What is the Minnow Golf Tour?
The Minnow Golf Tour is an amateur golf series started in 2024 to provide a fun and competitive golf experience while supporting rural 9-hole golf communities and growing the game of golf in Iowa.
The schedule will feature 9-hole courses throughout the state of Iowa. It will include individual "sanctioned" stroke play events as well as 2-person "major" events. The sanctioned events will be ran by the courses they are hosted at. These events have been going on for many years, at the Minnow Tour we want to support these events by attracting more players. Players must reach out to the host course for more information and registration. The major events are ran by the Minnow Golf Tour, players register here. Points will be awarded to top finishers at all events, with more points being awarded at the "Major" events. The top players on the season-long points list will qualify for the Tour Championship. Large cash prizes along with unique team formats will attract the best players from across the state. Fields are limited so be sure to sign up early to ensure your spot.
"Major" event information: Tee times will start at 8 am with 8 minute increments and each event will be 18 holes. Each event will have a max of 36 teams and there will be various formats throughout the season including Scramble, Best Ball, and Shamble. No handicaps, all events will be low gross score.
The entry fee will be $309 per team ($9 online transaction fee) and each player from the winning team will receive $1,000 (the max amount allowed for an amateur player). 40% of teams will be paid, which is the top 15 teams based on a full field. For ties, the prize money will be split evenly. For example if three teams tied for 4th, the teams would split the total prize money for 4th, 5th, and 6th place which comes out to $516.67 for each team. In the event of a tie for first place, there will be a sudden death playoff.
| Purse Breakdown | |
| 1st | $2,000 |
| 2nd | $1,200 |
| 3rd | $800 |
| 4th | $600 |
| 5th | $500 |
| 6th | $450 |
| 7th | $400 |
| 8th | $350 |
| 9th | $325 |
| 10th | $300 |
| 11th | $275 |
| 12th | $250 |
| 13th | $225 |
| 14th | $200 |
| 15th | $175 |
| Total | $8,050 |
What sets the Minnow Tour events apart from other team events around the state is the prize pool. We pay out the max amount to the winners within the rules, so you will not lose your amateur status from playing our events. Not only do the winners get max payout, we pay deep, so even if you and your partner are not on your “A game”, there is still something to play for if you don’t win. You will also discover some fun golf courses that are much cheaper and less crowded than the 18-hole courses in the cities! There are countless “hidden gems” scattered throughout the state. We want to showcase these courses. All tournaments will have live scoring/leaderboards, social media coverage, and hole signage to provide a legitimate tournament experience.
Sponsor opportunities are available for the major events. 20% of all sponsor proceeds at each major event will go towards supporting the local high school golf program where the event is held. Please reach out if interested in joining our mission of growing the game of golf in rural Iowa and supporting the next generation of golfers.
Tournament refund/cancellation policy: Registered teams can get a full refund if they withdraw more than 1 week in advance of the registration deadline Registered teams can receive a refund minus a $50 fee if they withdraw within 1 week of the registration deadline. After the registration deadline, no refunds will be given. This will discourage withdrawals and will give us time to hopefully fill their spot. If an event is cancelled due to weather all teams will be refunded in full.
At the Minnow Tour, we look forward to building a community of golfers from all across Iowa. If you want the Minnow Tour to come to your home course or if you have a course in mind, feel free to reach out!
Stay tuned for more updates!