2019 Interclub Matches

 

New to GSGA Interclub Matches League Play

 

Interclub Matches may seem like a big undertaking to those clubs that have never participated in a similar style competition before. Utilizing a well-organized Golf Professional, Team Captain and MGA, the Interclub Matches can be handled quite easily.

 

  • Teams will consist of a minimum of 8 overall players, but may have more to allow for substitutions throughout the season.  Additional players may be added to the team at any time during the regular season.
  • Eight players from each club will compete in regular season Four-Ball matches.  The regular season will consist of match-ups of home matches and away matches against opposing clubs in your same pod/division. 
  • The home and away matches may be played on the same day/weekend or may be played separately during the regular season, at the scheduling discretion and agreement of the team captains and clubs.
  • One (1) player on the team each session may be a club golf professional or represent the club staff, i.e. assistant professional, etc. Touring professionals that make their home at a participating club are not eligible to participate.
  • Four-Ball match play points are awarded in a Nassau scoring format (F9,B9, 18) totaling 3 points in a Four-Ball match and totaling 12 individual match points in each of the home and away regular season sessions.  To win a session, a team must total a minimum of 6.5 points.  The winning team will be credited with one point in the standings for winning that session.  A 6-6 tie will result in a halved session point.

 

Entries Open (November 28th, 2018 – February 15th, 2019)

 

In addition to the GSGA Interclub Matches League Play Rules there are a few items below that will help you understand what is required of the club when signing up for the GSGA Interclub Matches.

 

  • Entry fee = $750 – Entry fee for each club team includes two invitations to the scheduling/pod draw party in February/March, team gear for distribution to team members, administration access to Golf Genius’ unique Team Match Play Portal and playing expenses (i.e. cart/range fees, hospitality event, prizes) during the Championship Finale.
  • Pods will be established by the GSGA shortly after the close of entries.  Clubs are generally grouped primarily by location and region to minimalize travel between clubs during the regular season.  During the entry sign-up period, up to four clubs (generally from the same area) may agree to form their own pod and that pod structure will be recognized and respected by the GSGA Rules & Competitions Department.  To meet this condition, all clubs in pre-formed pods must mutually agree to be in a pod, they must sign-up before the entry deadline and GSGA must be informed via the registration form or separately via e-mail communication prior to the entry deadline.  All clubs not in mutually agreed upon pods will be paired primarily based on location.  There is no guarantee or presumption that a team will get in if all pods in a region fill up and that club is not part of a pre-formed pod.   The GSGA’s decision to group clubs in pods is deemed to be final.  The sole remedy for a team not wanting to participate in its assigned pod is to withdraw its entry and remove itself from the competition.  When forming pods, clubs can be of the same classification as yours (private/public) or you may intermix. 
  • Each club in a pod will play one another, once home and once away during the five month regular season of April 1 – September 1.   
  • A club will play host to Interclub Matches three times in a regular season. It’s recommended that every club has the same parameters set for each match session (cart/range fee not to exceed $30 per player, hors d’oeuvres if desired, small cocktail reception if desired, etc.). You can look at How to host a League Play Match for more information.

 

Regular Season (April – August, 2019)

 

There are five months in the 2019 Regular Season.  Each club must complete all of their matches before the September 1st, 2019 deadline.

 

  • Each club plays a home and away match with every other club in their pod.
  • There are a total of four (4) Four-Ball Matches each session.
  • Regular season matches should follow course set-up guidelines of playing tees within a range of 6200-7000 yards.  Specific tee assignments are at the discretion of the captains in each match and must be mutually agreed upon before the matches begin. 
  • While points earned in each individual Four-Ball matches determine that match winner, it is the overall record of the team’s matches against their opponents that determines a pod winner.   

 

GSGA Interclub Matches Championship (October 2019)

 

Each pod winner and a number of wild-card teams to be determined (based on total number of club teams entered) are invited to the Interclub Matches Championship at TBA.  

 

The championship is a two day competition featuring two days of four-ball stroke play.  Each club shall submit three Four-Ball teams with all team’s scores counting towards the team total score.  The team with the lowest cumulative score shall be declared the champion.  All players competing in the championship must have participated in at least one regular season session.  A team for the championship may consist of as few as 6 players, but as many as 12 to cover both days of competition.

 

For any additional information and the answer to any questions, please contact GSGA Director of Rules and Competitions and Interclub Matches program director, Jeff Fages at jfages@gsga.org or at (678) 324-5969.