Q: Our facility uses Microsoft Publisher for our scoreboards. What does the Microsoft Publisher End of Life mean for my Golf Genius Publisher Scoreboards?
A: Golf Genius is aware that Microsoft Publisher will reach its end of life on October 13, 2026. This means that Microsoft will stop including the app in Microsoft 365 subscriptions and will cease all security updates for the downloadable version of the software (such as a perpetual 2021 license).
Your ability to continue using Publisher templates will depend on the version you use:
Microsoft 365 Users: Up until October 13, 2026, you can continue to use Publisher. After this date, Microsoft is expected to remove the application from the 365 suite, and you may no longer be able to open or edit your
.pubfiles. We recommend transitioning to our built-in tools before this deadline.Desktop App Users (Perpetual License): If you own a standalone version (e.g., Publisher 2021), the application will remain on your computer and will still function. However, it will no longer receive security patches, making it susceptible to vulnerabilities. We recommend moving to our built-in tools to ensure long-term security and compatibility.
Please read below for more details on safety, compatibility, and available alternatives.
Why is it risky to keep using Publisher after 2026?
While a standalone desktop version may still open, using "End of Life" software carries risks. Because Microsoft will no longer provide security patches, your computer could become vulnerable to modern security threats. Additionally, as Windows releases new updates, older programs often encounter performance issues or crashes because they are no longer maintained to work with current operating systems.
What are my alternatives for printing scoreboards?
To ensure your tournament operations remain seamless and secure, we recommend transitioning to our built-in reporting tools. Golf Genius offers several powerful alternatives that do not require any external software:
Community Reports (Highly Recommended): Our community library is a massive resource. In fact, every Publisher Scoreboard (except Brackets, for details on printing brackets, Click Here) already has a "Report Composer" version available in Community Reports. You can search for these, add them to your categories, and customize them instantly.
The Report Center: This is your central hub for all standard, high-quality printable scoreboards directly within the software.
Scoreboard Composer: If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, you can build your own professional-looking scoreboards from scratch.
Where can I find the legacy Publisher templates?
If you still wish to use the legacy templates while Publisher is supported on your device, you can find instructions on how to download them here: Downloading Publisher Template Scoreboards