Navigation Menu Guide

Overview

This guide describes the mobile menu. On mobile, Buddies on the Green uses a two-level progressive menu: the top level shows the main categories, and tapping a category reveals the features inside it. This keeps the menu compact while making every feature reachable in two taps.

On desktop you won't find this menu at all. Desktop shows a horizontal navigation bar across the top of the page instead, with the same categories as drop-down menus. The feature lists below still tell you what lives where, but the taps, banners and buttons described here are the mobile experience.

Opening the Menu

Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner of the screen
The menu slides in from the side
Tap a category to expand it; tap an item to navigate

To close the menu, tap the X in the top-right, or tap outside the menu.

Menu Layout (Top-Level Categories)

The menu is organized into the following categories, in order:

Rounds

Everything about your rounds and scoring:

My Rounds — Round history and per-round stats
Shared Rounds — Rounds buddies have shared with you
Live Scoring — Open the mobile scoring screen for an active round
Stats — Player statistics and performance analytics

Courses

Find, save, and manage golf courses:

Home Course — Your designated home course community (shown when you've set a home course)
My Courses — Your saved courses
Find Courses — Search by name, city, ZIP, or nearby (GPS)

Gear

Equipment and on-course strategy:

My Bag — Your clubs (driver / irons / wedges / putter), distances, lofts
My Caddie — Your personal course playbooks with hole-by-hole notes

Buddies

Your social features:

My Buddies — Buddy connections and management
My Guests — Guest players (non-registered golfers you've added)
Messages — Direct messages and group chats (with unread badge)
Buddies Feed — Community feed for posts, round highlights, comments
Adaptive Golf Community — Resources, stories, and mentor matching for amputee and adaptive golfers

Games

Competitive play. Tournaments live here, not in any "Golf" tab:

Leagues — Season-based competition with flights, standings, and league tournaments
Tournaments — The Tournament Hub. Shows your active tournaments and the 6 format cards: Individual (Stroke Play / Stableford with optional Skins side game and CTP), Scramble (team stroke play), Best Ball (Best Ball / Two Best Balls / Cha-Cha-Cha / Best Balls by Par), Shamble (best drive + individual finish), Chapman (2-player teams — switched drives, then alternate shot), and Ryder Cup Style (team match play). Tap a card to open that format's hub, then tap "Create Tournament" to start the wizard.
Events — Browse and create golf events (tournament events automatically link to a Tournament)
Side Games — Browse the 11 built-in round-level side games
Putt-Putt — Nine holes of mini-golf you can play right in the app

Clubhouse

Personal dashboard and content:

My Dashboard — Your personalized landing page
Blog — Articles, tips, and product news
Features — Feature spotlight pages
My Offers — Your saved partner offers wallet (with badge for active offers)
Explore — Premium content discovery

Settings

Account and admin access:

My Profile — Profile, handicap, location services, account settings
Subscription — Plan, billing, and trial status
Admin — Admin tools (visible only to administrators)
Partner Dashboard — Partner course management (visible only to partners)

Profile Section

At the top of the menu, you'll find your profile quick access. It has two parts:

Photo & Name - Tap your avatar or name to open your profile page
Handicap Chip - Shows your current handicap index on the right (or "Set HCP" if you haven't added one). Tap it to update your handicap.

Changing Your Theme

The theme icon sits in the menu's header bar at the very top, next to the X close button — not in the profile row.

Tap the theme icon in the menu header
Choose from:
- Light - Bright, clean interface
- Dark - Easy on the eyes in low light
- System - Matches your device settings

Tournament Activity (Menu Banner)

Premium members see a Tournament Activity section near the top of the menu — just below your profile (and below the Continue Round banner when you have a round in progress). It's a one-tap shortcut to the tournaments you're competing in.

Lists the tournaments you're in that are live now or coming up, across all six formats (Individual, Scramble, Best Ball, Shamble, Chapman, Ryder Cup Style).
Each card is color-coded by format (Individual = teal, Scramble = green, Best Ball = amber, Shamble = rose, Chapman = sky, Ryder Cup = blue), with a green dot marking any tournament that's live now.
Tap a card to jump straight to that tournament.
The list stays compact: the first tournament shows in full, the second is condensed to a single line, and if you have more, a "See all (N)" button opens the Tournament Hub with the rest.
The section only appears when you actually have live or upcoming tournaments — finished tournaments drop off automatically. (Newly joined or created tournaments show up the next time you open the menu.)

This is the fastest way to rejoin a tournament without expanding the Games section.

The Play Button

Directly below the banners — the Continue Round banner and Tournament Activity, when those are showing — sits a full-width Play button. It's the quickest way to start golfing:

Tap Play to open the round chooser, then pick the kind of round you want (Just Me, Playing with Others, or Upload Scorecard)
When you already have a round in progress, the button switches to an outlined blue style so the Continue Round banner above it stands out as the more likely action
Starting a round requires a Premium subscription (or an active free trial). If you're signed out or not subscribed, tapping Play takes you to sign-up or the upgrade screen.

Using the Menu

Navigating to a Feature

Open the menu
Find the card for the feature you want
Tap the card
The menu will close and navigate to your destination

Quick Actions

View Profile - Tap your name/photo at the top
Update Handicap - Tap the handicap chip on the right of the profile row
Change Theme - Tap the theme icon in the menu header
Close Menu - Tap the X button or tap outside the menu

Account settings live under the Settings category → My Profile. There's no settings gear in the menu itself.

Menu Features

🎯 Easy to Find

Large, tappable rows (56px minimum for category rows, 60px for the items inside them)
Color-coded sections for quick scanning
Clear labels and descriptions
Organized by feature category

🎨 Beautiful Animations

When you open the menu, you'll notice:

Smooth slide-in animation
Cards appear in sequence (stagger effect)
Professional, polished feel

🌙 Dark Mode Support

Automatically adjusts colors for dark mode
Maintains readability and contrast
Smooth transitions when switching themes

📱 Mobile Optimized

Fullscreen on mobile for easy navigation
Large touch targets (44px minimum)
Swipe to dismiss by tapping outside
Works great with one hand

Tips & Tricks

Quick Profile Access

Tap your name or photo at the top of the menu to quickly jump to your profile page.

Close Shortcuts

Multiple ways to close the menu:

Tap the X button in the top-right
Tap outside the menu (on the dimmed background)
Press the ESC key (if you have a keyboard attached)
Navigate to any page (menu auto-closes)

Finding Features

Can't find what you're looking for? Use the category names as your map:

Rounds — anything to do with playing or reviewing a round
Courses — find, save, or view courses
Gear — clubs and on-course strategy (My Bag, My Caddie)
Buddies — friends, messages, community feed
Games — leagues, tournaments, events, side games
Clubhouse — dashboard, blog, offers, premium content
Settings — profile, subscription, admin

Theme Preferences

Your theme choice is saved automatically and will persist across sessions. Use "System" mode to match your device's day/night settings.

Accessibility Features

For Screen Reader Users

All menu items are properly labeled
Navigation order follows visual layout
ARIA labels provide context
Keyboard navigation fully supported

For Keyboard Users

Tab - Move between menu items
Enter/Space - Activate selected item
ESC - Close the menu
Visible focus indicators on all elements

For Touch Users

Large touch targets (44px+)
Active feedback when tapping
No tiny buttons or hard-to-tap areas
Optimized for thumb-friendly navigation

Troubleshooting

Menu Won't Open

Problem: Tapping the menu icon doesn't work

Solutions:

Try refreshing the page (pull down on mobile)
Make sure you have a stable internet connection
Update the app to the latest version
Try logging out and back in

Theme Toggle Not Working

Problem: Theme dropdown won't open (especially on iOS)

Solutions:

Make sure you're on the latest app version
Try tapping the theme icon again
Refresh the page
Clear your browser cache

Cards Not Responding

Problem: Tapping cards doesn't navigate

Solutions:

Make sure you're tapping the card itself (not just the background)
Try tapping more firmly (some screens need a harder touch)
Refresh the page
Check your internet connection

Menu Looks Different

Problem: Menu doesn't match this guide

Solutions:

Check that you're on a phone — this guide covers the mobile menu, and desktop uses a top navigation bar instead
You may be using an older app version; update to the latest
Clear your browser cache and reload
Contact support if issues persist

Getting Help

Can't Find a Feature?

Most features live under one of these categories:

Rounds — round history, live scoring, stats
Courses — find, save, and review golf courses
Buddies — buddies, messages, community feed
Games — leagues, tournaments, events, side games
Settings — profile and account preferences

Need Support?

If you're having trouble with the menu:

Check the troubleshooting section above
Make sure you're on the latest app version
Contact support through the app settings

Related Guides

PWA Installation Guide - Install the app for best experience
Rounds and Scoring Guide - Learn about tracking rounds
Buddy System Guide - Connect with other golfers
Course Finder Guide - Find and save golf courses

Questions? Contact support through the app settings or email support@buddiesonthegreen.com

Navigation Menu Guide

Overview

This guide describes the mobile menu. On mobile, Buddies on the Green uses a two-level progressive menu: the top level shows the main categories, and tapping a category reveals the features inside it. This keeps the menu compact while making every feature reachable in two taps.

On desktop you won't find this menu at all. Desktop shows a horizontal navigation bar across the top of the page instead, with the same categories as drop-down menus. The feature lists below still tell you what lives where, but the taps, banners and buttons described here are the mobile experience.

Opening the Menu

Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner of the screen
The menu slides in from the side
Tap a category to expand it; tap an item to navigate

To close the menu, tap the X in the top-right, or tap outside the menu.

Menu Layout (Top-Level Categories)

The menu is organized into the following categories, in order:

Rounds

Everything about your rounds and scoring:

My Rounds — Round history and per-round stats
Shared Rounds — Rounds buddies have shared with you
Live Scoring — Open the mobile scoring screen for an active round
Stats — Player statistics and performance analytics

Courses

Find, save, and manage golf courses:

Home Course — Your designated home course community (shown when you've set a home course)
My Courses — Your saved courses
Find Courses — Search by name, city, ZIP, or nearby (GPS)

Gear

Equipment and on-course strategy:

My Bag — Your clubs (driver / irons / wedges / putter), distances, lofts
My Caddie — Your personal course playbooks with hole-by-hole notes

Buddies

Your social features:

My Buddies — Buddy connections and management
My Guests — Guest players (non-registered golfers you've added)
Messages — Direct messages and group chats (with unread badge)
Buddies Feed — Community feed for posts, round highlights, comments
Adaptive Golf Community — Resources, stories, and mentor matching for amputee and adaptive golfers

Games

Competitive play. Tournaments live here, not in any "Golf" tab:

Leagues — Season-based competition with flights, standings, and league tournaments
Tournaments — The Tournament Hub. Shows your active tournaments and the 6 format cards: Individual (Stroke Play / Stableford with optional Skins side game and CTP), Scramble (team stroke play), Best Ball (Best Ball / Two Best Balls / Cha-Cha-Cha / Best Balls by Par), Shamble (best drive + individual finish), Chapman (2-player teams — switched drives, then alternate shot), and Ryder Cup Style (team match play). Tap a card to open that format's hub, then tap "Create Tournament" to start the wizard.
Events — Browse and create golf events (tournament events automatically link to a Tournament)
Side Games — Browse the 11 built-in round-level side games
Putt-Putt — Nine holes of mini-golf you can play right in the app

Clubhouse

Personal dashboard and content:

My Dashboard — Your personalized landing page
Blog — Articles, tips, and product news
Features — Feature spotlight pages
My Offers — Your saved partner offers wallet (with badge for active offers)
Explore — Premium content discovery

Settings

Account and admin access:

My Profile — Profile, handicap, location services, account settings
Subscription — Plan, billing, and trial status
Admin — Admin tools (visible only to administrators)
Partner Dashboard — Partner course management (visible only to partners)

Profile Section

At the top of the menu, you'll find your profile quick access. It has two parts:

Photo & Name - Tap your avatar or name to open your profile page
Handicap Chip - Shows your current handicap index on the right (or "Set HCP" if you haven't added one). Tap it to update your handicap.

Changing Your Theme

The theme icon sits in the menu's header bar at the very top, next to the X close button — not in the profile row.

Tap the theme icon in the menu header
Choose from:
- Light - Bright, clean interface
- Dark - Easy on the eyes in low light
- System - Matches your device settings

Tournament Activity (Menu Banner)

Lists the tournaments you're in that are live now or coming up, across all six formats (Individual, Scramble, Best Ball, Shamble, Chapman, Ryder Cup Style).
Each card is color-coded by format (Individual = teal, Scramble = green, Best Ball = amber, Shamble = rose, Chapman = sky, Ryder Cup = blue), with a green dot marking any tournament that's live now.
Tap a card to jump straight to that tournament.
The list stays compact: the first tournament shows in full, the second is condensed to a single line, and if you have more, a "See all (N)" button opens the Tournament Hub with the rest.
The section only appears when you actually have live or upcoming tournaments — finished tournaments drop off automatically. (Newly joined or created tournaments show up the next time you open the menu.)

This is the fastest way to rejoin a tournament without expanding the Games section.

The Play Button

Directly below the banners — the Continue Round banner and Tournament Activity, when those are showing — sits a full-width Play button. It's the quickest way to start golfing:

Tap Play to open the round chooser, then pick the kind of round you want (Just Me, Playing with Others, or Upload Scorecard)
When you already have a round in progress, the button switches to an outlined blue style so the Continue Round banner above it stands out as the more likely action
Starting a round requires a Premium subscription (or an active free trial). If you're signed out or not subscribed, tapping Play takes you to sign-up or the upgrade screen.

Using the Menu

Navigating to a Feature

Open the menu
Find the card for the feature you want
Tap the card
The menu will close and navigate to your destination

Quick Actions

View Profile - Tap your name/photo at the top
Update Handicap - Tap the handicap chip on the right of the profile row
Change Theme - Tap the theme icon in the menu header
Close Menu - Tap the X button or tap outside the menu

Account settings live under the Settings category → My Profile. There's no settings gear in the menu itself.

Menu Features

🎯 Easy to Find

Large, tappable rows (56px minimum for category rows, 60px for the items inside them)
Color-coded sections for quick scanning
Clear labels and descriptions
Organized by feature category

🎨 Beautiful Animations

When you open the menu, you'll notice:

Smooth slide-in animation
Cards appear in sequence (stagger effect)
Professional, polished feel

🌙 Dark Mode Support

Automatically adjusts colors for dark mode
Maintains readability and contrast
Smooth transitions when switching themes

📱 Mobile Optimized

Fullscreen on mobile for easy navigation
Large touch targets (44px minimum)
Swipe to dismiss by tapping outside
Works great with one hand

Tips & Tricks

Quick Profile Access

Tap your name or photo at the top of the menu to quickly jump to your profile page.

Close Shortcuts

Multiple ways to close the menu:

Tap the X button in the top-right
Tap outside the menu (on the dimmed background)
Press the ESC key (if you have a keyboard attached)
Navigate to any page (menu auto-closes)

Finding Features

Can't find what you're looking for? Use the category names as your map:

Rounds — anything to do with playing or reviewing a round
Courses — find, save, or view courses
Gear — clubs and on-course strategy (My Bag, My Caddie)
Buddies — friends, messages, community feed
Games — leagues, tournaments, events, side games
Clubhouse — dashboard, blog, offers, premium content
Settings — profile, subscription, admin

Theme Preferences

Your theme choice is saved automatically and will persist across sessions. Use "System" mode to match your device's day/night settings.

Accessibility Features

For Screen Reader Users

All menu items are properly labeled
Navigation order follows visual layout
ARIA labels provide context
Keyboard navigation fully supported

For Keyboard Users

Tab - Move between menu items
Enter/Space - Activate selected item
ESC - Close the menu
Visible focus indicators on all elements

For Touch Users

Large touch targets (44px+)
Active feedback when tapping
No tiny buttons or hard-to-tap areas
Optimized for thumb-friendly navigation

Troubleshooting

Menu Won't Open

Problem: Tapping the menu icon doesn't work

Solutions:

Try refreshing the page (pull down on mobile)
Make sure you have a stable internet connection
Update the app to the latest version
Try logging out and back in

Theme Toggle Not Working

Problem: Theme dropdown won't open (especially on iOS)

Solutions:

Make sure you're on the latest app version
Try tapping the theme icon again
Refresh the page
Clear your browser cache

Cards Not Responding

Problem: Tapping cards doesn't navigate

Solutions:

Make sure you're tapping the card itself (not just the background)
Try tapping more firmly (some screens need a harder touch)
Refresh the page
Check your internet connection

Menu Looks Different

Problem: Menu doesn't match this guide

Solutions:

Check that you're on a phone — this guide covers the mobile menu, and desktop uses a top navigation bar instead
You may be using an older app version; update to the latest
Clear your browser cache and reload
Contact support if issues persist

Getting Help

Can't Find a Feature?

Most features live under one of these categories:

Rounds — round history, live scoring, stats
Courses — find, save, and review golf courses
Buddies — buddies, messages, community feed
Games — leagues, tournaments, events, side games
Settings — profile and account preferences

Need Support?

If you're having trouble with the menu:

Check the troubleshooting section above
Make sure you're on the latest app version
Contact support through the app settings

Related Guides

PWA Installation Guide - Install the app for best experience
Rounds and Scoring Guide - Learn about tracking rounds
Buddy System Guide - Connect with other golfers
Course Finder Guide - Find and save golf courses

Questions? Contact support through the app settings or email support@buddiesonthegreen.com