Affiliate Membership Regulations

Transcription

1 Affiliate Membership Regulations For Golf Clubs, Golf Courses and Golf Facilities These Regulations are governed, monitored and reviewed by the Board of New Zealand Golf and may be updated from time to time in consultation with District Associations. Version 1.5 October 2017 Ratified by the Board of New Zealand Golf on 26 October 2017 Page 1 of 7

2 Section 1 Affiliate Membership 1.1 Classes of Membership New Zealand Golf has four (4) classes of Affiliate Members: i. Affiliated Golf Clubs. ii. Affiliated Virtual Golf Clubs. iii. Affiliated Golf Courses. iv. Affiliated Golf Facilities. 1.2 Application for Affiliation Any entity that wishes to enjoy the benefits referred to under the applicable class of Affiliate Membership may make application on forms provided by New Zealand Golf and shall be accompanied by such information as New Zealand Golf may require. The application process for a new affiliation to a local District Association (where applicable) and New Zealand Golf will be completed in a joint manner by the applicant under a single application process. All applications for affiliation are reviewed by the Board of New Zealand Golf at least every eight weeks. 1.3 Approval of Affiliate Membership Upon approval of an application by the relevant local District Association (where applicable) and by the Board of New Zealand Golf, the applicant shall become an Affiliate Member and entered into the Affiliate Membership Register under the appropriate class of Affiliate Membership. 1.4 Payment of Affiliate Membership Fees Annual fees for all classes of Affiliate Membership shall be payable as determined by the Association in consultation with the local District Association (where applicable) in accordance with the New Zealand Golf Constitution. Page 2 of 7

3 Section 2 Affiliate Membership Categories 2.1 Golf Clubs A Golf Club is an organisation of at least ten individual members, that operates under bylaws with committees (including a handicap committee) to supervise golf activities, provide peer review, and maintain the integrity of the New Zealand Golf Handicap System. New Zealand Golf views a Golf Club as an organisation that is based at a single specific golf course and principally operates to serve members who play at the Golf Club. The New Zealand Golf Board may at its sole discretion allow more than one Golf Club to be affiliated from a single specific golf course. To maintain the integrity of affiliation as a Golf Club, individual members of a Golf Club must have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play golf with each other. They must be able to return scores, and these scores must be available for review by fellow club members and the handicap committee. To qualify for ongoing affiliation to New Zealand Golf, a Golf Club should have at least 25% of its primary members play at least 25% of their rounds at their home club as recorded on the New Zealand Golf handicapping database. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that Golf Clubs are not established nor operating in a manner that exists to principally serve remote members who do not play the Golf Club. The Virtual Golf Club category is appropriate for clubs that operate in this manner. Following the review of regular digital database reports, clubs who do not meet this requirement will be asked to discuss their non compliance with the New Zealand Golf Board. If no legitimate rationale can be provided, the Golf Club s ongoing Affiliation may be reviewed by the Board of New Zealand Golf. Affiliation as a Golf Club is open to any golf club in New Zealand that is: a) A Member of a District Association; and b) Is located at a single specific golf course* that meets New Zealand Golf course rating guidelines. *It is accepted that a single specific golf course may encompass a range of holes including 9,18,27 and 36 hole courses. Affiliated Member Golf Clubs receive (where applicable): a) Inclusion on the Register of New Zealand Golf Clubs. b) Listing and promotion on the website. c) The provision of a standard course rating and handicapping system. d) Shared computer programmes and other intellectual property. e) Communications to members of matters of common interest. Individual members of Golf Clubs become affiliated to New Zealand Golf by way of their Golf Clubs Affiliation to New Zealand Golf. Individual Golf Club members are entitled to receive an official New Zealand Golf handicap and a range of other benefits. For a full list of the benefits of Affiliation for Golf Clubs and their members, please refer to Affiliate membership levies for Golf Clubs: Page 3 of 7

4 An annual levy is charged to all New Zealand Golf Affiliated Golf Clubs. The levy due from each Golf Club is calculated on recorded membership numbers from the previous calendar year. To facilitate the levy assessment and invoicing process, a sophisticated software calculation system is used collaboratively by golf clubs and New Zealand Golf administrators. A report is published as at 1 January each year and this is then critiqued and ratified by Golf Club administrators through an online system over a period of two months through until 1 March. At this date, affiliation invoices are issued to all golf clubs with final payments due 20 April (or by 31 October if time payment arrangements are made). The 2018 Annual Levy fees for Golf Clubs are as follows: a) For club members: $ GST. b) For summer members: $ GST. c) For life members: $0.00. d) For junior members: $0.00. e) For secondary members: $ Virtual Golf Clubs A Virtual Golf Club is an organisation with members who have a relationship via a business, fraternal, ethnic or social organisation. A Virtual Golf Club is not generally based at a specific Golf Club or facility however if it is, a large majority of members (over 75%) are remote and play most of their golf (over 75%) at other Golf Clubs. Where a Virtual Golf Club is a regionally based entity, it is required to be affiliated to the relevant local District Association. Where a Virtual Golf Club does not have a regional base and is a national entity, the club may become affiliated to New Zealand Golf without affiliation to a local District Association at the discretion of New Zealand Golf. If a Virtual Golf Club becomes affiliated with New Zealand without affiliation to a local District Association, any levies collected from these national Virtual Golf Clubs will be shared equally between New Zealand Golf and District Associations. Affiliation in this category is limited and reserved for Virtual Golf Clubs that exist to promote growth in the game of golf and preserve the integrity of affiliation and the national handicapping system. For clarity, entities such as the NZ Police, the NZ Airforce and the Eagles Golfing Society are the type of entities this Affiliate Member category is created for. Entities that are established primarily to be retailers or resellers of official handicaps are not considered to preserve the integrity of the New Zealand Golf affiliation system and will not be considered for application. Acceptance of an application as a Virtual Golf Club is at the sole discretion of the Board of New Zealand Golf. Affiliated Virtual Golf Clubs receive (where applicable): a) Inclusion on the Register of New Zealand Virtual Golf Clubs. b) Listing and promotion on the website. c) The provision of a handicapping system. d) Shared computer programmes and other intellectual property. e) Communications to members of matters of common interest. Individual members of Virtual Golf Clubs become affiliated to New Zealand Golf by way of their Virtual Golf Clubs Affiliation to New Zealand Golf. Individual Virtual Golf Club members are entitled to receive an official New Zealand Golf handicap and a range of other benefits. For a full list of the benefits of Affiliation for Virtual Golf Clubs and their members, please refer to Page 4 of 7

5 Affiliate membership levies for Virtual Golf Clubs: An annual levy is charged to all New Zealand Golf affiliated Virtual Golf Clubs. The levy due from each Virtual Golf Club is calculated on recorded membership numbers from the previous calendar year. To facilitate the levy assessment and invoicing process, a sophisticated software calculation system is used collaboratively by Virtual Golf Clubs and New Zealand Golf administrators. A report is published as at 1 January each year and this is then critiqued and ratified by administrators through an online system over a period of two months through until 1 March. At this date, affiliation invoices are issued to all Virtual Golf Clubs with final payments due 20 April (or by 31 October if time payment arrangements are made). The 2018 Annual Levy fees for Virtual Golf Clubs are: a) For Virtual Golf Club members: $ GST. b) For Junior Virtual Golf Club members: $ GST. 2.3 Golf Courses A Golf Course is a facility with nine or more holes on which the game of golf is played and score is tallied against par. The course needs to be able to be rated under the New Zealand Golf course rating system and feature holes that have defined teeing areas, fairways and greens. Golf Course membership shall be open to any golf course which does not have individual members and is not eligible as an Affiliate Member Club. All Affiliate Member Courses are required to be affiliated to a local District Association. Affiliated Golf Courses receive (where applicable): f) Inclusion on the Register of New Zealand Golf Courses. g) Listing and promotion on the website. h) The provision of a course rating and handicapping system. i) Shared computer programmes and other intellectual property. j) Communications to members of matters of common interest. For a full list of the benefits of Affiliation for Golf Courses, please refer to An annual levy is charged to all New Zealand Golf Affiliated Golf Courses. The 2018 Annual Levy fee for Golf Courses is $ GST. Page 5 of 7

6 2.4 Golf Facility A Golf Facility is a venue that is not a Golf Club or a Golf Course but provides space for a format of the game of golf to be played or coached. This affiliate membership category is intended to provide an affiliation mechanism for facilities such as driving ranges, coaching facilities and mini golf venues. Affiliated Golf Facilities receive (where applicable): a) Inclusion on the Register of New Zealand Golf Facilities. b) Listing and promotion on the website. c) Communications to members of matters of common interest. For a full list of the benefits of Affiliation for Golf Facilities, please refer to An annual levy is charged to all New Zealand Golf Affiliated Golf Facilities. The 2018 Annual Levy fee for Golf Facilities is $ GST. Page 6 of 7

7 Section 3 Compliance These regulations are governed, monitored and reviewed by the Board of New Zealand Golf and may be updated from time to time. All Affiliate Members must abide by the rules, policies, regulations or by laws of New Zealand Golf at all times. Affiliate Membership is effectively renewed on an annual basis by way of the invoicing and payment of affiliation fees however the Board of New Zealand has the ability to review affiliate membership at any time. Clause 15 of the New Zealand Golf Constitution deals with the process for suspension of membership: SUSPENSION FROM MEMBERSHIP 15.1 The Board may, after due and proper inquiry, immediately suspend from membership of the Association for any period not exceeding twelve (12) months any Member or Affiliate Member who has infringed the Rules, Regulations or By Laws of the Association or has been guilty of conduct which in the opinion of the Board is unbecoming of a Member or Affiliate Member or is prejudicial to the game of golf or to the interests of the Association The Board may, after due and proper inquiry, immediately suspend from membership any Member or Affiliate Member if the levy or fee payable by that Member or Affiliate Member for any financial year is unpaid three (3) months after the date fixed for payment, or if that Member or Affiliate Member has failed to meet a valid requirement of the Association within the time prescribed for satisfaction of that requirement, such suspension to remain in effect until the levy is paid or the requirement is met Any Member or Affiliate Member may appeal under Rule 44 against a suspension ordered under Rules 15.1 and Clause 8 of the New Zealand Golf Constitution deals with the process for termination of membership. TERMINATION OF AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP 8.7 An Affiliate Member shall cease to be an Affiliate Member of the Association where: (a) The Affiliate Member requests the Association in writing, addressed to the Chief Executive, to remove its name from the Register; or (b) The Board resolves to remove the name of the Affiliate Member from the Register following suspension pursuant to Rule 15; or (c) A District Association notifies the Chief Executive that the Club or Course (whatever the case may be) has been expelled from, or has resigned from that District Association; or (d) An Affiliate Member has been wound up. 8.8 Any Affiliate Member that resigns under Rule 8.7(a) shall remain liable to the Association for all moneys owing and unpaid at the date of resignation. 8.9 Before any resolution of the Board to remove the name of an Affiliate Member from the Register is put to the vote, the Affiliate Member shall be given the opportunity to be heard An Affiliate Member that ceases to be an Affiliate Member for whatever reason shall forfeit all right in and claim upon the Association and its property including intellectual property for the duration of the suspension Any Affiliate Member that ceases to be an Affiliate Member shall lose all rights to the services of the Association including but not limited to those services listed in Rule 8. Page 7 of 7