Terms Of Competitions

Terms of Competitions

1 Introduction

(a) The Rules of Golf as defined by the R &A apply. These Terms of Competition apply to the running of all Club competitions. They are supplemented during the winter season by Terms of Competition for winter golf to reflect course conditions which will be notified by email in advance. It is a Players responsibility to know the rules of golf. The Committee is responsible for their application and enforcement. Note that where the ‘Committee’ is referred to this is, normally, the Match & Handicap Committee in charge of running the competitions and not the Club Committee.

2. Competitions

These Terms apply generally to club competitions including Saturday/Sunday Competitions. The structure of club competitions other than Saturday/Sunday competitions is set out in supplementary Terms of Competitions dealing with eligibility, entry requirements and dates, and format, including handicap allowance. The structure of Saturday/Sunday and other major club competitions is set out in an annual schedule and online when booking in and may be amended from time to time.

(a) Time Sheet The time sheet for the Saturday/Sunday Competition becomes available online All competitors should be recorded on the Time Sheet

3 Tee Off Time

(a) All competitors should report to the starters hut, have paid the appropriate entry fee, ,sign into the competition by ticking and highlighting their name on the time sheet , log into the computer and be at the first tee and ready to commence play five minutes before the allocated starting time.

(b) Play is not to commence until the allocated tee time. Rule 5.3a Rules of Golf applies. “The player must start at (and not before) his allocated starting time. This means that the player must be ready to play at the starting time and starting point set by the Committee.”

(c)The penalty for breach of this Rule is disqualification except that if a player arrives at the first tee ready to play within 5 minutes after his starting time or plays no more than five minutes early, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of two strokes at the first hole (stroke play) or loss of first hole (match play). If the Committee decides that exceptional circumstances prevented player from starting there is no penalty.

4 Scorecards

(a) All scorecards: should be fully completed including competition name, player’s name, handicap and date. A label will be printed containing this information when the player logs into the computer. The player must ensure that his handicap is recorded on his score card before it is returned and is accurate. Failure to do so may result in disqualification – see Rules of Golf, Rule 3.3b (4). All cards must be marked by a player with an official Golf Ireland handicap who has witnessed every stroke made by the player

 (b) Marker responsibility: After each hole, the marker should

• check the gross score with the player and record it on the scorecard.
• On completion of the round, he must sign the score card and return it to the player.
• If the player had more than one marker each marker must certify the scores for the holes he marked – Rule 3.3b (1).

(c) Players responsibility: On completion of the round the player should

• check his score for each hole and raise any issues with the Committee.
•  He must ensure that the marker has signed the score card, 
• must not change a hole score entered by a marker except with the marker’s agreement or the Committees approval,
• sign the score card himself and, promptly
• enter the score on the computer or online app,
• return it to the Committee, see Rules of Golf 3.3b (2).
• The player must not change the scorecard after he has returned it to the committee – Rule 3.3b (2). 
• The penalty for breach of Rule 3.3b is disqualification.

(d) Returning of scorecards: A score card is considered to have been returned to the Committee when it has been posted in the starters hut and returned on the computer.

(e) All scores on the scorecard must be entered into the computer or online app as soon as possible on the completion of the round. Failure to do so may result in suspension from future club competitions.

5 Pace of Play

(a) A player must play without undue delay and in accordance with the following pace of play guidelines. Slow play must be avoided and the guidelines for Ready Golf applied (see the notice board). The pace of play in a Saturday competition is that of a four-ball. The time allowed for completion of 18 Holes is 4 hours 15minutes.

(b) Any four-ball that falls more than one hole behind the four-ball in front is required to call through the match behind – offenders may, at the discretion of the Committee, face suspension from future Club competitions.

6 General

(a) Qualifying competitions: All singles competitions (subject to course conditions) on the fixture list from April onwards will be qualifying competitions for handicap purposes unless otherwise indicated on the timesheet for the day in question. In order to qualify for a prize in a Qualifying competition players must have a handicap index which has been calculated by WHS with a minimum of 8 handicap qualifying scores on their Handicap Record.

(b) Please repair pitch marks, replace divots and rake bunkers, leaving rake in the back of the bunker.

7. Local Rules(a)

Local Rules for the course can be found on the scorecard or posted by email . They must be complied with. Additional local rules maybe posted by the Committee at any time and it is the player’s responsibility to be aware of them.