A simple golf league points system
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Good league scoring is easy to explain on the first tee and hard to argue with afterwards. A low-points format does both: your finishing place is your score, and the lowest total at season end wins.
How the points work
Rank everyone who played a round by net score. The winner takes zero points, second place takes one, third takes two, and so on. Over a season the points add up, and the lowest total lifts the trophy.
Winning matters most, but one bad round never ends your season, since the worst result is only a few points more than the best.
Why net score
Ranking on net score means every player is competing against their own handicap. The best golfer does not win every round, and the newest member still has a real chance every week.
When not everyone plays
Only the players in a round get points for it. If two of you play on a Tuesday, the winner takes zero and the other takes one, and the rest of the league is unaffected. Compare players on their average points per game so people who played more rounds are not penalised for it.
Tie-break rules
Agree these before the season starts. If two players are level on net score, the lower handicap takes the better place, since matching the net score took more skill. If they are still level, they share the points for those places.
Keeping the standings honest
Record every round the same day and let the table update automatically. Standings that only one person maintains in a spreadsheet are standings someone will eventually dispute.