PALM DESERT RESORT MEN'S GOLF CLUB STANDING RULES (Revised in March 2016) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Purpose 2. Relationship to the By-Laws of the Club 3. Guiding Principles 4. Weekly Play 5. Tournaments 6. Player Eligibility 7. Guest Policy 8. Handicapping 9. Rules of Golf 10. Golf Course Etiquette and Pace of Play 11. Enforcement 12. Special Events - Annual Awards Dinner Appendix A - Men's Golf Club Tournament Outlines Appendix B - Local Rules 1 Page 1
1. PURPOSE Standing Rules are those that define the rights and privileges of the members of the Club, and that govern the weekly operations of the Club. These rules are adopted formally and put into writing so that a set policy is ensured and followed by each succeeding set of officers to provide uniformity and continuity for the benefit of the Membership. 2. RELATIONSHIP TO THE BY-LAWS OF THE CLUB The Standing Rules differ from the By-Laws in that they may be revised or repealed at any Club Meeting by a majority vote of the Members present at the Meeting, and prior notice of any contemplated revision or repeal need not be formally provided. No part of these Standing Rules shall take precedent over the most recently approved ByLaws of the Club, but shall serve to provide understanding and clarity as to the intent of the By- Laws. 3. GUIDING PRINCIPLES It is fundamental to the continuing success of the Club that all members in good standing shall be accorded equal rights and privileges, regardless of golf skill level, and on the premise that all Members show mutual respect and tolerance. All Members should show courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, no matter how competitive they may be. This is the spirit of the game of golf. The game relies upon the individual to show consideration for other players and to play by the Rules. 4. WEEKLY PLAY The Board of Directors shall determine the number of formal weekly "day play" events that shall be played. That number is currently two (2) - i.e. Wednesday and Saturday. The Golf Events Chair (The Chair) is responsible for organizing the "day play" events, and may create a working committee to assist him in co-ordination of these events. He will select various games and formats that are intended to ensure that al} participants have an opportunity to compete fairly in either individual or team competitions. The Chair may request support from other(s) of the current Chairs for such purposes as ascertaining of 2
individual member handicaps, confirmation of local and/or temporary rules, completing and submitting of scorecards and so on. i) Everyone who signs up will play in the game and disqualifications will be based on the ''Rules of Golf'. ii) Members who show up unannounced will play if there is room and will be in the game if their handicap does not significantly distort the team handicap. iii) Individual games should be scheduled at least twice a month. 5. TOURNAMENTS 5.1 General There are a number of tournaments that are sanctioned by the Club within the season, and are categorized as "Open Tournaments", "Closed Tournaments" and the "Men's Invitational Tournament", all as set out below. All tournament participants must have a handicap that is established in accordance with the USGA and/or SCGA. The Tournament Chairman may, at his discretion, assign a player a handicap for a specific tournament. To assist each of the tournament coordinators that are identified below, Tournament Outline templates have been developed. These templates may be accessed in Appendix A. 5.2 Open Tournaments Open Tournaments ate open to both members of the Palm Desert Resort Men's Club and to participants who are not Club Members. Open tournaments include: * The St. Patrick's Day Scramble * The Canadian Open * Ryder Cup While these tournaments are not Men's Day events, Tournament Outlines for these events are included in Appendix A for information only. Organizers of these events have the discretion to modify event protocols to suit current objectives. 5.3 Closed Tournaments 3
Closed Tournaments are those that are limited to Men's Club members with occasional participation by members of the Palm Desert Resort Women's Golf Club (PDRWGC). All men participants must have a handicap established through the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) and women through Women's Southern California Golf Association (WSCGA). Closed Tournaments are: i) Turkey Shoot ii) Holiday Scramble iii) Valentine's Day Scramble (with the Couples Club) iv) Skunk Tournament (with the Couples Club) v) Seniors' Tournament vi) Club Championship The Club Championship has the following eligibility requirements:: * A member must have a valid handicap. * A member must have played at least ten (10) regularly scheduled rounds of golf with the Men's Club during the time period since the last Club Championship. * An entry fee may be required. 5.4 Member Invitational Tournament The Member Invitational Tournament is open to all members of the Palm Desert Resort Men's Club who are in good standing and who have an established SCGA handicap and the Guest of the member, with the stipulation that the Guest must also have a verifiable SCGA handicap, or a handicap that has been established in accordance with methodology that is standardized in accordance with USGA procedures. A Guest is defined as a person who is not a member of the Palm Desert Resort Country Club Men's Golf Club. 6. PLAYER ELIGmILITY 6.1 Existing Club Members 4
Club members are expected to post a score to record every round of golf played, whether at his home course or at an away venue that has a rated handicap system. The Club's Handicap Chairman has the responsibility of ensuring that each member's current index value is complete and accurate. The Handicap Chairman has the duty to report to the Men's Club President any irregularity in any member's record. A member who is determined to have violated the intent of this section may be sanctioned in accordance with Article 10. (Enforcement) of these Standing Rules. 6.2 Visitors and Guests All guests that are invited to play in any Men's Club event must have an established handicap that conforms to the requirements of the USGA and/or SCGA. An exception to this provision may be offered in the circumstance wherein a Club Member may wish to have his guest play in an individual Weekly Play event. In such an instance the Member may request the Handicap Chairman to set a handicap value that may be based on a cursory discussion with the Member and his guest 7. GUEST POLICY The current policy is that a member may invite the same guest to play in "day play" (see Article 3) events a maximum of three (3) times during the season commencing November 1st and concluding April 30th of the following year. 8. HANDICAPPING All members must join the Southern California Golf Association for handicap management purposes. Until a member has established a SCGA handicap, his handicap shall be calculated by the Handicap Chairman on a weekly basis. To establish a valid SCGA handicap, a golfer must have posted twenty (20) attested rounds of golf on a SCGA rated course or have an established handicap with a golf organization that is recognized by the SCGA. 5
New Club members that bring attested handicaps from courses other than those mentioned above must post (turn in) a minimum often (10) scorecards for rounds played with, and attested by, a member of the Men's Club. Every member must post his score each time he completes a round of golf. The Handicap Chairman shall warn any player who fails to post a score or scores of completed rounds. For purposes of a tournament that has been referenced in Article 5 of these Standing Rules, the Handicap Chairman may, at his sole discretion., assign a handicap to a player in the instance where his currently declared handicap is inconsistent with his record of applicable previously posted tournament scores. 9. Rules of Golf The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R and A Rules Limited of St. Andrews Scotland (R&A) issue Rules of Golf that are meant to regulate the manner in which both casual and competitive golf events are played. This publication is re-issued every four years, and may contain revisions with each re-issue. An additional publication exists, and that is entitled "Decisions on the Rules of Golf', contains official rulings on over 1,000 golf situations. Such decisions are considered legal unless retracted or amended at a later time by the USGA and R&A. Every player should understand that the rules of golf are intended to help the player to enjoy the game and are not intended to be punitive. Each individual golf club and/or course manager may supplement these Rules of Golf for the purpose of standardizing conditions that may be unique to that particular entity. Such Local Rules that may apply from time to time to The Club are set out in Article 10. of the Standing Rules. All Club members should be knowledgeable of both the Rules of Golf and any existing Local Rules, particularly when participating in competitive events. Ignorance of such Rules is not an excuse for avoiding penalization or disqualification from competitive events. 10. Golf Course Etiquette and Pace of Play 6
The game of golf is normally played as a game where one's honesty, courtesy, sportsmanship and adherence to the rules of the game should be a source of pride to each player, no matter how competitive the game is that is being played. Some of the more important of the considerations that all players should abide by include: * safety - make sure that nobody is in close proximity to you when you are intent on swinging a club, or that the group ahead is well clear of your potential landing area. Do not stand directly behind a player who is making a stroke. * noise - no cell phones or cart radios should be activated on the golf course. * consideration of others - do not stand directly behind a fellow player, or on or on the opposite side of the hole,when putting on the green. * pace of play - be ready to putt when it is your turn by having examined the line and distance of your upcoming putt while others are preparing for their putts; when leaving a green proceed to the next tee box before marking your score or putting your club( s) back in the bag. 11. Enforcement In accordance with Section 8-4b of the USGA Rules for Handicapping, if a player fails to post an acceptable score as soon as practicable after completion of a round, the Handicap Committee has three options: i) Post the actual score; ii) Post a penalty score equal to the lowest/highest Handicap Differential in the scoring record. iii) Post the actual score plus a penalty score. The Handicap Committee is not required to notify a player prior to posting a penalty score. For enforcement the Men's Club will use the three strike rule: 1. There will be not penalty for the first posting error in a month; 2. After the second posting error in the same month the player will receive a written warrung; 7
3. After the third posting error and for each successive posting error in the same month a penalty score will be posted to the player's GHIN account. 12. Special Events - Annual Awards Dinner The Annual Awards Dinner is normally held in late March, soon after completion of the Men's Championship Tournament. A template relating to this event is provided in Appendix A. 8
APPENDIX B - LOCAL RULES Local rules that apply to events that are included in these Standing Rules may be stipulated from time to time by the Men's Club Board of Directors, and are meant to apply only to events that are set out herein. These rules may vary from time to time. Formal notice will be given to the creation or removal of specific of these rules at the discretion of the Board. Current Local Rules include the following: i) "The Root Rule" allows a player to lift his/her ball when it comes in contact with, or is in close proximity to, an exposed or otherwise known tree root anywhere on a "closely mowed" part of the golf course. The ball must be dropped within one club length, and not closer to the hole from where it was in relation to the root. The player must advise a fellow member of his playing group of his intention to apply this rule. ii) All water hazards are to be treated as lateral hazards (red staked) and balls are known to have crossed the line denoting the hazard shall be played in accordance with Rule 26 (Water Hazards) of the Rules of Golf. iii) 18th hole water hazard: If a ball clears the initial water hazard in front of the 18th hole tee box and enters the water hazard surrounding the peninsula of the 18th fairway at any point, a player may proceed under the options available for Rule 26-1, or may proceed from the available local option. Options available under Rule 26-1: 1. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. 2. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the 9
spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit on how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped. 3. Drop the ball outside the water hazard within two club lengths of, and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard, or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole. Local option available: Proceed to the locally established Drop Area on the opposite margin of the water hazard at or about the Kirby Marker on the Red Par three Tee box. When exercising any of the above options the player incurs a one stroke penalty. When proceeding under these options the player may lift and clean or replace the ball in play. iv) A ball that comes to rest against the timber retaining structure that defines the water hazard within Holes No.6 and 7 may be lifted without penalty and dropped within one club lengths from the nearest point of relief, and no closer to the hole, from where it came to rest. v) A ball that crosses a concrete wall that defines the edge of any pond that exists within the course shall be considered to be in a water hazard and may not be played from within the hazard. Refer to ii) above for ensuing procedure. vi) Range finders: In accordance with the Rules of Golf (Rule 14) players may use devices that measure or gauge distances (e.g. range fmders) on the condition that the player offers fellow competitors similar information upon request. vii) 8th Hole Desert Landscaped Area: Local management has declared the area just short of the water hazard on Hole #8 as a planted area and has stipulated that no-one is to play out of that area. As such the committee has determined that the hole will be played as ground under repair and players should proceed under Rule 25-1 (Abnormal ground Conditions). Rule 25-1 states: The player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club length and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard. When proceeding under Rule 25-1 the player may lift and clean the ball. When a player has reason to invoke a Local Rule, he must advise a fellow competitor of his intention to proceed in accordance a specific rule. A fellow competitor should not 10
unreasonably deny the player of his right to proceed in accordance with the terms of the rule. 11