1. Qualification Rules

1. Club Competitions are open only to members with a valid handicap
2. Annual subscriptions are due on the 1st May each year, and no member is eligible to enter any domestic Competition on or after that date until his Subscription has been paid.
3. Competitors must enter the competition and pay the entry fee to the Professional or the Secretary before commencing play.

2. Trophies & Prizes

1. No competitor shall be allowed to win more than one main prize in any one Club Competition.
2. All the Club's trophies must remain on the Club's premises, i.e. they cannot be taken home. This is a requirement of the club's insurance policy.
3. Winners of competitions with a recognised Club trophy will not receive their winners' vouchers until Club Presentation Night.
4. Club Presentation Night is normally held in October, and will be advertised in advance on the notice board. It is the responsibility of prize winners to make sure that they:
1. Turn up in person to collect their prize, or
2. Arrange for someone else to collect the prize on their behalf, and tender their apologies to the Captain, in advance.
Failure to follow these rules will result in prizes being forfeited and added to the Captain's charity.

3. Conditions & Decisions

1. The Committee shall arrange all Club Competitions and have the power to make such regulations and temporary regulations which it deems to be desirable. The Committee may revise the conditions, entry fees and handicap limits it deems advisable and it reserves the right to deal with any unusual circumstances that may arise.
2. The penalty for breach of any condition of a competition is disqualification
3. All Committee decisions will be final.

4. Play

1. All players must book in to the Pro Shop a minimum of 10 minutes before their scheduled tee time. Failure to do so may result in the slot being re-allocated by the Pro Shop staff. Subsequent re-allocation of a late arriving player's tee time will be considered but a place and start time cannot be guaranteed.
2. Competitors shall start at the time laid down by the Competition Secretary. However, if a competitor arrives late at his starting point, ready to play, but within five minutes of his starting time, in the absence of circumstances which warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes or loss of first hole. Thereafter, the competitor shall be disqualified.
3. The use of a Professional Golfer or an Assistant Professional Golfer of whatsoever status as a caddie is not permitted.
4. If a member cannot play in a competition he must:
1. Inform the player(s) he is due to play with
2. Inform the pro shop of his unavailability (and record the name of the person taking the call).
Failure to do so may result in the following:
1. Ban from competitions for next 30 days
2. Second offence - Ban from competitions for next 90 days
This provision will be rigorously and consistently applied.
5. Combining stroke play with match play is not permitted

5. Handicaps & Handicap Allowances

1. Unless the published conditions of a specific competition states differently, the following handicap allowances will be used:

Handicap Matchplay Competitions (max handicap is 24; handicaps 25 to 28 must play off 24):
1. Singles: full allowance in summer, 3/4 of difference in winter
2. 4 Ball Better Ball: 3/4 of difference
3. Foursomes/greensomes: 3/8 combined difference
Handicap Strokeplay competitions:
1. Singles Medal and Stableford: full handicap
2. Threeball & Fourball Medal and Stableford: 3/4
3. Foursomes Medal: 1/2
4. Foursomes Stableford: 7/16
2. If a player writes a higher handicap on his card than he is entitled to, he will be disqualified. Writing a lower handicap will not cause disqualification, but will result in the player receiving fewer shots than he is entitled to.
3. Handicap adjustment. If for any reason a player's handicap has not been reduced when it should have been the player shall make such reduction to his playing handicap as shall be appropriate under the current handicapping system.

6. Administration

1. Cards must be returned to the competitions box outside the Professional's shop within 5 hours of the last Competition tee time.
2. Cards must be marked by a Member who is eligible to play in the competition. However, they need not enter the competition. A Junior may not mark another Junior's card in a Mens Competition.
3. It is the player's responsibility to sign and hand in all cards, including Nil Returns. Cards not signed or filled in correctly will lead to disqualification. The following information must be filled in on the card, or it will be disqualified:
• Competition name and date
• Player's name(s)
• Handicap(s)
• Gross score for each hole
• Players and markers signatures
4. For non-qualifying competitions, the Committee may decide what information is required to be completed on scorecards prior to being handed in, but this must be posted on the noticeboard in advance of the competition. Players not complying will be disqualified.
5. Unless the course is closed, players must turn up for their Competition tee-off times. Failure to do so will result in Rule 4e applying. If the weather is bad, it is the player's responsibility to check that the course is open (ring the club to check).
6. Unless otherwise stated, Competitions and Matches will be played from the white tees unless they have been removed from the course, in which case yellow tees should be used.
7. Once a competitor has teed off he must complete his round unless injured or in other exceptional circumstances - in which case his card should be marked N/R. N/R cards in all drawn competitions must be put in the scorecard box. Penalty for breach - disqualification from club competitions for the next 30 days.

SVGC Committee
JG March 2004