SHORELINE SENIORS GOLF CLUB
CONDITIONS OF COMPETITIONS
Shoreline Seniors Golf Club
tournament play is governed by:
(1) the 2019 Rules of
Golf and its Decisions: (2) Local Rules promulgated by the Committee in Charge
of the Course; (3) additional Local Rules as may be supplied by the Committee
in Charge of the Competition; and (4) these Conditions. The complete text of Rules may be found online: Rules of Golf 2019 edition.
(1)
AUTHORITY FOR THESE CONDITIONS OF COMPETITIONS: The Committee (in this case, the committee in charge of the
competition) must establish the conditions under which a competition is to be
played. The Committee has no power
to waive a Rule of Golf. For those competitions which are not played at
scratch, the club uses the USGA Handicap System, which makes the game of golf
more enjoyable by enabling players of differing abilities to complete on an
equitable basis. The United States Golf Association has licensed the Northern
California Golf Association and its member clubs to utilize the USGA Handicap
System. As a member club of both
the USGA and NCGA, the Shoreline Seniors Golf Club shall follow all of the
procedures of that system as described in The USGA Handicap System manual.
(2) GENERAL PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE: When all players adhere to
the Rules of Golf, no player has an undeserved advantage over any other player,
and the competition is fair for all.
Unless otherwise specified, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule or
Condition is two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.
(3) THE
USGA HANDICAP SYSTEM: Two basic premises underlie
the USGA Handicap System: (1) that
the player will try to make the best score at every hole in every round,
regardless of where the round is played; and (2) that the player will post
every acceptable round for peer review.
(4) USGA
HANDICAP INDEX: A player must earn a
Handicap Index. That index generally is to reflect potential ability. No player has an inherent right to a
USGA Handicap Index without providing
full evidence of ability to the club’s Handicap Committee. This is ordinarily achieved by posting
all (eligible) scores for rounds played.
The NCGA maintains a computerized system for determining a
player’s USGA index (Handicap Index), which is updated regularly; is
computed from no more than 20 scores plus any eligible tournament scores; and
is based on the best handicap differentials posted for a given number of
rounds, ideally the best 10 of the last 20 rounds.
(5) COURSE HANDICAP: A player’s USGA
Handicap Index is portable from course to course or to another set of tees on
the same course that differs from the usual set played. This player’s
USGA Handicap Index is convertible to a Course Handicap based on the Slope
Rating of the tees played. In this way, when players compete, their Course
Handicaps reflect their respective potential abilities for the particular course
and set of tees played. All competitors in club events are responsible for
ascertaining their current course handicap for the set of tees played and for
entering such on their scorecards.
(6)
PENALTIES FOR FAILURES TO COMPLY WITH THE HANDICAP SYSTEM: It is a Condition of
Competition that each player must return a scorecard and post an acceptable
score immediately upon completion of play (“immediately” is defined
a within twenty minutes of leaving the final green of the round played).
Failure to return a scorecard signed by the Marker and Attested by the Player with the player's first initial and last name in the proper place, current handicap applied and failure to post an acceptable score will disqualify the player from any and all prizes that would otherwise have been awarded.
In addition, failure to return a scorecard
(even if a player fails to complete a round or has been disqualified) or to post
an acceptable score will result in: (1) the posting of such score, if such is
available; and (2) the posting, by the Handicap Committee, of a penalty score
to the player’s scoring record. A penalty score is a score and ratings
equal to the lowest Handicap Differential in the player’s current scoring
record (it is also known as a “low penalty score” or a
“P” score, as it shows up on a player’s scoring record).
(7)
HANDICAP INDEX ADJUSTMENT: The USGA Handicap System provides that the Handicap
Committee may, under certain circumstances, adjust a player’s Handicap
Index. As set forth in the USGA
Handicap System manual, these include: improving faster than the system can
react; numerous away or Internet scores change index; temporary disability;
repeated failures to post; player manipulating one or more rounds; and
continued violations of Sections 5-1f (unacceptable scores).
(8)
COURSE DIFFICULTY: A golf course is rated on
its effective playing length and its playing difficulty under normal
conditions. While most of the club’s competitions are played from the
white tees, play from different tees will provide different effective distances
and course difficulties. In the
absence of course set-up measures to keep course difficulty constant, play from
different tees is encouraged. In
the winter months with heavy rains, effective playing length of the course from
its tees may effectively be increased by 200-250 yards due to less roll for
shots played. Under such
conditions, play from a set of tees with lesser total distance (e.g. red tees
instead of white tees) would avoid playing at an effective playing length not
suited for a player’s game. It would also avoid playing a round of
longer-than-normal duration and potential difficulties with Pace of Play Policies. Players with course handicaps over 27
are also encouraged to play from the red tees under normal course conditions,
as the total course yardage is more suited to their games.
(9) PLAY
FROM DIFFERENT
(10)
PENALTY FOR LATE ARRIVAL AT TEE: In lieu of disqualification and presuming that the
course operator allows late arrival at the first tee, a player who fails to
start on time, shall be penalized loss of the first hole in match play or two
strokes added to the score on the first hole in stroke play.
(11)
USGA SPECIFICATIONS FOR GOLF CLUBS AND BALLS: Players shall use golf clubs and balls which
conform to the Rules as set forth in Appendix II (Design of Clubs) and Appendix
III (The Ball).
(12)
SERIOUS BREACH OF ETIQUETTE: The use
of abusive language, throwing of clubs or other disruptive behavior, contrary
to the good conduct of the tournament, will not be tolerated.
PENALTY: DISQUALIFICATION
(Rule 33-7).
(13) USGA RULE 3 (STROKE PLAY): The general penalty (Rule 3-5) for
breaching a Rule in stroke play is two strokes unless otherwise provided.
Examples of the “otherwise provided” are: (1) Disqualification for
failure to hole out (“gimmees”) pursuant to Rule 3-2; and (2)
Disqualification for refusing to comply with a Rule affecting the rights of
another competitor (also known as “waiving the rules”), pursuant to
Rule 3-4. An example of this
would be two or more players agreeing to a player’s altering the lie of
the ball (such as by ”bumping the ball” or rolling it with the
clubhead) when the Rules do not allow such.
(14) SCORECARDS: Unless a two-ball or four-ball format is
being played, each player is responsible for entering his name and current
course handicap for the competition (also indicating if play is from other than
the white tees) on his scorecard and signing his name to attest to the accuracy
of the Scorer’s record of strokes played. The Scorer (also known as the
“marker”) is responsible for the accuracy of the record of strokes
played and is to sign his name, representing all other players in the
competition as he does so. Players
are requested to enter the totals and net totals, but the Tournament Committee
is responsible for verifying and correcting the accuracy of such totals.
(15)
DOUBT AS TO PROCEDURE - STROKE PLAY: If a competitor is doubtful of his rights
or the correct procedure during the play of a hole, he may, without penalty,
complete the hole with two balls and report the facts of the situation to the
Committee before returning his score card. Rule 3-3.
(16)
PACE OF PLAY POLICY (STROKE PLAY): All players must play without undue delay
and in accordance with pace of play guidelines established by the Committee in
Charge of the Course. The penalties for breach of this Rule are loss of hole in
match play and two strokes in stroke play, with special provisions for bogey,
par and Stableford competitions. A subsequent offense shall result in
disqualification. Rule 6-7. Players
in a group that falls behind are expected to play efficient golf and get back into
position, such as by playing ready golf and continuous putting, which are both
allowed in stroke play. A group that is seriously out of position will
ordinarily be warned and monitored.
(17)
APPEAL PROCESS: PACE OF PLAY PENALTIES: If a player is identified
as holding up the pace of the group, penalties may be applied to that player
and rescinded from the others. Pace
of Play penalties may be appealed to the Committee and must be made before
scorecards are signed and returned. In
order for an appeal to be considered, there must have been: an action by the
Committee, a circumstance beyond the players’ control or some similar
occurrence that contributed to the delay, including an action by an individual
member of the group.
(18) DISCONTINUATION OF PLAY: A
discontinuation of play and any resumption thereof will ordinarily be signaled
by the Committee. NOTE: A player has the right to stop play because of the
threat of lightning, even if play has not been suspended by the Committee. Rule
6-8a.
(19) DECIDING TIES WHEN A COMPETITION DOES NOT
PROVIDE FOR A PLAYOFF: The Committee has the
authority, under Rule 33-6, to determine how and when a tie is decided. When a
play-off of any type is infeasible, the procedure in Appendix I, 11 c) for
matching score cards will be followed.
In certain formats in which matching score cards would not be
appropriate, a blind draw will be used to determine ties.
(20) CLOSE OF COMPETITION: A competition is deemed to have closed
when the result has been officially announced by the Tournament Committee.
Conditions of
Competition/Revised March 2009