PLAYER INFORMATION

SITE

Old Toccoa Farm

DATE

September 11 - 12, 2021

AGES/ELIGIBILITY

Entries are open to male amateur golfers.  Handicap indexes listed in the current revision at the time entries close will be used in determining eligibility.  Players must have been a bona fide public course player having not held privileges of any club which does not extend playing privileges to the general public or privileges of any club maintaining its own course since January 1, 2021. Eligibility frequently asked questions are located at the bottom of this page.

 

 

ENTRIES OPEN – CLOSE

June 2nd - August 25th

FIELD SIZE

144 players maximum.  All players with a 4.4 handicap index or lower will comprise the Championship flight.  The remaining players will be flighted based on handicap index. 

FORMAT

36 holes of flighted, stroke play.

PRACTICE ROUND

One practice round per player. Please call Old Toccoa Farm to reserve your practice round starting time after you have received your acceptance confirmation on August 26th.  Practice round cart and range fee is $30 plus tax. Credit cards and cash will be accepted.

  • Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday anytime based on availability.
  • Friday-Sunday and holidays, after 1:00 p.m. and based on availability.

YARDAGES & TEES

Thanks to our continuing partnership, your choice of StrackaLine yardage ($20), greens ($50) or combo ($60) books for participating GSGA host courses can be purchased for nearly 60% off retail price. If you are interested, please click on the following link to view the available courses (new courses will be added throughout the year) at this time and to access the order form:

Order a StrackaLine Yardage Book

 

The TBD tee markers and yardages will be utilized for the championship.  Yardages are approximate and may be adjusted due to inclement weather or other factors that may affect the playing conditions during the competition. A complete practice yardage sheet will be provided for players playing practice rounds.

 

All flights that include handicap indexes of 4.4 and below will play from the championship tees.  All other flights will play from the tournament set of tees. 

 

 

GOLF SHOP & DRIVING RANGE

The golf shop and driving range will open by 7:00 a.m. on the day of competition.

STARTING TIMES

Starting times for tournament play will be assigned by the GSGA and posted at the club the day before the competition starts. You may visit www.gsga.org for complete pairing information and starting times generally one week before the competition. 

REGISTRATION

No formal registration will be held on site. Player withdraws must be called in or e-mailed to the GSGA office so that an alternate may be contacted.

CARTS

Practice round cart and range fees are $30 plus tax. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. Tournament round cart and range fees are included in the championship fee. 

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS

A room block has been set aside at the Hampton Inn Blue Ridge. Please reference that you are playing in the Public Links Championship at Old Toccoa Farm. 

 

The Group Code for online booking is - GSG

 

50 W. Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513

 

706-642-9001

 

RULES OF PLAY/PACE OF PLAY/CART POLICY

The GSGA Rules of Play, Pace of Play and Spectator Cart Policy shall be in effect. Click here to view policies.

FOOD SERVICE

Food service will be available in the clubhouse.  

REFUND POLICY

A player may request a FULL refund for a withdrawal up through their starting time on the first day of competitions for ANY reason.  After the player’s starting time has passed on the first day of competition, refunds will not be granted.

THANK YOU TO CLUBS

If players wish to send thanks to the host clubs upon conclusion of the tournament, click on the following link for contact information: 

Old Toccoa Farm

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

 

Eligibility Rule:  Entries are open to amateur golfers who, since January 1 of the current year, have been bona fide public course players, and have not held privileges of any course which does not extend playing privileges to the general public.

Exceptions:  A bona fide public course player may hold incidental privileges of a course not open to the public when such privileges to the course are provided by (1) an educational institution at which he is a student, or (2) a Federal armed service of which he is a member, or (3) an industry by which he is employed.

Following are some interpretations of the eligibility rule which may be of help to you:

(a) A player whose father is a member of a private club has the privileges of the club but plays all his golf on a public course.

Interpretation:  The player is not eligible.

(b) A public links player enters military service and then has access to only a military course from which the general public is excluded.

Interpretation:  The player is eligible.

(c) A player is a public links player in his hometown.  He goes to college on January 1; between January 1 and June 1 he plays all his golf on the college golf course (which is not open to the general public) except for a couple of rounds on the public course in his hometown during spring vacation.

Interpretation:  The player is eligible.

(d) A player has membership at a private club purely on a social basis.  His social membership entitles him to six rounds of golf per year and to all other facilities of the club.  The membership is not defined as a golfing membership.  The player plays a great deal of golf, but it is played primarily at public courses.

Interpretation:  The player is ineligible on the ground that one who has privileges at a club from which the general public is excluded is ineligible, regardless of any limitation on his playing privileges.

(e) A player's parents belong to a small club which permits residents from that town to pay a green fee and play up to but not more than 5 rounds of golf a year.

Interpretation:  The player is ineligible.

(f) A player is a retired armed services representative or works at an armed services facility.  He belongs to a public links organization and plays a great deal of golf on a public golf course.  However, he also enjoys the privileges at the armed service club because of his retired status or because he is an employee there.  How much golf can he play at the armed service facility and still be eligible to enter GSGA Public Links Championship?

Answer:  Less than 50 percent.

(g) A player is a bona fide public links player.  However, for the past few years he has been either in the armed services or a student at a university, both of which have private courses that are available only to students of the university or those in the armed services.  Because he has been and will continue to be away from home for the biggest part of each year and thus plays very little golf at home, is he eligible to enter the GSGA Public Links Championship?

Answer:  Yes.

(h) A player is the superintendent at a private club and, therefore, has privileges of the course during evenings and on Mondays when the course is closed.  He also plays at XYZ Public Course.  Is he eligible for the GSGA Public Links Championship?

Answer:  No.

(i) A player works at a private club in the golf shop, dining room, or the maintenance staff.  The player does not have privileges of the course except on Mondays when the course is closed except to staff members.  Although the player plays most of his golf at a public course, he does play at the private club almost every Monday.

Interpretation:  The player is eligible.