DURHAM COUNTY GOLF UNION
GENERAL TERMS OF COMPETITION FOR DCGU CHAMPIONSHIPS & COMPETITIONS
The following General Terms of Competition, together with any additions or amendments published by the Durham County Golf Union (DCGU) at each event, will apply to all Championships run by the DCGU. The word ‘Championships’ includes all DCGU events e.g., ‘Tournaments’, ‘Matches’, ‘Finals’ and ‘Competitions’.
1. RULES OF GOLF
All Durham County Golf Union golf events shall be played in accordance with the Rules of Golf as approved by the R&A Rules Ltd (R&A) and such Local Rules and Terms of Competition as may be approved by DCGU at each event.
2. AMATEUR STATUS
All players in DCGU events must be of Amateur status as defined by the R&A Rules of Amateur Status.
3. ELIGIBILITY
Each player must be a member of a golf club affiliated to DCGU by virtue of payment of all appropriate club subscriptions and Affiliation Fees.
Each player must hold a current WHS Handicap Index.
Each player must not have taken part in golf championship of another county or have represented another county organisation within the 12 months preceding the date of the event which they wish to enter.
4. GENDER ELIGIBILITY
Gender Eligibility for all DCGU events will be in accordance with the terms stated in the DCGU Gender and Fairness in Competition Policy
5. ENTRIES
The County Executive, through the Competitions Committee, reserves the right to accept, refuse or cancel an entry to any County Championship or competition without giving reason for its decision.
Players who enter DCGU competitions and fail to attend or complete rounds for which they are eligible without adequate reason or notice may be excluded from entry to future DCGU competitions and reported to their home club.
All entrants must have completed the necessary initial registration information in the Golf Genius Platform. Competition Entries should be made online via the DCGU Golf Genius platform.
No entry for any event is confirmed until the appropriate entry fee has been received. If payment has not been made by the closing date for each event, the incomplete entry will be removed, and the player will not be entered into the draw.
It is the responsibility of each player to ensure their name appears on the online list of entrants once the entry has been made, which confirms that the entry has been received.
Entry fees are not transferrable between players once they have been paid and the draw for the event entered has been made.
Entries made after the closing date for an event are accepted at the County Secretary’s discretion, and only if there are spaces in the published draw.
Entries for club team events may only be made by a recognised representative, i.e., Secretary or Captain of a club in the Union and not by individuals wishing to represent their club without knowledge and permission of the club. Team entries must be made on the official entry form and include the appropriate entry fee.
6. REFUNDS
Once entered, entry fees for DCGU events will not be refunded unless a player withdraws before the published closing date for that event. Requests for refunds in exceptional circumstances, must be submitted in writing to the County Secretary for consideration or approval.
If an event is abandoned or postponed due to reasons outside of the DCGU's control, no entry fee will be refunded if the event is rescheduled for a comparable date. In these circumstances, a player may however ask for the entry fee to be carried over to a future DCGU event.
In the event of a golfer being balloted out of an event that he/she entered, or if he/she becomes ineligible by age or handicap come the closing or re-scheduled date, DCGU will issue a refund via the same method of payment made by the entrant.
7. PUBLISHED DRAW
Once made, the draw for each event will be circulated to all entrants via email and displayed on the DCGU Golf Genius Event Portal. It is the responsibility of each player to ensure that he is aware of his start time for each round of an event.
There may be occasions when a draw needs to be amended due to unforeseen circumstances outside of the control of the DCGU. Any amendments shall be circulated via email and displayed on the DCGU Golf Genius Event Portal. Players are advised to check the Golf Genius Event Portal the night before the event to ensure their time has not changed.
Whilst a seeded draw is made for some Championships, for some other events players may submit a request for consideration of an approximate start time, which must be received by the County Secretary no later than the published closing date. Whilst DCGU endeavour to accommodate requests whenever possible or practical, there is no guarantee that players will be allocated the start time that they request.
Players may not request to be paired with a specific other player and the County Secretary’s decision is final in relation to the draw once published.
8. EQUIPMENT (Rule 4)
All players must play with equipment which is shown on the R&A list of Conforming Clubs and Balls (Rule 4.1a & 4.2a). An up-to-date list can be found at www.randa.org.
The penalty for making a stroke with equipment in breach of this rule is disqualification.
Players must adhere to Rule 4.3a which prohibits the use of any distance measuring device designed to also gauge/measure any other condition (gradient, wind speed, temperature) which may affect his play, unless this function can be visibly disabled. The penalty for breach of rule is disqualification.
9. STANDARDS OF PLAYER CONDUCT (Rule 1.2)
By entering a DCGU event the player and his caddie agree to abide by Rule 1.2 and to the DCGU Code of Conduct Policy that will be strictly enforced.
10. TRANSPORTATION
In all DCGU events except County Members, Seniors Section and Past Captains Society Competitions, during a round, players must walk at all times and not ride on any form of motorised transportation except as authorised or later approved by the Committee.
A player who will play, or has played, under penalty of stroke and distance under Rule 18 is authorised to ride on motorized transportation to aid pace of play.
Penalty for breach: General Penalty for each hole during which there is a breach. A breach between two holes applies to the next hole.
All requests for medical exemption should be made in advance to the County Secretary and be accompanied by a medical certificate or other proof of need. If granted, buggies must be booked with the host club by the competitor.
The DCGU has no responsibility to ensure that sufficient buggies are available to any competitor who needs to use one. Competitors who own their own buggy must seek permission from the host club in advance of the event and provide proof of adequate insurance should it be requested.
Buggies are permitted in County Members, Seniors Section and Past Captains Society Competitions without permission, however the above conditions relating to booking buggies, owned buggies, venue permission and appropriate insurance still apply.
DCGU have no obligation or responsibility to provide a buggy for players participating in its events. It is the responsibility of the player to source a buggy for their own use.
11. CADDIES & SPECTATORS
Unless entrants are informed in advance of a particular event, caddies are permitted in DCGU events but must be declared at registration on the day of the event.
Spectators are permitted in DCGU events and may ball spot to aid the pace of play.
In Under-18 events, only caddies who are also under 18 are permitted. Parents and supporters of any competitor are not permitted to give any advice on the course and must remain 50 yards from play. Penalty for breach: 2 strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred. Max penalty per round: 4 strokes.
12. ADVICE
Other than a caddie, no other person may give advice to a competitor on the course. However, in club team events, the following Model Local Rule will apply.
MLR H-2: A team may nominate one Advice Giver whom players may ask for advice and receive advice from during the round. The Advice Giver must be identified to the Committee or opposing team before any player on the team begins a round. The team may change the Advice Giver during the round but must inform the Committee or opposing team when doing so.
The Advice Giver must not walk on the Putting Green or give advice when the player’s ball lies on, or has been lifted from, the Putting Green.
The Penalty for a Breach of this Local Rule is the General Penalty under Rule 10.2.
13. PACE OF PLAY (Rule 5.6)
To aid the smooth running of DCGU events and ensure enjoyment for all competitors, a pace of play policy will be in force which sets out what is expected of players during their round and any penalties that they can expect if they breach the conditions set out within them. The DCGU Pace of Play Policy can be found at the Competition Event Portal.
14. SUSPENSION OF PLAY (Rule 5.7)
The following signals will be used to suspend and resume play:
- Immediate Suspension - for imminent danger - one prolonged note of a klaxon or siren.
- Normal Suspension - for a non-dangerous situation - three consecutive notes of a siren
- Resumption of play - two consecutive notes of a siren
Penalty for breach of Local Rule: Disqualification (See Rule 5.7b and 5.7c).
Note: When play is stopped for imminent danger, all practice areas will be immediately closed.
15. SCORECARDS
Players are required to return their scores to the Scorer’s desk immediately after completing their round.
It is the responsibility of each player to ensure that their name, is clearly visible on the scorecard before returning it to the scoring area.
A player’s score is deemed officially returned when the player has returned his score card to the Scorer’s desk and has walked away from the designated scoring area determined by the Committee.
16. DECISION OF TIES
The resolution of ties will be determined as detailed in the Terms of Competition for each event.
17. EVENT DISRUPTION
If, in the opinion of the Competition Committee, it becomes impossible to complete a competition i.a.w. the event Terms of Competition because of adverse weather or other unforeseen circumstances, the Competition Committee may vary the Terms to the extent it deems necessary to achieve an equitable result within the time available. Additionally, the Competition Committee reserves the right to cancel or postpone an event indefinitely, at any time, if in its opinion it is reasonable in the circumstances to do so, due to events beyond its reasonable control.
18. RESULT OF MATCH OR A CHAMPIONSHIP
Match Play - The result of a match is officially announced when it has been recorded in the Championship Office.
Stroke Play - The results of the competition are deemed officially announced when the competition is closed and the winner announced.
19. TROPHIES, GLASSWARE & PRIZES
All trophies presented at DCGU events remain the property of the DCGU and should be returned to the County Secretary upon request.
Whilst in the possession of the winner, the trophy is only covered under the DCGU's insurance if it is stored securely and its whereabouts informed to the County Secretary. It is the responsibility of the holder to ensure it is returned in the condition that it was presented.
Glassware presented at County events are for the winners to keep, to commemorate their achievement.
Prize vouchers may be redeemed at any Club Pro shop but must be done so and redeemed by the retailer no later than 6 months from the date of issue. Vouchers returned to the Treasurer for reimbursement after 6 months may not be honoured.
20. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There may be occasions when the above terms need to be amended for a given event due to unforeseen circumstances. In this event all competitors shall be informed in advance of the start of play.
Should any player wish to have any of the above rules/term clarified, they can contact the County Secretary at secretary@durhamcountygolfunion.co.uk or on 07444 906028 for assistance.