League Format

We compete in both handicapped match and stroke play. Each match is played for a total of 10 points. Four points are competed for in the stoke play, four points are competed for in match play and 2 points are competed for in overall team stroke play.

In each match, handicap points are given by the lower handicapper to his opponent. For example if Bob has a 9 handicap and Joe has a 12, Joe gets 1 stroke on the three hardest holes. If it's not intuitive at first, give it time! Also ask the league old-timers.

When the match is over, verify with your opponents that your cards match. If they don't match, fix it if you can. Don't forget to sign and date your score card and sign your opponent's scorecard. Turn in both cards from the match to one of the league coordinators who will typically go to the clubhouse after the round. If you can't wait, turn your cards into the front desk or give them to another player in our league (make sure they are in our league).

Score Card

Set up your card so that the low handicappers from each team are in two adjacent rows and the high handicappers from each team are in two adjacent rows (see Scorecard Procedures for more specific instructions).

Reminders

Two signed, attested, and dated scorecards from each match need to be turned in each week. This is the easiest way for us to settle any disputes that may come up.

Please pay Chris on a timely basis.

Try to reduce slow play. Help your partner find their ball when its location is not obvious. A search for a lost ball should not last more than three minutes.

If you think you may not be able to find your ball or you hit out-of-bounds, hit a provisional.

Handicaps and Matches

This year, we are using last year's handicaps. If you are new to the league, you must establish a handicap with the league by submitting 5 or 6 nine-hole scores (3 18's would work fine).

Substitutes / Forfeits

A list of substitutes will be maintained on the golf league home page.

Substitutes must establish a handicap with the league coordinators prior to competing. Otherwise, they will compete with a 0 handicap for that week. Establish a handicap by turning in at least 5 nine hole scorecards to Chris Slovacek or Chip Heinol.

If a member is unable to compete and can not locate a substitute, the person who is absent forfeits. The forfeit "player" gets a 9 on each hole and has a zero handicap. PLEASE NOTE: The forfeit will most likely become the "A" player on the team and therefore will be playing the low handicap player on the opposing team.

Team Drop Outs

On occasion, a team will need to discontinue the league. In this even, the match matrix will need to be adjusted. If one team drops out, we will drop the bye and work that into the schedule. If an even number of teams drop out, we will set the teams that would have otherwise played against the teams that dropped out against one another.

Elimination of Slow Play

In an effort to eliminate or at least greatly reduce the amount of slow play, a set of league-wide rules and guidelines are being established.

Ready Golf - One of the easiest to implement and successful methods for speeding up play is by using Ready Golf. Click here to review the concept. Print out the page if necessary.

Provisional Shots - If you hit out-of-bounds, hit again from the same spot and take the appropriate penalty. If you are not sure if your shot is out of bounds but you think it could be, take a provisional shot. If you don't find your first shot, you are laying three where your provisional lies. The same guideline applies to lost balls.

Maximum Strokes - There are at least two situations where we might need to implement a Maximum Stroke Limit. If there are too many complaints about slow players that can't be remedied and if we play when it begins to get dark earlier than we would otherwise finish.

Up or Down?

Golf should be a personal challenge where you are rewarded for well-hit shots. Courses are designed to reinforce this. It's easy to play from the fairway and it's harder to play from the rough. When the course conditions are not perfect, you sometimes have a bad lie even if you've hit it into the fairway.

As a general rule, if you hit in the fairway, and your lie is bad due to poor course conditions (standing water, bare spots, ruts, etc.), you can bump the ball (within reason - 6 inches would be acceptable) to improve your lie. If you hit anywhere but the fairway, play it as it lies in accordance with the rules of golf. This applies in good weather and bad. In extremely wet conditions, a "lift, clean and place" rule may be instituted at the discretion of the league coordinators.

End of Season Ties

At the end of the season, when all is said and done, if there is a tie for first, second, or third place in overall standings, the tie-breaker will be determined by the match played during the season by the tied teams. If that was a split, there will be a scorecard play off beginning with the first handicap hole followed by the second handicap hole, etc. If the two teams that are tied for a rank did not play each other during the regular season, then they will share the rank (i.e. tied for 2nd place).