# Highlighted differences between IMGA API and the new LD Golf API

### Overview

Use this page as a migration summary.

It highlights the main differences between IMGA and LD Golf API behavior.

### Technical differences

* Authentication uses JWTs from [Common IAM Guide](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/common-iam-guide.md). 
* WebSocket clients must send `Client.Heartbeat` every `30` seconds.
* Live event WebSocket streams support `Client.Init` after connect.
* WebSocket messages use a CloudEvents envelope. REST responses do not.

Timestamp fields have different meanings:

* `time` is the envelope generation time.
* `data.created_at` is the event or state version time.
* `data.payload.event_time` is the on-course event time.

See [General Information](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/general-information.md) and [Live Events](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/live-events/live-events.md).

### Static data differences

* Tournaments, rounds, and holes keep the same high-level structure.
* Core entities now align with SR identifiers across products.
* Responses include both SR IDs, such as `sr:stage:12345`, and numeric IDs.
* Request paths use numeric IDs only.
* Field names follow current LD Golf API naming, such as `snake_case`.
* Teams and players are modeled as competitors, while the API still returns squad, team, and player structures.
* The players endpoint is limited to tours in scope.
* Tournament status is exposed through `GET /golf/rest/v1/tournaments`.
* There is no separate live tournament status endpoint.
* Hole distances originate in meters. Yardage values can differ slightly because of conversion and rounding.

For valid tournament statuses, see [Tournaments list](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/ld-golf-api-endpoints-static/tournaments-list.md).

### Live events differences

* Stroke play live events are scoped to a round.
* Match play live events are scoped to a match.
* There are no separate live event streams per team or player.
* The same live event resource is available through REST history and WebSocket streaming.
* `UPDATE` and `DELETE` replace the old IMGA correction workflow.
* Consumers should replace or remove stored events by `data.id`.
* Event identifiers are UUIDs, not sequence numbers.
* `Provisional Ball` is not sent as a standalone event.
* Use `Stroke` and `Penalty` context instead.
* `Zone` for stroke events is an enumerated value.
* `RoundEnded` includes references, not full player objects.
* `blindshot` is not available.
* The probabilities table is not available.
* `BallDropped` has no drop type.
* `BallDropped` and `Penalty` do not include a provisional index.
* Penalty reason is not available.
* Disqualification is sent as `end_reason: DISQUALIFIED` in `HoleEnded`.
* Obstruction data is attached differently than in IMGA.
* Distance and coordinate fields can show rounding differences after unit conversion.

See [Live Events](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/live-events/live-events.md) and [DELETE/UPDATE approach](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/live-events/delete-update-approach.md).

### State and status differences

* Score state is not updated on `BallHoled`.
* Score state updates when `HoleEnded` is produced.
* `scoreToWin` is not available.
* A dedicated round official event is not sent.
* Official status is reflected through status values such as `CONFIRMED`.
* Hole-ended score pending is not available.

Tournament status values:

* `NOT_STARTED`
* `IN_PROGRESS`
* `INTERRUPTED`
* `CANCELED`
* `ENDED`
* `CONFIRMED`
* `MAINTENANCE`
* `SUSPENDED`

See [State (leaderboard, scoreboard, hole-by-hole)](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/state-leaderboard-scoreboard-hole-by-hole.md).

### Client and visualization notes

* The first Live Data client iteration does not include stroke animations.
* Dedicated statistics coverage is out of scope for the first iteration.

### Related pages

* [General Information](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/general-information.md)
* [Common IAM Guide](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/common-iam-guide.md)
* [Live Events](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/live-events/live-events.md)
* [DELETE/UPDATE approach](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/live-events/delete-update-approach.md)
* [State (leaderboard, scoreboard, hole-by-hole)](/live-data/live-data-golf-api-design/ld-golf-api-documentation/state-leaderboard-scoreboard-hole-by-hole.md)


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