Wednesday, April 3, 2013

2013 Tournament Policies

1. Registration: Each tournament will have an open registration period. Applications must be postmarked no later than the final day of registration. Participation in some tournaments may be limited. Players will be notified via e-mail or phone (for those without e-mail) if they are on a waiting list, and may choose to remain on the list or withdraw at that time. If the deadline for registration has passed, and you wish to play, please call to find out if there are openings.

2. Volunteers: This will be an all-volunteer organization in 2013. Please make volunteers’ jobs easier by being on time with applications, requests, questions, etc. Volunteers do not need to pay membership dues unless they are competing in tournaments. Volunteers are needed and welcome to serve as starters, registrars, spotters, rangers, phone callers, etc. Expenses incurred by volunteers will be reimbursed.

3. Communication:
     a. Members with Internet Access: All information will be posted on this website: www.JustGolfTournaments.blogspot.com. If you subscribe to the website (free subscription), all information will go straight to your e-mail.
     b. Members without Internet Access: You will receive rules, tournament applications, schedules, and all other important information via regular mail. If you have a friend in the organization who can print these items for you, please let me know so that I can save the time and expense. If information is important and time-sensitive, you will receive a phone call.
     c. If you need to reach the tournament director, please contact Linda Miller:
     E-mail: LLMillerGolf@gmail.com
     Home: 609-267-8630
     Cell: 609-784-2550 (emergencies only, please)

4. USGA Rules: All tournaments will be governed by USGA rules.

5. Local Rules: Local rules and course information for each tournament will be posted on the website prior to each tournament. A number of hard copies will be available at the registrar’s table, but it is hoped that individuals with access to a printer will make their own copy of the rules to help save printing costs for the organization.

6. Players Needing Partners: Players may submit single applications for team events. The tournament director will pair singles together, and will notify players as soon as a partner is found.

7. Withdrawal:
     a. Notification: Players who must withdraw from tournaments should notify the tournament director as soon as possible. In a team competition, if a single player withdraws and his partner finds or needs a substitute, that information needs to be communicated immediately to the tournament director.
     b. Refunds: Application fees will be refunded until 10 days before a tournament. Application fees will be refunded for medical reasons or other unforeseen emergencies until three days before a tournament.

8. Tournament Cancellations: Call the golf course for possible weather-related cancellations on the day of a tournament. Call Linda’s cell phone if you withdraw or are running late on the day of a tournament:
609-784-2550

9. Tournament Prizes:
     a. $10 of the registration fee per competitor will be used for prize money.
     b. Prizes will be in the form of gift certificates to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
     c. A minimum of 30% of the field will receive a prize.
d. All tournaments will award gross and net prizes, except the Stableford and Ryder Cup, which will be net only.
     e. Prize distribution will be approximately 30% gross and 70% net.

10. Tie-Breakers:  The recommended USGA tie-breaker will be used to break ties for first place (compare back nine total; if still tied, then back 6, back 3, front 9, last 6 on front, last 3 on front, and finally hole by hole beginning with the #1 handicap hole). The same method will be used if more than two teams are tied for the last prize. All other ties will remain as ties and receive equal prize money.

11. New Tee Policy for the Men
Men will have a choice of tees (standard or senior) at all tournaments except at the Championship*. Yardage and rating information will be provided prior to each tournament, and recommendations will be offered regarding tee selection (based on the distance a player customarily hits his drive). Players will be informed prior to each tournament how many net strokes they will lose if they choose to play from the shorter set of tees.

Eligibility for gross prizes, as always, will be limited to those players who choose to play from the standard tees (except in the Championship*). All players will compete for net prizes.

* Championship: Men 70 and older will compete from the senior tees in a Super Senior flight for gross and net prizes. 

12. Handicap Reductions: Players or teams that place first overall net will have their full Course Handicap reduced by two strokes in all subsequent tournaments. Second and third place overall net finishers will have a one-stroke reduction. Stroke adjustments are cumulative for two years on a rolling basis. Players do not lose strokes if they have not won prize money. The Handicap Adjustment Chart showing handicap reductions is posted under JUSTGOLF LINKS, and is updated after every tournament.

13. Maximum Course Handicap: 18 for men; 24 for women. This means that no man will receive more than 18 strokes in a tournament, and no woman will receive more than 24.

14. Eligibility for Club Championship: Players must compete in at least one JustGolf tournament in 2013 to be eligible to compete for the Club Championship.

15. Pairings: Individual players or teams will not be paired with members of their same club or members whom they customarily choose as partners. The reason for this policy is twofold:      
     a. to provide opportunities for players to meet new people; and
     b. to provide for uniformly fair competition.

16. Tipping: This is at the discretion of the player. It is expected that the minimum tip to an employee handling your bag will be $1 per occurrence.

17. Distance-Measuring Devices: Players may use devices that measure distance only. Use of devices designed to measure other conditions that might affect play (e.g., gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc.) will result in disqualification under Rule 14-3, regardless of whether those additional functions are used.

18. Cell Phones: Cell phone usage is prohibited on the golf course, except for emergencies.

19. Caddies: Players are not permitted to use caddies.