCH — NO STROKES | 1 |
| Sat 9/198:30 / 8:40 AM | No. 4 | Individual Singles Match Play | 4 |
| Sat 9/192:00 / 2:12 PM | No. 10 | Finale — Team Stroke Play | 4 |
No handicap strokes will be awarded on any par-3 hole, regardless of the round's handicap allocation. Any stroke that would otherwise fall on a par 3 is forfeited and is not redistributed to another hole.
Matchbox and The Cradle remain entirely scratch.
| Course | Format | Handicap |
|---|---|---|
| Matchbox | Team Aggregate Par-3 | Scratch — no strokes |
| Tobacco Road | Best Ball Match Play | 85% |
| No. 8 | Team Stableford | 85% |
| No. 2 | Aggregate Match Play | 90% |
| The Cradle | Shootout / CTP | Scratch — no strokes |
| No. 4 | Singles Match Play | 100% |
| No. 10 | Stroke Play Finale | 85% |
On the five handicapped rounds, strokes are applied off the lowest playing handicap in the match — that player goes to zero, everyone else gets the difference, allocated by the course's hole rankings.
Example: adjusted playing handicaps of 5, 11, 17, and 25 play at 0, 6, 12, and 20 strokes.
Update indexes as scores come in. Lock them the day before the trip — once locked, they're frozen for the whole competition and every playing handicap is calculated off these numbers.
Course Handicap = Index × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Rating − Par). Playing Handicap = Course Handicap × the round's allocation. Change any tee below and every player's strokes recalculate instantly.
Both resorts officially rate hybrid tees, so a mixed set is legal and carries its own rating. Full rated range is listed for every course — move up or back on the day depending on wind, pace, or how the group's holding up, and the strokes follow automatically.
Samuel Paley (5.9) vs. Joe Strong (7.2) — 18 holes, course handicaps, match-play strokes. Winner gets first pick.
Tap a player to assign him to a team.