Should amateur golfers avoid the Calcutta auction?
If you are an amateur golfer who plays tournament golf, or is otherwise highly skilled and wishes to protect your amateur status, think twice before participating in a Calcutta auction. The USGA’s policy on gambling states that participating in Calcuttas can put amateur status at risk:
How does a golf Calcutta work?
In simplest terms, a golf Calcutta works like this: Golfers bid, auction style, on the golfer or team they think will win the tournament (typically you’re allowed to bid on yourself or your own team, too). Enter your bid on the golfer or team you think will win,…
What is a Calcutta Golf Tournament?
A Calcutta is a golf tournament where teams are bought by the highest bidder. All teams will go into the pool, and the proper handicapping will be announced and made public to all of the buyers. Then there is an auction which takes place, and there will be people who “pay” for a team.
What happens if my team wins the Calcutta tournament?
For example, your team is "won" in the auction by Team X; if this rule is in effect, you can pay half of Team X’s winning bid back to Team X in order to buy back half a stake in your own team. If your team then wins the tournament, your team and Team X split the Calcutta payout.