Club Rules, Responsibilities, and Guidelines

 

Player Responsibilities and Posting Scores

 

The 2026 Colorado golf season is March 15 through November 15, 2026. The Club expects its members to be familiar with and post scores in accordance with the USGA Rules of Handicapping. The Club will post tournament scores and members should post casual round scores using the GHIN desktop or mobile app.

 

The Club is an affiliate of the Colorado Golf Association and is responsible for ensuring the handicap indexes of its members are administered with the Rules of Handicapping. In turn, the Club expects its members to:

 

  • Act with integrity by following the Rules of Handicapping and to refrain from using, or circumventing, the Rules of Handicapping for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage,
  • Attempt to make the best score possible at each hole,
  • Submit all acceptable scores to provide reasonable evidence of their demonstrated ability,
  • Submit acceptable scores for handicap purposes as soon as possible after the round is completed and before midnight local time,
  • Play by the Rules of Golf, and
  • Certify the scores of other players.

 

To ensure the accuracy of scores posted, the Club will periodically provide its members with a Report of Scores Posted. Discrepancies or challenges to scores posted or a member’s handicap index, should be raised with the player and/or the Club’s Executive Committee. Contact information may be found on the Men’s Club portal. You may also email the Executive Committee at indiantreemensclub@gmail.com.

 

A quick reference guide can be found on the USGA site at Player Reference Guide on the Rules of Handicapping. However, keep in mind that some aspects of the reference guide may not apply to tournament play.

 

Posting Match Play Scores

Match play scores should be posted. When a hole is started but a player does not hole out, the player must record their most likely score or net double bogey, whichever is lower, as appropriate for the handicap purposes. (Rule 3.3, Rules of Handicapping)

If the match ends with holes left to play and the players continue to play, the actual scores must be posted on every hole played.

If a match ends with holes left to play and the players do not play the remaining holes, the players should post using the hole-by-hole feature for each hole played (keeping in mind at least 9 holes associated with a 9-hole Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™ must be played for a score to be posted).  The GHIN system will then calculate an “expected score” for the round that will be part of determining the player's subsequent handicap index.  More information can be found under the Match Play tab.

 

Code of Conduct

 

The Indian Tree Men’s Golf Club (Club) may reject a membership application, revoke an accepted application, expel from a tournament and/or suspend a player from future tournaments under the Rules of Golf, Rule 1.2 if the player engages in conduct detrimental to the integrity and image of the game of golf and/or public confidence in the Club. Such conduct may include, but is not limited to, damage to the golf course or the player’s equipment, verbal or physical abuse of fellow competitors, opponents, course patrons, or course personnel, blatant or excessive profanity, disorderly behavior, failure to abide by Club rules, “no showing” without notifying the Club or failure to return scorecard “no carding” or any other unbecoming conduct.

 

Tournament Rules, Disclosures, and Guidelines

 

General and Local Rules

Unless communicated otherwise, play the ball as it lies according to USGA Rules of Golf and Local Rules outlined below.

  • Grass 10 inches or taller may be played as a lateral penalty area, i.e. red-lined hazard. Take relief from the long grass, two club lengths no nearer the hole, with a one stroke penalty. Players must be virtually certain the ball came to rest in the "tall grass" and did not go out of bounds, if out of bounds is in play.  If the ball is determined to have gone out of bounds, the player loses stroke and distance and must replay from where the stroke was made.
  • The Indian Tree Men's Golf Club has elected NOT to adopt the Model Local Rule E-5, allowing a player to take relief where a ball is lost or went out of bounds, instead of returning to the previous spot under the traditional stroke-and distance penalty.
  • Players electing to use drop areas may go outside the designated drop area one club length to obtain a fair lie.
  • Ground Under Repair is defined by painted white lines. French drains filled with stones that are exposed or discovered by probing are ground under repair. Ground under repair includes, whether or not marked, cultivated flowerbeds and active nurseries, which are further defined as No Play Zones (Rule 2). Ground under repair may include areas of unusual damage, but only when declared by an authorized member of the Tournament Committee. When adjacent to an obstruction, such an area is part of the obstruction. Thinly grassed areas resulting from winterkill, drought conditions, and other conditions are not considered and are not considered ground under repair unless marked.
  • Players may take relief from all flower beds (No-Play Zones). Black rock placed on the course for decorative purposes may also be played as a flower bed.
  • Balls may be dropped to nearest relief, no nearer the hole, from cart paths and maintenance roads.
  • The driving range, boundary fences, white stakes, and parking lot are out-of-bounds and must be played as such, with stroke and distance relief applied.
  • The area marked as out of bounds behind the 6th green is designated as a No Play Zone. A player must not play a ball from within this area. However, the driving range fence and parking lot still mark out-of-bounds. If a player’s ball comes to rest in the No Play Zone, or it is known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in the No Play Zone, the player must take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in either of the following relief areas:
    • The designated drop zone to the right of the green; or
    • The nearest point outside the No Play Zone where the ball last crossed the boundary, no closer to the hole.
  • The asphalt behind #9 green, not including the car parking lot, is NOT out-of-bounds and the player may take relief at the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole.
  • The white stakes to the right of #12 tee box mark out of bounds between the first and last stake. Balls that cross the line between the stakes and come to rest right of the stakes are out of bounds and must be replayed as such. Balls that are virtually certain to have gone past the last stake without crossing the OB line and end up to the right of the last white stake, may be played as not having gone out of bounds.
  • Relief from seams of cut turf (sod seams) Relief is for the lie of the ball and area of intended swing only.
  • Under Rule 4.3a(1), you may use equipment to measure distance only. In addition, under the Rules of Handicapping - Clarification 2.1b/2, a score made while using a distance measuring device that measures slope/elevation change is not acceptable for handicap posting.

 

Handicaps

Unless discussed with and approved by the Tournament Committee, all players must have an established handicap. The maximum playing handicap for all Regular Men’s Club tournaments is 36.  

 

Preferred Tees

Members select their preferred tee at registration.  Any change to selected preferred tee must be communicated to the Club by April 2.

 

Senior and Club Championship Eligibility

Entrants must play a minimum of three Men’s Club tournaments prior to the championship or have been a Club member the prior year and played in six tournaments since the beginning of the prior year. Super Senior tournaments do not qualify. Waivers may be granted for medical or other unusual circumstances by applying with the Executive Committee at least one week prior to the tournament entry deadline.

 

Tie Breakers

Unless noted or if the tournament format is not compatible, ties will be broken using the USGA method, which breaks ties based on the last nine holes, last six, last three, and if still a tie #18.

 

Scorecards and Live Scoring

Printed scorecards are the official score until turned in to the Tournament Committee and verified with online scores. Completed scorecards, added and totaled, should be turned in immediately after completing the round and verifying scores.

 

Men’s Club playing groups (not including the Super Seniors League) are expected to make their best effort to keep score online using the Golf Genius app. Playing groups or players refusing to keep scores online may be disqualified and/or suspended from playing in future tournaments. Scorecards will include a GGID for each foursome.

 

Pace of Play

Golfers are expected to play 18 holes in 4 hours and 20 minutes plus a 10-minute break between holes 9 and 10. Pace-of-Play will be included on each scorecard and beginning in 2026, will be monitored using the time scores are entered online in the Golf Genius app. Play “ready golf” and keep pace with the group in front, regardless of the gap between your group and the group behind.

Hole-in-One Insurance

To qualify for hole-in-one insurance, the member must have paid the $5 fee during registration. A hole-in-one made during the Colorado golf season on the Indian Tree 18-hole course and witnessed will qualify. The player must report their hole in one to the Treasurer for validation. Members with a valid hole-in-one will split the hole-in-one insurance pool on a pro rata basis.  If there is not a hole-in-one during the current season, the insurance pool will be carried forward to the following year.

 

Need a Partner or Team

If you do not have a partner or team for a team event, you may sign up as a single or partial team, and the Tournament Committee will do its best to pair players. It is helpful to include a request for a team/partner using the message to manager function at registration.

 

Sign-up and Withdrawals

Tournament registration must be completed using the online registration process. The Tournament Committee must be notified of withdrawals at least 48 hours prior to the start of the tournament, or no refund will be given.  Also, if a player is a “No Show” for a tournament tee time, the golf course reserves the right to charge the player a green fee.

 

Tournament Registration Guidelines

  • The sign-up deadline is 5:00 PM nine days prior to the tournament.
  • The Tournament Committee aims to send preliminary tee sheets the Sunday before the tournament. Players can verify if they are signed up for a tournament on the Club’s portal.
  • If a player withdraws from a tournament, he should contact a member of the Tournament Committee and not rely solely on the message to manager function.
  • If a player withdraws from a team event, the player should tell their team and if possible, find a replacement player and notify the Tournament Committee.
  • If a player sends a message to the tournament manager asking to play with a specific player(s) and the player(s) do not register by the deadline, the Club cannot guarantee the player(s) will get in the tournament.
  • Players should check with playing partners and consolidate requests to play with certain players or to request specific tee times.
  • Do NOT request to play with a player that is not going to sign up.
  • Some tournaments, like The Masters and Club Championships, are paired based on player handicap and the Club does not take tee time or pairing requests.
  • Handicap indexes used to determine playing handicap, pairings, and flights will typically be determined 3-4 days prior to the start of the tournament but may be earlier to allow the Tournament Committee time to set up the tournament.
  • If you fill a tournament opening after the deadline, the Tournament Committee will contact you about payment.
  • Cash winnings for proxies and skins can be collected from the tournament committee at the next tournament.

 

For a copy of the Club's By-laws, contact an Executive Committee member.

 

Executive Committee

Indian Tree Men’s Golf Club