FAIRWAY GREEN TWO-PUTT GOLF LEAGUE
INFORMATION AND RULES
2009
General FGTP League Information
Eligibility Requirements
All golfers must be able to hit the ball with semi consistency and should not whiff, chunk, chili dip, skull, hook, slice, duff, top, fat, toe, hozzle, or heal with any regularity.
Course Information
The Fairway Green Two-Putt league will be played at Theodore
Wirth Golf Club -
Weekly Greens Fees
Greens Fees are $18 per week that you are scheduled to play. New for 2009, weekly greens fees will be
pre-pay at the beginning of the year.
Yearly League Fees
This is a money league. In addition to the weekly greens fees golfers will pay $60 up front that will go towards cash prizes for various categories of wins.
Handicaps
A Theo Wirth only 9-hole handicap will be tracked for each golfer and used for weekly league purposes only. See Calculation of Handicaps below. Golf outside league play will not count for or against your league handicap, although if you do keep a USGA handicap you will be expected to track your league scores against it. You do not need to do so for the league, but if you would like to obtain a USGA sanctioned GHIN handicap through the Fairway Green Two-Putt club contact Nick Basgen for details and payment. If you are obtaining a GHIN handicap through Fairway Green Two-Putt the cost will be an additional $19.
Schedule / Format
We will play a 13 week season – the 6 weeks before and the 7
weeks after the summer solstice to maximize the evening light - May 12- Aug 3. Tee times start at 5:42pm on Tuesdays. A schedule will be drawn up by league
officials and posted to the league website – www.fairwaygreentwoputt.com. Once the schedule has been made you are
responsible to fill your spot, either by playing or finding a sub. If you need help finding a sub or to inform
us of the schedule change, contact league officials.
New for 2009 - League format is set up as 10 weekly match play events and 3 weeks of playoffs. – see Scoring for match play scoring details. Each week two golfers will square off against each other for a chance to win 10 championship points. Weekly match play points will go towards a cumulative league championship points total. At the conclusion of the 10th week of play the top six championship points earners will win a percentage of the total pot – see Payouts. Golfers will then be organized by handicap into 3 flights for the playoffs. Your championship points total will determine your position in the bracket. Matches will be played in a tournament format with winners advancing to the next week.
Golfers will need to play a minimum of 6 weeks to be eligible for any cash prizes and can use a maximum of 8 weekly match play totals towards their cumulative championship points. If you play more than 8 rounds your lowest/worst weekly points totals will be disregarded.
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Payouts
Top 6 Championship
Points Earners
At the conclusion of the 10th week of league play the Top Six Championship points earners will be paid out the following percentage payout of the overall stakes –
1st – 10 %
2nd
– 5
%
3rd
– 4
%
4th
– 3 %
5th
– 2 %
6th – 1 %
Playoffs winners
After the 10th week of league play there will be three weeks of playoffs and winners of the playoffs will receive the following percentage payout of the overall stakes -
1st
Flight Champion – 10 %
1st
Flight Runner up – 3 %
2nd
Flight Champion – 10 %
2nd
Flight Runner up – 3 %
3rd
Flight Champion – 10 %
3rd
Flight Runner up – 3 %
Average
Low Net for the Year
A third category of
winnings will be the net low average over the course of the complete season. All scores will count toward this category
regardless if you play 6 rounds or 13 rounds.
Payout percentage of the overall stakes -
1st – 10 %
2nd
– 5 %
3rd
– 4 %
4th
– 3 %
5th
– 2 %
6th – 1 %
Returning Players
Anyone who has played in the league in the previous year
will have those scores counted towards their handicap.
Weekly “Chit” awards
Each week there will be contests where players can earn "chits". Each chit is worth $2.00 and is payable at the end of the year. Weekly low net is worth 5 chits, ties split. We will also have two 'on course' contests. Possible contests: longest putt, longest drive, closest to the pin, fewest putts, “the blind”.
Most Improved Award
To be eligible for this award, a golfer must have played a
minimum of six rounds in the previous and current season.
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Rules
Scoring
Weekly matches will utilize Match Play rules. Ten points per player match: One point per hole based on match play –
lower net score wins the hole - and one point for low net score based on the 9
hole net score. Based on the disparity of handicaps golfers may be matched up against
another who is 9 or more strokes better or worse than themselves. In that case it is possible for the player
with the higher handicap to receive more than 1 stroke per hole.
Scoring Example – Player A is giving Player B 3 strokes; one on each of the 3 hardest (lower handicap) holes. Player A and B tie on a hole where no strokes are given and the hole is “halved” (1/2 point per player). Player A and B tie on a hole where a stroke is given and Player B wins the hole (1 point).
At the conclusion of
the match each player should verify the score card and sign it. If you are unsure of how to score the match
you can leave the score card unsigned and the league officials will score the
match.
In the event a golfer shows up late or leaves early, the score will be figured in this manner: The golfers will match up head-to-head on the holes that both golfers are present. The remaining holes will be handled like a forfeit. See Forfeits below for scoring forfeits. The golfer that was there for the entire round will automatically get the point for low score.
With the head-to-head
format it is imperative that each golfer make every attempt to make their
scheduled tee times. Make arrangements
with your employer so that you can make your assigned tee time with time to
spare. It is of the utmost importance
that players follow the rules of the league as well as the rules of the
game. If you notice a rules infraction
please call it out to the offending golfer.
Nobody will think you’re a dick for doing so.
Calculation
of Handicaps
For the first three rounds without a handicap, a player will calculate a handicap after the current round based on par of 36. For example, if a golfer shoots a 45 on his first league night with no triple bogeys, his handicap for the night is 9 (all fractions are dropped). Each of the three weeks stand alone, they are not averaged.
In the fourth round, the golfer will use a calculated handicap based on his first three rounds. In the fifth round, the golfer will use a calculated handicap based on his first four rounds (see example below).
After a golfer has played 5 rounds, his handicap is calculated by dropping the highest score and deducting 36 (the course rating) from the average of the remaining rounds. Only the most recent 5 rounds are considered when calculating a handicap. For example, assume a player has played the following 5 rounds - 41,44,42,47,40. The handicap for these rounds is calculated as follows:
Lowest 4 rounds 41+44+42+40= 167/4 = 41.75 average
Average of 41.75 – 36 course rating = 5.75
Handicap = 5 (all fractions dropped)
For handicaps of 0-9, strokes exceeding double bogey are not counted for handicap calculation purposes. For handicaps of 10 and up strokes exceeding triple bogey are not counted.
Forfeits
If you fail to show up for your assigned tee time without getting a sub you not only receive 0 championship points for the week, but you also still owe for the greens fees for the round.
Scoring for a forfeit will be as follows. The player who receives the forfeit will play his round to determine the number of points he will receive for the match. The player who forfeits will receive zero points. To determine the points received by the present player, the golfer will play against a dummy score based on the player’s own handicap plus 1 penalty stroke. The individual will receive no less than 4 points for the match (10 points per match are possible). The player who has received a forfeit will have his round count toward calculating his handicap and will be eligible for all chit awards.
Substitutes
Golfers are responsible to find their own subs if they cannot make their assigned tee time. A contact list with email addresses and phone numbers will be provided by the league. If by Monday you cannot find your own sub please contact the league officials for help in locating a sub. They will do their best to fill your tee time for the week.
Match-ups
Each match will consist of 2 randomly assigned players. Each foursome will also be randomly assigned to promote league camaraderie. There are no league sanctioned foursome competitions, but betting within and amongst the groups is encouraged.
Partial Rounds
We will basically follow the typical course rain check
policy. If a group completes enough
holes (typically five) to not get a rain check, their match will be scored
based on the holes they have completed, with each player getting ½ point for
each remaining hole and the net score point going to the player with the lowest
net through the completed holes. If a
group does not get through five holes and is eligible for a rain check, they
will have to re-play their matches. The
make-up date will be determined by the captains depending on the schedule and
how many groups did not finish.
Speed of
Play
Play ready golf and
you will be expected to keep up with the group in front of you. This is not The Masters. If the maximum number of strokes has been
reached (based on your handicap) please concede the hole and pick up your ball.
Lost Ball
In the interest of keeping play moving, even though it is
not consistent with USGA rules, the penalty for a lost ball will be one
stroke. You may play a new ball from
a point closest to where you think the ball was lost. However,
the penalty for a ball hit out-of-bounds is stroke and distance, i.e., if your
shot (from anywhere on the course) comes to rest out of bounds, drop a ball as
close to the original spot (or re-tee if hitting from the tee box) and hit it
again. If there is any doubt about
whether the ball is out-of-bounds or not, announce it and hit a provisional
ball from the tee. If your first ball is
found to be out of bounds, play the provisional.
Use of Winter Rules
Play for the league will be under "Winter" Rules. It has been noted that a number of golfers are bending winter rules to their advantage. Winter Rules only apply in YOUR OWN FAIRWAY. Attached are the provisions for "Winter" rules.
a. The ball can be moved only if it is in the fairway (the fringe around the green is considered part of the fairway under this Winter Rule interpretation) you are playing, and only with the club head to a distance not more than one (1) club length from the original position, not closer to the hole, except:
1. If the ball is in a hole it can be removed by hand and dropped. This is the only time you can touch the ball until the green is reached.
2. If the ball is in casual water, it may be moved not more than one club length outside the casual water, no closer to the hole.
b. The ball cannot be touched with anything when it is in the rough, unless the player calls an unplayable lie on himself (one stroke penalty) - then he may pick it up, drop it one club length not nearer the hole and play it where it comes to rest.
c. The ball cannot be moved closer to the hole than its original position.
d. The golfer cannot improve his line to the pin.
Rain-Outs
When the weather is questionable, a rain-out decision will be made by the course manager one hour before the first scheduled tee time (4:42pm). The decision to play or not is made by the course, not by the league members. League officials will contact the course one hour before the first scheduled time to find out if the league is on. A league wide email will be sent out alerting all golfers of the status. If you are not able to retrieve your email, please contact a league official by phone to receive rain-out status. Forfeits will be counted. It is, therefore, important that you not assume league play will be cancelled if it looks like rain. Rainouts will be made up at the end of the season.
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USGA Reminders
(Print
a copy of this and keep it in your bag for reference)
Tree Obstruction Rule
The tactic of backing our butts into the tree or using our
legs to pin a branch back to have a better shot is not allowed under Rule
13-2. According to the rules, a player
is not permitted to bend or break anything growing or fixed if it improves the
lie of the ball, your stance or your area of intended swing. In stroke play, the penalty for breaking this
rule is two strokes. Please be advised,
the correct procedure (Rule 28) is to deem the ball unplayable, assess a one
stroke penalty and do one of the following:
· Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played
· Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole
· Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped.
The player may also choose to play the ball as it lies (good luck). A player is allowed to contact a branch on the swing free of penalty as long as the swing is completed, contacting the ball.
Water Hazard (Yellow Stakes): Rule 26
If a ball is in or is lost in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke (The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule):
1. Play 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 spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped.
3. An additional option available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a 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. .
Lateral Water Hazard (Red Stakes): Rule 26-1/15
A player has played a ball from the teeing ground or anywhere on the course into the lateral water hazard. He may play the ball as it lies or, under penalty of one stroke:
- play another ball from the teeing ground or where the original shot was taken; or
- drop a ball anywhere (as far back as the player wants) on the far side of the hazard on a dotted line from the hole through the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, keeping the hole and that point in line; or
- drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, but not nearer the hole; or
d.
An additional option
available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard,
drop a 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.
The player may NOT drop a ball on the so-called "line-of-flight".
Typical Relief Options
Relief can be taken anywhere on the course for pretty much any reason if you declare your shot “unplayable”. Roughly the same rules cover water hazards but differences are highlighted in the below examples.
1)
Hit another ball from the place you last hit.
For example, if you hit your drive into water, you can tee up another
ball, hitting your THIRD stroke. Same
applies in the middle of the fairway. If
you hit your 1st fairway shot (2nd shot of the hole) into a tree and don’t like
the lie, you can go back and hit another ball from that same fairway position
(but you would be hitting shot #4). In
the illustration below, this can be used for any of the balls – relief would be
taken at the tee-box. Incidentally, this
is your ONLY option for a shot hit out of bounds.
2) Place a ball up to two club-lengths away from the position of your ACTUAL ball (i.e. two club lengths from WAY under the tree where your ball is, not from the edge of the tree). Many times (e.g. big trees, water hazards) this isn’t possible since relief doesn’t even get you a hittable ball. This costs a stroke (so if you went in the tree on your drive, your next stroke would be for three). In the illustration, this can be used for the blue ball (under a tree), assuming it actually gets you OUT of the tree. Possible locations are identified with blue triangles. It can also be used for the lateral (red-staked) water hazard. The difference with this one, however, is that the ball can be placed within two club lengths of where the ball FIRST CROSSED into the hazard (marked with an orange triangle). This option is not available for a non-lateral water hazard (i.e. yellow-staked water).
3) Probably the most poorly interpreted of all the relief options… There is NO SUCH THING as “line of flight”. Get over it. Your final option is to place a ball on a line that starts at the HOLE and extends through your original position, no closer to the hole. This location, often times, sucks since the damned tree is almost always right in your way again… Again, get over it. In the illustration, this can be used for any of the balls. Possible drop locations are identified with stars. You can see this isn’t usually recommended for lateral (red-staked) water hazards since you would be better off teeing another ball off (option 1) or placing by the orange triangle (option 2).
Equipment Rule
All players are required to comply with all USGA rules governing equipment. This includes golf balls.
Unplayable Ball, Etc: Please be familiar with USGA rule 28, governing relief from an unplayable situation (e.g. under a tree). Other fascinating USGA rules and decisions are useful and can always be found at: http://www.usga.org/rules/index.html.