CommonGround Men s Golf Club The Rules of the United States Golf Association govern play. This Hard Card and any site specific Notice to Competitors are supplements to The Rules of Golf 2012-2015. Local Rules of CommonGround Golf Course do not apply. The Committee, whose decision is final, shall settle questions. Unless otherwise noted, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule or Condition is: Match Play-Loss of Hole; Stroke Play-Two Strokes. Conditions of Membership All memberships with the CommonGround Men s Golf Club are calendar year memberships and expire December 31 of the year of initial or renewed membership. Associate Members are generally not eligible to participate in peak season tournaments or in the Club Championship. Tournament Members are eligible to participate in all Club sponsored events. To be eligible to compete in the Club Championship, a Tournament Member must participate in at least three (3) regular events. The Individual Match Play, Fourball, CGA InterClub and / or other such events each count as one regardless of how many rounds you may have participated in the event. Equitable Stroke Control All members are expected to post all scores of all rounds played under the guidelines of Equitable Stroke Control. Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) keeps an exceptionally bad hole from changing your Handicap Index too much and sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player s Course Handicap. For handicap purposes, after the round you are required to adjust your hole scores (actual or probable) when they are higher than your maximum ESC number you can post. All scores, including tournament scores, are adjusted for ESC. There is no limit to the number of holes on which you can adjust your score for ESC. Course Handicap and Maximum Number on any Hole CH 9 or less Double Bogey / CH 10 through 19 7 / CH 20 through 29 8 / CH 30 through 39 9 / CH 40 or more 10
Post scores from home and away courses. Post scores in all forms of play; match play, stroke play, even team competitions in which you are requested to pick up. Post your score when you play at least 13 holes out of 18 holes or at least 7 out of 9 holes. On the holes you didn t play, record a par plus any handicap strokes you would have received. Post a score if you play two nines even if it s the same nine, or nines from different days. Simply combine the nines into an 18-hole score. Add each nine-hole Course Rating together and average the Slope Rating. Post scores played in an area observing an active season even when your home club is in an inactive season. Do Not Post These Scores If you played fewer than 7 holes. When you play in a competition limiting the types of clubs used, such as a one-club or irons-only event. When an 18-hole course is less than 3,000 yards. When a majority of the holes aren t played under the Rules of Golf, as in a scramble. Do not post scores made in an area observing an inactive season. Tournament / Greens / Skins Fees Tournament and Greens fees for our events are due before the day of the event, as disclosed by the Tournament information, and are non-refundable. Credit towards a future event may be offered in exceptional circumstances only, and the Board's discretion. You may use your Annual Pass or Punch Card to pay your greens fee for our Tournament Club Events. However, if you register for an event and you fail to show without any notification to the Club or to the Course, the credit card on file with CommonGround Golf Course will be charged one greens fee. Repeated no-calls -no-shows may be cause to have tournament privileges revoked. Skins Fees are due in cash to the pro shop staff when checking in for each event. General Expectations for Tournament Play Payment for all greens fees and tournament fees shall be made by the deadline set by the Tournament Chair, usually by the Monday before a scheduled event. All players must register for each event on our web site. Simply delivering a check to the golf course for our drop box is not considered a valid event registration. You should arrive at the course to check in within 30 minutes of your scheduled tee time. If a player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes of his starting time, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play. This change is to include the men s club match play event.
Unless otherwise notified, the 14-Club rule is in effect for all of our events. Unless otherwise notified, the one-ball rule is NOT in effect for all of our events. Unless otherwise notified, a closest to the pin contest on a Par 3 hole is for tee shots ending up on the surface of green. You must have provisional handicap index (5 posted scores that have been processed by a GHIN Revision) to qualify for tournament winnings in a net event. NEW FOR 2012: Unless otherwise notified, those playing from the White Tees in our regular will have a maximum on the number of strokes on a hole. Your maximum score on any hole is double par. Please pickup when you reach two times the par on a hole with no penalty. Please note a small x on the scorecard next to the score taken. Once you get to your 6 th stroke on a Par 3, your 8 th stroke on a Par 4 or your 10 th stroke on a Par 5, pick up. Record a 6, 8 or 10 as your score, and put a small x next to the number of strokes to indicate that you reached your maximum stroke allowance. Any and all ways of playing a faster round shall be used by all golfers at all times Play a provisional ball if there is ANY reason to believe your ball did not stop in mowed grass If you are first or second to finish putting, proceed to the next tee and tee off Read and survey your putt while others putt Once you have started putting, finish out. In the fairway and off the green, play when ready Local Rules for Tournament Play Water and Lateral Water Hazards. Yellow stakes or lines define water hazards. Red stakes or lines define lateral water hazards. When stakes and lines are used, stakes identify and lines define the hazard. a. In the absence of lines or adequate stakes, the margin of the hazard is determined by the natural break of the ground surrounding the hazard. b. When a lateral hazard is defined on one side only, it is deemed to extend to infinity.
Water Hazards; Ball Played Provisionally Under Rule 26-1 If there is doubt whether a ball is in or is lost in the water hazard to the west side of Hole #5, the player may play another ball provisionally under any of the applicable options in Rule 26-1. If the original ball is found outside the water hazard, the player must continue play with it. If the original ball is found in the water hazard, the player may either play the original ball as it lies or continue with the ball played provisionally under Rule 26-1. If the original ball is not found or identified within the five-minute search period, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally. PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: Match play Loss of hole; Stroke play Two strokes. Ground Under Repair (GUR). Defined by white lines. a. French Drains: Deemed to be GUR, whether or not marked. b. Cultivated Flowerbeds/Active Nurseries: Deemed to be GUR, whether or not marked - relief is mandatory. c. Sod Seams. Except in a hazard, sod seams (not the sod itself) are deemed to be ground under repair, and relief is available under Rule 25-1 if the ball lies in or touches a sod seam or the sod seam interferes with the area of intended swing. All seams within the sodded area are considered the same seam. Staked Trees. Stakes and wires supporting trees are immovable obstructions and relief may be taken. Relief is not from the tree. Rule 24-2. Integral Parts of the Course. Includes cables, rods, wires or wrappings when closely attached to trees; Liners in bunkers and artificial walls and pilings when located in hazards, unless otherwise provided for in Notice to players. No relief. Rule 33-2. Cell Phones and Pagers. A player may only use devices that do not make an audible noise. If his cell phone or pager rings (makes an audible noise) during the stipulated round the penalty is: First offense - Warning; Subsequent Offense - Disqualification. Annoying cell phone use during a stipulated round is considered unbecoming conduct, and the player may be disqualified from the competition.
Immovable Obstructions Close to Putting Green. Rule 24-2 provides relief, without penalty, from interference by an immovable obstruction, but it also provides that, except on the putting green, intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule. However, on some courses, the aprons of the putting greens are so closely mown that players may wish to putt from just off the green. In such conditions, immovable obstructions on the apron may interfere with the proper playing of the game and the introduction of the following Local Rule providing additional relief, without penalty, from intervention by an immovable obstruction would be warranted: Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be taken under Rule 24-2. In addition, if a ball lies through the green and an immovable obstruction on or within two club-lengths of the putting green and within two club-lengths of the ball intervenes on the line of play between the ball and the hole, the player may take relief as follows: The ball must be lifted and dropped at the nearest point to where the ball lay that (a) is not nearer the hole, (b) avoids intervention and (c) is not in a hazard or on a putting green. If the player s ball lies on the putting green and an immovable obstruction within two club-lengths of the putting green intervenes on his line of putt, the player may take relief as follows: The ball must be lifted and placed at the nearest point to where the ball lay that (a) is not nearer the hole, (b) avoids intervention and (c) is not in a hazard. The ball may be cleaned when lifted. Exception: A player may not take relief under this Local Rule if interference by anything other than the immovable obstruction makes the stroke clearly impracticable. PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: Match play Loss of hole; Stroke play Two strokes. Embedded Ball Through the Green. Local Rule in Appendix I is in effect. Rule 33-8.
Electronic Measuring Devices. For all CGMGC events, a player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. However, if, during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g., gradient, wind-speed, temperature, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, regardless of whether any such additional functions are actually used. Penalty for breach: Disqualification. Decision 14-3/0.5 Pace of Play (Rule 6-7) It is expected that all groups play their round in 4 hours and 30 minutes or less, or no more than 15 minutes later than the group preceding. Time will be recorded when your round begins, when the pin is replaced upon completing the ninth hole, and when the pin is replaced upon completing the eighteenth hole. All players in a group will be subject to a penalty of one stroke if the first nine holes are completed slower that 2 hours and 15 minutes and you are more than 15 minutes behind the group preceding. All players in a group will be subject to a penalty of two strokes if the last hole is completed slower than 4 hours and 30 minutes and you are more than 15 minutes behind the group preceding. If a group was out of position at both the turn and the finish, each player s penalty in the group shall be 3 strokes. A group subject to a penalty after nine holes will have their penalty rescinded if they are in proper position at the completion of their round. Return of Scorecards or Notification of Results. Immediately upon completion of play (defined as within 18 minutes after a player s round is completed), players must return their scorecards and/or notify the Committee of match results at the scoring area. Penalty for breach - Disqualification. Close of Competition. The competition is closed when the committee has approved all scores or results. Ties. Ties for first place or qualifying positions are broken by sudden death playoff as determined by the CGMGC, or by matching scorecards as recommended in Appendix I. In the absence of an announced policy for an event requiring tie breaking, matching scorecards will be used. If all options in Appendix I are used and a tie still exists, the tie will declared or decided by lot, as determined by the committee. In a multiple tee start, the last nine holes, last six holes, etc., are holes 10-18, 13-18, etc. In the event of a multiple day event, card matching will begin with the last day's total score.
Additional Information Provisional Ball. A player should play a provisional ball if the original ball may be lost outside a water hazard or out of bounds. The player must specifically mention the words "provisional ball" or make it clear he is proceeding under Rule 27-2a. Second-Ball. In stroke play only, when a player is doubtful of his rights or procedure, he may, without penalty, play second ball under Rule 3-3. The player must report the facts of the situation to the committee before returning his scorecard. Failure to do so results in Disqualification. Score Posting. For handicap purposes, the CGMGC will post all applicable tournament scores to the GHIN Handicap service. In match play and four-ball events, players are required to return a scorecard with actual or most likely scores for holes played when a stroke or hole is conceded, or when a player picks up. Dress Code. Players and caddies must be properly attired as directed by the CommonGround Golf Course attire policy. Conduct. Unbecoming conduct by a player or his caddie, reported to the Rules Committee before, during or after a competitor's round, may be cause for rejecting a player's entry or action under Rule 33-7. Objectionable conduct includes club throwing, foul language, abuse of the golf course or course property, abuse of officials, alcohol/drug impaired behavior, or any conduct unbecoming a gentleman. Players may also be suspended from playing in future CGMGC run events. Inclement Weather If course management opens the course for play, the scheduled event will proceed as planned. If you do not wish to participate, you must arrive on site, check in and the course may issue you a rain check for a future round according to CommonGround Golf Course rain check policies in place on the day of the event. You will forfeit the tournament or skins portion of your entry. The Committee - Rule 33. Committee for any CGMGC competition consists of the any PGA Professional on site and the Board of the CGMGC. The Board may inquire about rules interpretations by contacting a rules representative of the Colorado Golf Association.