Section 32 – MIDDLESEX GOLF MIXED Winter Match Play Championship

32.1 Qualifications

i)        The Championship is open to any golfer with a MIDDLESEX GOLF affiliation with a handicap limit of 28.4 for men and 36.4 for women on the date that their entry for the event is submitted.

ii)       A pair must be aged 18 or over on the date their entry for the Championship is submitted.

iii)     A pair must consist of one male and one female.

iv)      It is a term of entering that a pair when drawn as the “Home Pair” in any round, apart from the final, must be in a position to play the matches on their course and to offer the “Away Pair” a courtesy practice round prior to the match and meet the cost of any green fees that may be due.

v)       Players must have:

           - A fully developed WHS handicap i.e. 20 cards in their record

           - 12 competition scores in the 12 months prior to the date, or start date, of the competition

          - No more than 3 general play scores during the previous 12 months. If a player has more than 3 general play cards, the committee will look more closely at their playing records.

- These rules must be adhered to for the duration of the competition.

32.2 Maximum Entry

There is no maximum number of pairs from each affiliated club. However, the maximum number of players is 64. If the number of approved entries exceeds the number of places available, Part I – General Rules Applying to All Competitions, Section 5 will apply.

32.3 Format

i)        The Championship shall run over the winter period from November through to April.

ii)       The Championship is a Greensomes 18-hole match play competition, played off Greensomes Handicap (60% lower handicap + 40% higher handicap).

iii)     To establish shots received, players are strongly advised to use England Golf’s Mixed Tee Calculator for this purpose under Greensomes Match Play. If players are unsure how to use the calculator please contact the County Secretary, or the Chief Rules Official, in advance of the match being played for guidance on completion.

iv)      In matches where two different sets of tees are used, players will use the stroke index of the most forward tee being played to determine where shots apply.

v)       Men and women must play from the furthest tees of the day that are available to them. The stroke indices from the women’s card must be used to determine where shots apply. To ensure the safety of players, the order of play on each hole is determined by whoever’s tees are the furthest back. Therefore, there may be occasions where both women play before their partners.

vi)      The order of the draw will be determined by lot drawn by the County Secretary. The first pair drawn will be the top-named pair on the draw sheet and will be the “Home Pair”. The pair drawn as their opponent will be the bottom-named pair on the draw sheet and will be the “Away Pair”.

vii)    Should the condition of the “Home Pair’s” course not be suitable for the match to be played, then the match can either be played at the “Away Pair’s” course or a neutral course selected by the Tournament Committee.

viii)   The pair that reports the result of their match first will receive the advantage of being the top pair and thus have “home” advantage in the next round. 

ix)      Each round except the final round will start at or before 11:00am on the closure date specified or on an earlier date and time mutually arranged between the two teams

x)       The final will be played over 18 holes on an agreed date on a neutral course nominated by the Tournament Committee.

xi)      In the event of a match being all square after 18 holes, extra holes will be played in accordance with Part II – Terms of Play Applying to All Competitions, Term 15.1.

xii)    The result of each match must be reported to the County Secretary as soon as possible after the completion of the match. If no result has been reported by noon on the Monday following the date set for the end of the round both pairs will be disqualified.

xiii)   Following any match other than the semi-finals and final, any claim under Rule 20.1b(2) of the Rules of Golf must be reported on the day to the to the Chief Rules Official or to a member of the Championship Panel of Rules Officials for a ruling.

32.4 Order of play

i)        The “Away Pair” will have the honour on the first teeing ground. For the semi-final and final matches, the order of play will be decided by lot.

ii)       In the interest of safety, on each hole the players teeing off from the forward most tees must stand safely aside and allow all players to tee off from tee that are further back, regardless of honour.

32.5 Prizes and Vouchers

i)        The winners will be presented with the Winter Match Play Championship Trophy, a memento to retain and a voucher.

ii)       The runners-up will receive a voucher.