2019 GSGA Interclub Matches

 

Policies and Procedures

 

1. SPIRIT OF THE GAME

 

Unlike many sports, golf is played for the most part without the supervision of a referee or umpire.  The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules.  All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be.  This is the spirit of the game.

 

2. SCHEDULE

 

• Entries Open, November 28th, 2018
• Entry Deadline – February 1st, 2019
• Pod/Draw Party/Captains Meeting – February/March 2019  
• Regular Season including make-ups completed by September 1st, 2019
• Championship Finals – October 2019 @ TBA

 

3. ENTRY FEE/FORM
   1. $750 per team.  A team participating in the GSGA Interclub Matches must submit an official entry through the online registration system to secure a position in the competition.  Payment will not be collected until the close of entries on February 1, 2019.

 

4. CLUB ELIGIBILITY - Open to any current GSGA member club in good standing meeting the following criteria:

 

1. 1. TYPE 1:  Owns and/or operates at least one 18-hole golf course measuring at least 6,400 yards.
   2. COURSE RATING:  Has a current and valid USGA course rating/slope issued by the GSGA within last 10 years.
   3. HANDICAP COMPLIANCE:  Has a designated handicap committee in place as required by the GSGA membership agreement and the USGA handicap system manual.

 

5. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY - Open to male amateur golfers and golf professionals who meet the following criteria:

 

1. 1. CLUB MEMBERSHIP:  Amateur players must be full dues paying active golf members in good standing with the club and appear on the handicap roster by April 1st, 2019.
   2. GHIN #:  An amateur player must have an active GHIN number.
   3. PROFESSIONALS:  A member of the club’s professional staff who is a full time employee of the club is encouraged to participate.  Touring Professionals belonging to a club, are ineligible to participate.  Note: Only one professional is eligible to play per team each match session.
   4. AGE:  Players and professionals’ must be at least 21 years of age as of the date of the match in which they wish to participate.
   5. MULTIPLE CLUBS:  Should a player be a member of two clubs that are participating in the Interclub Matches, he is deemed to have played for a club once he puts a ball into play with the club he is playing with. He is not allowed to play for any other club for that season.

  

The Side in Breach of Player Eligibility will forfeit the individual match and all three Nassau points will be awarded to the opposing team.

 

6. TEAMS - Each club will submit a team for each of the season’s matches and is expected to field a team and compete as scheduled in accordance with the guidelines established by GSGA.

 

1. 1. NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  A team will be comprised of 8 players for each team match session.
   2. ROSTER:  There is no limit to the size of a team’s roster, provided they meet the player eligibility requirements set forth in Rule #5.
   3. NUMBER OF TEAMS PER CLUB:  Each member club is permitted to enter more than one team.  For example, Atlanta Athletic Club may have a team for Riverside and a separate team for Highlands.  In addition, Rivermont Golf Club may submit two separate teams, team #1 and team #2.  Clubs with more than one team will be placed in separate pods so they are not competing against one another in regular season competition.   Players are NOT permitted to play on both teams at their home club in this scenario.

 

7. PODS

 

1. 1. NUMBER OF TEAMS:  Pods will be comprised of 4 teams all representing different clubs. 
   2. SELECTION OF TEAMS:  Teams may establish their own pod by coordinating with other clubs on their own.  Otherwise, GSGA will have the authority to designate and place clubs in pods based on geographic location. 

 

8.   INTERCLUB MATCH SCHEDULE

 

Clubs will be allowed to set their own schedule for match play sessions once placed into a pod and announced at the kickoff pod draw/captains meeting event in February/March.  The GSGA will create a template for the pods to use to as a starting point.  Clubs within the pod should communicate and establish a “standard” day of the week for the matches to be played and adhere to scheduling matches on that day as much as possible.  Any deviation from the established procedures requires both club’s consent.

 

All regular season matches can be started on April 1, and must be completed by September 1 including any make-ups.

 

Any matches not played will be recorded as a 1.5-1.5 tie for individual matches, a 6-6 tie for a team match sessions and the session point shall be halved. Clubs should make a reasonable effort to complete their matches within the deadline as no matches will take place after the September 1 deadline.  In order to fit all matches within the established timeline, more than one match session may be played during a given week or month so long as both teams agree. 

 

9.  TEAM CAPTAIN DUTIES

 

The Team Captains are instrumental in the success of the Interclub Matches.  Each team shall have a captain or co-captains that shall govern play for his team.  The captain(s) for each team must be a member of the club he represents.  The captain or co-captain may be the golf professional or a member of the club staff.  Captains are generally responsible for fielding a team each session and for submitting line-ups and posting results.  In addition, the team captain should use discretion when choosing players and select those which represent the club in a positive manner. 

 

1. MATCH SCHEDULING:  The team captains are responsible for setting the regular season schedule by coordinating with the other team captains within the pod then submitting the final schedule to the Golf Genius Interclub Matches event portal website.
2. MATCH ARRANGEMENTS:  Team captains must communicate with the other team captains within their pod prior to the start of the season to establish the following:
   1. 1. 1. 1. If any fees up to a $30 cart/range fee maximum will be charged and payment collection method at your club.  Course usage fees/green fees shall not be charged.
            2. Tee times for matches played at each club (A standard time for all matches is preferred).
            3. Acceptable pace of play for each club.
            4. Caddies (If caddies are required what the fees are and gratuity policy).  If club policy requires the use of a caddie, the opposing team must abide by club policy.
            5. Tipping policy for outside service staff.
            6. Acceptable forms of payment (cash, credit card, reciprocal charge) for carts, food and beverage, golf balls, etc.
            7. Cell phone policy at your club.
            8. Dress code, if applicable.

c.  LEAGUE PLAY MODULE:  The team captains are responsible for creating their team roster using the Golf Genius Interclub Matches League Play portal.

 

10.  HOST CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES 

 

1. COURSE USAGE POLICY:  It is required that any team electing to participate in the Interclub Matches shall make available its home course for all scheduled regular season matches and the make-up of all postponed or suspended matches.  If the course cannot be made available on the agreed upon dates and no arrangements are made by the host team to play the match are made, the host team shall be deemed to have forfeited that match session.
2. TEE TIMES:  The host club and its team captain are responsible for making sure the matches begin at the established time and determining the order of play.  The team captain should communicate the playing order to their opponents ahead of the scheduled matches.
3. FOOD AND BEVERAGE:  If your pod has agreed to provide any F&B post-match, these arrangements should be made ahead of time and communicated to all players so they know where to go after the round and feel welcome.
4. PRACTICE ROUNDS:  Practice rounds for the team matches will not be made available unless mutually agreed upon between captains/teams.  Practice rounds are not mandatory or required.  If teams/clubs agree to make practice rounds available, it should be communicated prior to the start of the season or month of scheduled matches.
5. OTHER CLUB EVENTS:  Host clubs should ensure that there are no scheduling conflicts with other club events.  If a club event subsequently conflicts, the club must notify the visiting team captain immediately to schedule a make-up if necessary. When scheduling matches, careful consideration should be given to other GSGA competitions so that your members may play in as many events as possible.

 

 11.  RAIN OUTS

 

If a match is cancelled due to inclement weather, (either before it has begun or before all matches have completed 9 holes) it shall be re-scheduled.  If a make-up date is not immediately available, the host club captain is responsible for re-scheduling the match at any time prior to September 1 with the consent of the opposing club and its team captain. 

 

As a general rule, if a match is cancelled due to weather, it should be made up as soon as practicable.  It is the responsibility of the host team captain to find dates that work with the opposing team captain. Once a date is agreed by both captains, that date is considered to be final. A makeup match may be played on any day of the week. Teams must be willing to sacrifice certain days/times to complete the matches by the September 1 deadline.

 

If a reasonable effort was made by both clubs to find a reschedule date but due to conflicts and allowable time, a match cannot be made up before the Regular Season September 1 deadline, the match will be scored as a 6-6 tie and the session point shall be halved.

 

If a match is suspended during play due to deteriorating course conditions or a dangerous situation (lightning), and every match has completed at least 9 holes, the match is considered official, and the team who has earned the most points from all completed matches will be the winner.   Decisions to resume or cancel play should be made on site by a committee of three, the two team captains and the host club professional who is on site at the time.  If all matches have not completed 9 holes, the entire match must be replayed.  It is not required that the same players participate in the make-up match.

 

GSGA Rules and Competitions Department must be notified by phone or e-mail of any match session make-ups that need to be rescheduled due to postponement.

 

12.  GUEST / COURSE FEE

 

Course usage/Green fees should not be charged.  However, players are responsible for any cart and range fee or caddie fees used during the matches.  Any cart and range fees are at the expense of the individual player.  The host club may charge up to a $30 cart and range fee to each player including their own team members.  Team captains must communicate this information to the visiting team captain and to the GSGA for posting to the Interclub Matches event portal website.  For clubs that require the use of caddies, the host club shall notify the visiting club of those requirements and fees in advance of the match session.  Any billing and collecting of regular season match session fees is the responsibility of the host club.

 

13.  GENERAL RULES OF PLAY

 

The USGA Rules of Golf and the GSGA Rules of Play hard card will govern play.  All Model Local Rules from the Host Club will be followed including model local rules governing Out of Bounds, Penalty Areas, defined areas of Ground Under Repair and clarification of any other areas on the course that might come into question.  These Model Local Rules must be made available to all players prior to the beginning of each session.   

 

14.  SUBSTITUTIONS

 

Within 24 hours of a scheduled match session, substitutions must be communicated directly with the opposing club’s team captain or golf professional AND submitted in the Interclub Matches League Portal.  A substitute must be placed into the correct position within the lineup.

 

In Accordance with the USGA’s Rules of Golf; Rule 23.4, the side may be represented by one partner during all or any part of a round.  It is not necessary for both partners to be present, or if present, for both to play on each hole.    

 

15.  MATCH FORMAT

 

There are four (4) Four-Ball matches that shall be played during each team match session.  A team is scheduled to play both a match session at home and away against the opposing clubs in their pod during the regular season that runs April 1 - September 1.  Each session, four (4) matches shall be played at a team’s home course and four (4) matches shall be played at the opposing team’s course.  This is a true home and away competition.    

 

15.  COURSE SET-UP, TEES & YARDAGE

 

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 club’s team captains in each match and must be mutually agreed upon before the matches begin.

 

16.  SCORING & MATCH RESULTS  

 

Each Four-Ball match shall be contested using a Nassau scoring format, i.e. one (1) point is awarded for a win on the front 9, one (1) point for a win on the back 9, and one (1) point for the overall match for a total of three (3) points in each match.  Any tie is worth a ½ point to each side.  There are a total of 12 points available for each overall match session.  The team to earn 6 ½ or more points is deemed to be the winner.

 

The home team captain is responsible for submitting the match results within 48 hours of their completion via the Interclub Matches League Play portal module located on www.gsga.org

A link to the league portal will be made available to all team captains.  Penalty for not entering results by the deadline: 1st infraction – warning, 2nd infraction – team will be issued 0 points for that portion of the match session.

 

17.  POSTING INDIVIDUAL SCORES 

 

Each player is responsible for reporting his individual ESC adjusted gross score for handicap purposes.

 

1. The home team is required to post the weekly match results using the league play event portal so the standings get updated and posted to the website.

 

 

ADJUSTING SCORES

Incomplete Holes or Conceded Strokes

If you pick up on a hole or are conceded a stroke, record the score you most likely would have made.  This most likely score is the number (including any penalty strokes) taken thus far, plus the number of strokes it will take you to complete the hole from that point.  An “X” should precede the score on the scorecard (i.e. X-5).

 

Holes Not Played

When a hole isn’t played, your score for the hole is par, plus any handicap strokes to which you are entitled based on your Course Handicap.  This also applies to any hole that you do not play by the Rules of Golf.

 

Equitable Stroke Control

Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) keeps an exceptional bad hole from changing your Handicap Index too much and sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the players Course Handicap. 

For handicap purposes, after the round you are required to adjust your hole scores (actual or probable) when they are higher than your maximum ESC number you can post.

All scores, including tournament scores, are adjusted for ESC.  There is no limit to the number of holes on which you can adjust your score for ESC.

 

Course Handicap     Maximum Number on Any Hole

9 or less                     Double Bogey

10 through 19                       7

20 through 29                      8

 

18. POD WINNERS / TIES / SCORING

 

The two teams with the best overall team match session record in each pod will be the pod winner and runner-up and advance to the championship competition. 

 

If there is a tie in the pod record, the tie will be broken by the following order:

1. In the event of a tie within a pod for team match session points, the team with the highest number of individual match points will advance (cumulative total of 72 possible points for all six team match sessions).
2. If still tied, the head to head overall team match session results will determine the winner/which team advances.
3. If still tied, the tie shall be broken by lot.

 

If there are three or more teams tied for the best record, the total number of points earned against the teams tied will be used to determine the pod winner.

 

Scoring Example:

 

 

Team	Win	Loss	Tie	Match Points
Doublegate CC	6	0		43
Glen Arven CC	2	4		37 *runner-up via tiebreaker*
(C) Kinderlou Forest GC	2	4		33.5
Valdosta CC	2	4		30.5

 

 

 

19.  SEASON ENDING CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT    

 

The pod winners and runners-up will advance to the state championship for a two day competition.  A team may consist of any combination of players for the championship, provided they played in at least one regular season match.

 

• Format – Championship to be played October TBA, 2019 at TBA.
  • Friday: practice rounds available.
  • Saturday: Each qualifying club shall field thee (3) Four-Ball stroke play teams for round one.  All three team’s scores will count for the overall team score.
  • Sunday: Each qualifying club shall field thee (3) Four-Ball stroke play teams for round one.  All three team’s scores will count for the overall team score.
  • The team with the lowest cumulative score after two rounds shall be declared the champion.
  • Playoff – If two or more teams are tied for the overall championship at the conclusion of round two there shall be a sudden death playoff to determine a winner.

 

 

20. RULES QUESTIONS OR INFRACTIONS

 

The GSGA Rules and Competition department will have the final say in any rules questions should they arise at the Championship proper.  During the regular season match sessions, the committee in charge of handling disputes shall be the captains of the two teams involved and the host golf professional.  In the event a dispute cannot be resolved by this committee, a question regarding a rule or match outcome should be called into the GSGA prior to the finalizing of any match results and GSGA staff shall have the ultimate authority. 

 

Any issues regarding player eligibility shall be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the GSGA Rules and Competitions Department.

 

21. INTERCLUB MATCHES LEAGUE EVENT PORTAL 

 

The pod/season standings and all relevant information/documents pertaining to the Interclub Matches will be posted on the GSGA website.

 

22. WITHDRAWS

 

If a club withdraws any time after the conference schedule has been set, they will be subject to a one year suspension from the Interclub Matches and will forfeit their entry fee for that season. 

 

23. FORFEITS

 

A forfeit shall be scored as a loss to the forfeiting team and a win to the opponent. Forfeits are detrimental to the overall success of the league and are contrary to the spirit of the game.  The inability to field a full team of 8 players and, or the lack of interest once a team has been eliminated from advancing to the playoffs are not acceptable reasons to forfeit a match.  If a team is granted a forfeited victory, the victorious team will be given the whole session point and applicable Nassau match points for the designated matches that were forfeited.  If a team defaults an entire session, the winner shall be awarded two-thirds (8 points) of the total Nassau match points.  Any circumstances causing a forfeit shall be subject to review by the GSGA Championship Committee and Rules and Competitions Department for possible suspensions from future participation.