rules

WATERSTOCK GOLF CLUB - RULES FOR MENS COMPETITIONS

1. All competitions are to be played in accordance with the Rules of Golf adopted from time to time by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and with such Local Rules as are permitted by the Rules of Golf and are made by the Playing Committee.

2. No member shall be declared the winner of a competition or competition prize, or be eligible to enter a matchplay competition unless they have a valid active handicap.

(a) Has submitted 3 qualifying scores (including Supplementary Scores & 9 Hole Qualifying Competitions and Away scores) during the calendar year. Non Returns will not be accepted as part of the 3 qualifying scores. Players may be permitted, at the discretion of the Handicap Sub-Committee, to keep their active handicap if injury/illness has prevented them from achieving the required number of qualifying scores during a calendar year Or;

(b) During the calendar year has been issued by the Handicap Sub-Committee with their first CONGU handicap. Or;

4. A member may only enter his own name on the entry sheet for a competition. Any member who subsequently finds he is unable to play must delete his name from the entry sheet, or following posting of the draw, advise the Professional’s Shop no later than 1 hour prior to their drawn tee off time. Any member, who fails to comply with this rule, will be suspended from playing for 1 competition. A repeat offence will result in a suspension for 3 competitions.

5. Entry fees must be paid at the Professional’s Shop before commencing play in the competition. Failure to do say may disqualify the member from the competition. Also for matchplay events, winter league, summer knockouts etc., all entry fees must be paid prior to the draw being made.

6. For all competitions members shall sign in at the Professional’s Shop at least 20 minutes before drawn tee time. Failure to do so may result in loss of place in that competition at the discretion of the starter(s) and the member will be reported to the Etiquette Committee, which may result in suspension of eligibility to play in competitions for a period of time. In addition where a player is not on the tee ready to play at there allocated start time, they will be disqualified as laid out rule 6.3 of the R&A rules of golf , and will not be allowed to compete in that competition.

7. All competitions shall be played from the “White” tees (Blue in winter) unless otherwise stated on the day of the competition.

8. If less than 8 players participate in a competition then the competition shall be declared null and void and all monies returned.

9. Play in competitions shall normally start from the 1^st tee, except when other tees are specified on the competition draw or at the discretion of the playing committee.

10. The handicap allowance and limit for domestic competitions shall be set by the Playing Committee. Generally, and unless otherwise posted on the competition draw, all club singles competitions shall be played as full handicap qualifier competitions.

11. However, if there are more than 2 temporary greens in play in a competition it will automatically become a non-qualifier. In strokeplay competitions if there are more than 4 temporary greens members will play off ¾ handicap. In stableford or bogey competitions players will play off ¾ handicap on any temporary green and full handicap on any normal green. In matchplay competitions singles should be played off full handicap difference and pairs played off ¾ difference from lowest handicap whether on normal or temporary greens.

12. In matchplay competitions if a flag position is moved by the green keeping staff after players have commenced the hole then that hole will be deemed to be halved. The original flag position will be used when counting the number of temporary greens. In strokeplay competitons if a flag position is moved in between groups playing in the competition then the competition will be declared null and void and entry fees returned.

13. New members must have played in and completed Four “Handicap Qualifier Competitions”, after receiving their initial handicap, before they can win a Medal or Trophy competition. The committee may wave this rule for members with a proven handicap from a previous club. Non Return or Disqualified rounds do not count.

14. Following this, members must have an active handicap and have completed a minimum of 3 handicap qualifier competitions during the past 12 months before they can win a Medal or Trophy competition or the Summer Matchplay or Winter League competitions. Members must have completed a minimum of 6 handicap qualifier competitions since the last Club Championship to win that competition. Non Return or Disqualified rounds do not count. In addition from time to time the playing committee may set additional qualification criteria for all members to play in a competition. Such additional criteria will be posted on the entry sheet.

15. A competitor must play off the current handicap allocated to him by the Handicaps Sub-Committee, or such lower handicap that the player may expect will be allocated to him following the next handicap review meeting as result of posting good scores from previous rounds [home and away] that have not yet been reviewed/reported by the Handicap Sub-Committee.

16. Notwithstanding the type of competition, cards must be clearly marked (Preferably in pen) with the gross score for each hole “completed”. It is the player’s responsibility to ensure correct gross scores are entered on the scorecard before he signs the card. Failure to do so will disqualify the player from the competition.

17. Cards returned in a competition must be signed by the player and marker (who must be a member with a current active handicap playing in the competition) and placed in the competition box or handed to a member of the Handicap Sub-Committee within 20 minutes after last group has completed their round. This also applies to cards of an incomplete round in a competition (‘no return’). Cards that are not signed will result in disqualification of the player from that competition.

18. Failure to return a card in any “Handicap Qualifier Competition” will result in disqualification and the member will be reported to the Etiquette Committee, which may result in suspension of eligibility to play in competitions for a period of time.

19. If a player fails to complete a round without good reason the player will be suspended for 1 competition. A repeat offence will result in suspension for 3 competitions.

20. The procedure for the Etiquette Committee and Disciplinary Committee is published on the website and the notice board. Names of suspended members will be posted on the competition notice board. Members may appeal against any disciplinary action only in accordance with the procedure laid out in the published Disciplinary Procedures document.

21. Members may appeal a disqualification from a competition by lodging an appeal in writing to the Competitions Secretary with a copy to the Club Captain (within 7 days of results being posted,) giving reasons why the player believes the disqualification should be withdrawn. The disqualification will be reviewed at the next playing committee meeting. Where a disqualification is overturned the result will updated and re-published.

22. Unless dates are fixed by the Competition Secretary, for all competitions played on a knock out basis, it is the responsibility of both named Players/Teams to contact their opponent(s) to fix the date and time of the match, having regard to the closing date set for completion of each round of the competition. If a match is not decided by 14:00 on the closing date and there is no evidence that one player is at fault, the result will be decided on a toss of a coin made by the Competition Secretary in the presence of another member of the playing committee. Any extension to the closing date for a round of a competition will only be granted by the playing committee under exceptional circumstances. Where the committee finds there is evidence that one player/team is at fault in not arranging/completing the match, the player at fault will be disqualified and the match awarded to their opponent(s). All summer matchplay competitions must be played from white tees.

23. In the event of a tie in a stroke play competition, the result will be decided on the last 18 (multi round competitions), 9, 6, 3 or 1 holes, and then, if necessary, the first 18, 9, 6, 3 or 1 holes, with the exception of the Club Championship (Gross Category) which shall be decided by a sudden death play off. Where competition starts from multiple tees, the back nine shall be the course back nine.

24. Other than in a league match, if a match in a matchplay competition remains ‘all square’ at the end of the stipulated round(s) it must be played off hole by hole until one side wins a hole. The play off should start at the hole where the match began and strokes given and received as in the stipulated round. Players must proceed directly from the last hole of the match to the next hole and play off until a result is obtained. If, however, the play off is deferred by agreement of the players, or because insufficient daylight remains, or for one of the reasons allowed under Rule 6-8 of the Rules of Golf, the players must conclude (not replay) the match another day but before the closing date set for that round of the competition.

25. The Green staff, club management and pro-staff may close the course at any time as may be necessary to protect the course or members. Where a competition is still being played and is not completed immediately, the competition will be abandoned.

26. The playing committee may suspend or cancel a competition at any time if a quorum of at least 4 playing committee members agrees.

27. Local rules, as provided under rule 33-8, are published on the scorecards. Temporary additional local rules to protect the course and to promote fair play will be published on the notice board by the playing committee and these will be reviewed continuously. Such temporary rules will be decided at committee meetings, or on the day if a quorum of at least 4 playing committee members agree.

28. Buggies: - Members will be permitted the use of buggies in all competitions. However, in singles events members may not share buggies and only one set of clubs may be carried per buggy. In pairs matches only partners may share a buggy. Penalty for breach of rule shall be disqualification for member who buggy is not assigned to.

29. In all competitions a player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. If, during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g. gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, for which the penalty is disqualification, regardless of whether any such additional function is actually used.

30. Players are reminded that Information on the Rules, distance, or matters of public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on the putting green, is not advice and as such where one player is using a distance-measuring device and another does not have such a device, requesting distance information and providing such information is not “advice” and is seen by the committee as good etiquette and in the spirit matches should be played in.

31. At the discretion of the starter(s), reserves may replace players who withdraw from competitions. This will be in the order of registration as a reserve. If there are insufficient withdrawals for the number of reserves, further tee times may be added if free times are available. Persistent use of this facility by a player may result in its withdrawal for that player for a period of time to be decided by the Etiquette Committee