I. Background HIGHWAYMEN'S GOLF LEAGUE BYLAWS (April, 2018) Page 1 of 5 The League shall be known as the Highwaymen's Golf League. The league membership is limited to 24 members and is principally for the employees of DOT but is not limited to this department. II. Season Official league play will be held weekly at the Western Turnpike Golf Course on Thursdays starting at 5:00 PM for 17 weeks. The league season shall begin on or about the last Thursday of April with a practice round. Play will continue on consecutive Thursdays thereafter for 14 league matches. There will also be a mid-season tournament and end-of-season tournament (in conjunction with the flight championship, as described in VIII.K). In addition, a final outing, consisting of an 18-hole tournament, will also be held after 17 league days. The site of this tournament will be determined during the season and may be of one or two day duration, based on a vote of the league membership. III. Dues The amount of yearly dues will normally be decided at the final outing each year for the subsequent season. The dues shall be paid to the league Treasurer before the first week of play each year. The annual dues shall be $136 which may be used to pay approved league expenses, weekly prizes, special outing prizes, yearly awards and subsidies to the various league outings. IV. Greens Fees According to rules established by the Western Turnpike Golf Course, each member must pay the $18 greens fees in advance to the Treasurer for each week of official league play. Each member is obligated to pay the $18 greens fees for 17 weeks (as per Western Turnpike rules). Greens fees will be collected in advance at dates to be determined by the Treasurer prior to the league season. V. Officers Offices of President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be filled by election for a term of one year. Elections shall be held at the final outing and the term of office shall commence at the close of business at the final outing. VI. Duties of Officers A. President 1. The President shall conduct all meetings as necessary to conduct league business. 2. The President shall request volunteers from the membership to handle and organize arrangements for the final outing. The President shall appoint members as needed if an insufficient number of volunteers exist. 3. The President shall request or appoint members to serve on any other league committees required to conduct league business. 4. The President shall settle all disputes not involving himself and shall appoint the Secretary and Treasurer to settle any dispute involving the President. The Secretary or Treasurer will excuse himself if the dispute involves him. B. Secretary
Page 2 of 5 1. The Secretary will be responsible for maintaining the season schedule of league matches, calculate and keep appropriate records of all scores, handicaps, prizes and league standings for each flight on a weekly basis. 2. The Secretary shall record, prepare and distribute minutes of league meetings and any non-financial proceedings. C. Treasurer 1. The Treasurer shall collect all yearly dues and other league revenue and deposit such income in an appropriate bank, credit union or financial institution. Appropriate account records shall be kept up to date and be open for review by any member who has paid yearly dues in full for the current season. 2. The Treasurer shall collect in advance weekly greens fees and make a single payment for all members each Thursday of official league play to Western Turnpike Golf Course. D. In the event the Treasurer or a Secretary cannot fulfill their duties, the President shall appoint a member of the league to complete the vacant unexpired term. In the event the President cannot fulfill his duties, the Treasurer and Secretaries shall select a member of the league to complete the vacant unexpired term. The members of the league shall be polled to determine their approval of the selection of President. VII. Officers' Annual Dues Exemption 1. The Officers will be exempt from paying one-half of the annual league dues, subject to adequate performance of their required duties. VIII. Rules for League Play A. League handicaps will be provided and be used to create fair competition for all league matches. B. A match will have 11 points available to be awarded to either of the two opponents in the following manner: Each of the 9 holes will be worth 1 point and shall be awarded to the net score winner of that hole. If net scores for a hole are even, each player will receive a half point. In addition, there will be 1 point given for most holes won; in the result of a tie, 1/2 point will be awarded to each player. In addition, there will be 1 point given to the player with the lowest net score for the match; in the result of a tie, 1/2 point will be awarded to each player. In the event of a player's absence, awarded points will be determined by Article X, Section B: Treatment of Absences. C. Weekly league standings shall be based on the points won per match. D. The league season will consist of 17 league days; one early season practice round, 14 league matches, one mid-season tournament, one playoff and final outing. In addition, there shall be an 18- hole tournament after 17 league days. E. Except as allowed by subparagraph A, league play shall be from the green tees. 1. League members who have attained the age of 62 or will attain the age of 62 within the calendar year of league play, may play from the front tees (if available). To do so, a member must notify the President and the Secretary of his intention each season prior to the start of match play for the season. Once a member chooses this option, he must continue to play from these tees for the entire season. 2. A member who chooses to play from the front tees (if available) may elect to play from the green tees in subsequent seasons. 3. A member who has not attained the age of 62 prior to the start of league play and has a permanent disability (or a disability expected to last longer than one season), may play from the front tees (if available) at the discretion of the President.
Page 3 of 5 F. The league rules governing play shall be the USGA rules for match play, local club rules and any league amendments to the USGA rules. G. League amendments to USGA rules are: 1. Winter rules as per USGA shall be followed through the season. No moving the ball anywhere in the rough. 2. If a ball is lost or out-of-bounds, a new ball will be played no more than two club lengths no closer to the hole from the point where the first ball was presumed to cross the hazard boundary to become lost or cross the out-of-bounds boundary for a one stroke penalty. 3. Provisional ball(s) will not be played. 4. If a ball is deemed unplayable and is more than two club lengths from a playable lie, the ball may be moved to a playable lie, no closer to the hole, with a one stroke penalty. 5. Except as provided in Subparagraph 6, if a player is unable to cross a hazard after two attempts, the ball may be moved across the hazard, placed in a playable lie approximately directly across the hazard outside the hazard boundary. The penalty shall be that of two lost balls (see VIII.G.2). 6. If a player is unable to cross a hazard after the first attempt and where a drop area is provided for that hole, the player will move to the drop area and attempt to cross the hazard from there. If he is unsuccessful in crossing the hazard from the drop area in the first attempt from the drop area, the ball may be moved across the hazard, placed in a playable lie approximately directly across the hazard from the drop area outside the hazard boundary. The penalty shall be that of two lost balls (see VIII.G.2). H. The league will consist of equal sized flights. Prior to the first league match of the year, members will be ranked in ascending order of current handicap, or best reasonable indicator, in order to be placed in the appropriate flight. I. League play will consist of two seven league match sessions (split season). J. League matches will be scheduled on an intra-flight basis. At the completion of a seven league match session, champions of each flight will be determined based on the total points accumulated. In the event of a tie in any flight, a 9-hole playoff will be held. If a tie exists after 9 holes, there will be a sudden death playoff to determine the champion. K. At the conclusion of the two seven-week league match session, each champion from the sevenweek league match sessions will compete in a nine-hole playoff to determine the overall flight champion. This playoff will be on an intra-flight basis. If a tie exists after nine holes, there will be a sudden death playoff to determine the champion. If a league member wins both seven-week league match sessions in the same flight, he will be declared the overall flight champion. If the two seven-week league match session champions do not complete the nine-hole playoff prior to the final outing, then no overall flight champion will be determined, and no prize awarded for the overall flight championship. IX. League Handicaps The League handicaps shall be calculated from a modification of the USGA procedures. The official handicap will be based on 9-hole play. A. For the purpose of calculating the handicap, the following maximum strokes per hole table shall be used: handicap 4 or less maximum strokes per hole 6 5-9 7 10-14 8 15-19 9 20-24 10 25 and above 11
The maximum strokes per hole will be used to determine an adjusted total for the 9-hole score. Page 4 of 5 B. The respective 9-hole course rating will be subtracted from the adjusted total score to determine the stroke difference. (For new members of the league a handicap will be determined after the first three weeks of play.) After the third week of play each member's handicap will be based on the 5 lowest stroke differences of the latest 7 stroke differences. C. The average of the stroke differences is multiplied by 0.96 to determine the official league handicap. Handicaps are rounded to the nearest whole number. D. For league purposes the course ratings and slopes at Western Turnpike shall be: Tees Red White Blue Regular 35.9/121 34.1/130 34.0/129 Front 35.1/116 34.0/128 33.8/127 X. Weekly Attendance and Match Forfeiture A. Absence 1. According to regulations dictated by the Western Turnpike Golf Course, The Highwaymen's Golf League is required to pay greens fees for all of its members for 17 weeks during each season, regardless of an individual member's absence on any given league day. All members are obligated to pay the league Treasurer for 17 weeks of greens fees at $18 each. 2. According to regulations of Western Turnpike Golf Course, no "raincheck" privileges exist for members who are absent at the regularly scheduled league tee-off times. The only other consideration granted by the golf course is that if a member plays 18 holes on league day (Thursday) by teeing-off by 3:00 PM at the regular 18 hole midweek price, the weekly $18 league greens fees will be waived for that day of play. Receipts must be provided to the Treasurer. League members are encouraged to take advantage of this Western Turnpike Golf Course pre-league 9-hole rate instead of paying the regular 18 hole mid-week price. 3. In effect, a member who is absent from regular Thursday league play forfeits his pre-paid $18 greens fees. In view of this, the league encourages its members to arrange substitutes for themselves. Substitutes will be welcomed as "social guests" of the league and will reimburse the league for the forfeited $18 greens fees. The substitute will not compete for points. 4. If a member is unable to attend the final outing, individuals who have substituted for absent members during regular season play will be offered an opportunity to participate in the final outing. The selection of substitutes for the final outing will be based on the frequency of subbing during regular season play. Those who have substituted most frequently will be invited to participate first, followed by those who have substituted less frequently. If two individuals have substituted the same number of times, a coin toss shall determine which individual will be invited to participate. A substitute at the final outing may be required to reimburse the league for his participation at the final outing, depending on the number of times the individual has substituted. The amount of reimbursement, if any, will be determined by the league officers. An absent league member will not receive any refund of dues or other monies paid to the league due to his inability to attend the final outing. B. Treatment of Absences 1. A member must notify his scheduled opponent and a league officer by 12:00 noon on league day (Thursday) that he will be unable to attend the 5:00 PM match. If the member does not notify a league officer the member will be assessed a penalty of $5.00. 2. If a player knows that he will be absent for a match, that match can be "made up" ahead of the regularly scheduled time of the match or up to the Tuesday of the week following the end of match play for the split season. Failure to turn in scores on a timely basis will result in a forfeit for the absent player. a. A makeup match does not have to be played "head to head" but can be played on the same nine
Page 5 of 5 holes (same color) the absent player's match was played with another league member attesting to the score. b. If a makeup match is played "head to head", the match can be played on any nine holes (color). c. The handicap used in a makeup match will be the most current. 3. If a player is absent, he will not be eligible for any points. a. The absent player's opponent shall win match, net and hole points based upon the following blind score calculation: A Flight: Course rating + player's handicap + 2 strokes (e.g. 36 + 10 handicap +2 = 48) B&C Flights: Course rating + player's handicap + 3 strokes (e.g. 36 + 14 handicap + 3= 53) Using the above formula the league secretary will distribute the gross score as evenly as possible across nine holes (e.g. gross score 48 /9=5.333, the hole scores would be distributed as follows: 5 on the easiest 6 holes and 6 on the hardest 3 holes; gross score of 53 /9=5.888, the holes scores would be distributed as follows: 5 on the easiest hole and 6 on the hardest 8 holes). Points will be calculated as stated in Article VIII, Paragraph B: Rules for League Play. XI. Official Postponement of League Play Official postponement of regularly scheduled league play due to inclement weather or act of God will be at the sole discretion of the Western Turnpike Golf Course. Notice of postponement will be made by 3:30 PM on Thursday, league day. Any such notice will simply postpone the regularly scheduled matches until the next available Thursday. All Subsequent matches will be postponed in the same manner. If inclement weather occurs just prior to league play, postponement may occur just prior to league play. In this case, matches will be rescheduled as above. If inclement weather occurs during play, it is within the discretion of the member to leave the course. In this case, if any member completes a round, all members who do not turn in a completed scorecard will be considered to have missed the match and the rules of make-up matches will apply. XII. Prizes Annual dues may be used to award prizes for weekly and annual play and for prizes at special outings. Actual awards for league standings shall be determined by the league officers, except an officer will be excluded from the decision if he is to receive an award. Prizes for the final outings will be determined in advance of these events by the league officers and the members which organized the event. Event organizers may have their green fees paid by the league up to a total for all organizers of $50.00. XIII. Bylaws and Amendments A. To become effective, changes to the bylaws will be by a majority vote of the league officers. B. Members can override a vote of the league officers by submitting a petition of 2/3 of the members.