Rules

GROTON COUNTRY CLUB

SENIOR GOLF LEAGUE RULES 2011

1. The 2011 Groton Senior Golf League will consist of teams composed of 4 golfers ranked in separate flights A through D, according to handicaps. The League plays every Tuesday morning with a shotgun start commencing at 8:45AM. The first week of play will be a team nine-hole scramble followed by a luncheon whereat the four teams with the lowest scores receive cash prizes. Ties are resolved by determining the lowest scores on the handicap holes. The second week of play consists of individual nine-hole matches between ranked players utilizing the then current GSGL handicaps. Thereafter, scrambles and matches alternate except if inclement weather cancels play. If a scramble is cancelled, it will be played the following week and the scheduled match will be scratched. If a match is cancelled, the scheduled scramble will be played the following week and the cancelled match will NOT be rescheduled. At the end of the season, on the Tuesday following the last match, the GSGL Tournament and Cookout will be held. At that cookout, in addition to awarding the Tournament prizes, prizes will be awarded to the teams accumulating the most match points throughout the season as well as individual prizes for points earned in the matches played throughout the season.

2. Membership: All golfers 55 years young and older who have a GHIN Handicap Index, a GSGL handicap or a handicap from another GCC league are eligible. Golfers without either a GHIN Handicap Index, GSGL handicap or GCC League handicap are eligible as full-time players or as substitutes ONLY after they turn in two attested Groton CC scorecards.

3. Costs: Dues are $70.00 per golfer or $130.00 per couple. Dues pay for the luncheons and monetary prizes but DO NOT cover greens fees or cart rentals. Non Groton Country Club members will pay a reduced greens fee and all players wishing to ride, a reduced nine-hole cart rental. These reduced rates apply only for Tuesday morning’s league play.

4. Rules: The play is according to the U.S.G.A. rule book with the following exceptions:

a. Stroke limit: to speed up play, during the individual matches, once a player reaches five (5) strokes over par without holing out, he/she MUST PICK UP. Please record ALL strokes (INCLUDING “WIFFS”) on the scorecard and indicate a “PICKUP” (P). If both players pick up without holing out they halve the hole regardless of where on the hole each picks up. However, if one player picks up and the other holes out in five (5) over par, the latter wins the hole.

b. Preferred lies: any ball hit in the fairway or mowed portion of the rough may be marked, lifted, cleaned and placed within one (1) club length from the original spot but no closer to the pin. Under this rule, a ball MAY NOT be moved to improve the condition, ie: from the mowed rough to the fairway, from fairway to fringe, or from the fringe to the green.

NOTE: Due to the quality of the sand in the bunker on the right side of the 6th fairway and the fact that it is seldom raked, for the purposes of the GSGL, this bunker is being designated as a waste area. Consequently, for any ball landing and staying therein, the ball may be marked, lifted, cleaned and placed within one (1) club length of the original spot, but no closer to the hole. The ball must be placed and played from within the waste area.

c. In the event a player’s shot appears to be out of bounds or lost in the woods, to save time, please announce and hit a provisional ball. If the original ball cannot be found or is indeed out of bounds, the provisional becomes the ball in play at the penalty of stroke and distance. If you fail to announce to your opponent that you are playing a provisional, then the ball is immediately in play under the stroke and distance penalty and the original ball is considered out of play regardless of whether it is found. (Be certain you can distinguish between the original and provisional ball if found, otherwise a 2 stroke penalty is incurred). Once a provisional ball is played, the player may continue playing that ball up to the place where the original ball is likely to be. If the original ball is found and the player elects to play it, then none of the strokes, no matter how many, played with the provisional ball count. However, if any strokes are made with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is thought to be or any point closer to the hole, then the original ball is abandoned and the provisional ball is in play and all strokes taken with it count. Players are expected to fully utilize this rule to speed up play.

d. On the ninth hole, the ditch, “Conway’s Creek” is considered “ground under repair”. As this is a free lift for the Senior League, no penalty is assessed. The ball must be placed within 2 club lengths behind the ditch keeping the spot where it was retrieved from the ditch on a line between the ball and the flag on the green. If the ball cannot be found, both players must agree on the spot where the ball is to be placed. If they cannot agree, the ball must be replayed from the tee (or original spot of the hit). The “Ditch” is defined as that trench running from the cart path across the 9^th fairway. The area to the right of the cart path is NOT considered the “ditch” and remains a hazard where marked as such.

e. Any players 80 years of age or above by April 1^st may, at their discretion, tee off from the forward (red) tees. Any players 88 years of age or above may tee up his or her drive on each hole up to 10 yards in front of the red tees.

5. Type of play for regular scrambles (there may be occasional modified scrambles which will be explained to the captains prior to play):

a. Each team player will drive, and then the team will select the ball to be used. Each player will take his/her second shot from the location of that ball. The selected ball location continues to be used until the ball is holed. However, each team must use at least one (1) Tee Shot of each player even though it may not be the best ball.

b. In the event a team has less than four (4) players for a scramble, the team will get ONE extra putt on each green. However, the extra putt must be rotated among the remaining players. On the first hole a designated player (A-D) will take the extra putt for the missing player. The putt must be rotated to a different player for each hole until it has been rotated through all the players. When this has been completed, the putt must go back to the first designated player and the same rotation repeated until the round is completed. Regardless of how many players are missing, ONLY ONEEXTRA PUTT may be taken per hole. The rotation of the putt does not occur until after the putt has actually been used, and the order of rotation can be any systematic order selected by the team. A shot using a putter from the fringe of the green is not a putt, only shots made on a ball resting on the green are considered putts. Any ball touching any part of the green is considered as being “on the green”.

c. If a team player cannot make a scramble, he/she must notify the team captain in advance no later than 4 PM on the Sunday prior to the scramble. The captains will notify Paul Murphy (978-256-0876, pmurphy2112@comcast.net) by 4:30PM on the Sunday prior to the scramble to obtain a substitute.

d. A substitute will pay a $5 entry fee for participating in the scramble to cover the cost of lunch and prizes. Eligible substitutes (those having a current GCC handicap, a GSGL handicap or GHIN Index) who wish to participate in the end-of-year tournament will be charged a $10 entry fee.

6. Type of play for matches:

a. Matches will be between individual players in the same flight from different teams. No “gimmies”, all holes must be putted out in order to have accurate scores for calculating handicaps.

b. Scoring will be net of the player’s handicap. The highest handicap player will receive as many strokes as their handicaps differ (half strokes are also given). Strokes are assigned to the number 1 (lowest) stroke hole as listed on the scorecard and then the second, etc.

c. Point scoring: Two (2) points are awarded to the lowest net score on each of the nine (9) holes. Each player receives one(1) point in case of a tie on a hole. At the conclusion of the match the combined points of the two players will always total eighteen (18) points. NO GIMMIES!

d. Scorecards: The scorecard must be filled out completely and signed by both players.

e. Make-up matches: Although it is strongly encouraged, occasionally it will not be possible for two opponents to play at the assigned time. It is the responsibility of the person that is unable to play to contact his/her opponent PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED MATCH to schedule a make-up match, or FORFEIT THE MATCH. Matches may be played anytime prior to the scheduled date but no later than 6 PM the following TUESDAY. In any event, the scorecards for such matches must be turned in to the GSGL Box in the pro-shop no later than 6 PM the following TUESDAY. If the players cannot agree upon a time to reschedule the match, then within the time frame stipulated, both players are expected to declare that they are playing a makeup round (with at least one other person), then have that round and scorecard dated, signed, and witnessed. If both players turn in a card, then Item i is in effect. If only the available player turns in such a card, then Item ii is utilized

.i- match cards: each player will turn in a dated, signed and witnessed scorecard to be used for matching. That round must be declared prior to playing as being played as a make-up round for that specific match. A player MAY NOT arbitrarily choose an already played round and turn it in as a make-up card. The first card submitted by a player as a match card will be the only card that will be accepted.

ii- play net against par and receive whatever points he/she wins but no less than 9 points. The unavailable player then receives no points. The same rules as above apply to the scorecard turned in for this purpose.

iii-If a member is unable to play a match within the prescribed makeup period due to an "emergency situation as determined by the President of the GSGL" and has telephoned the President by the end of day Monday preceding the scheduled match, the opponent will play the match against the absent player’s handicap score. The minimum 9 point guarantee for matches played against an otherwise absent opponent would not apply.

f. No substitutes will be allowed for matches unless the absent player is determined to be unable to play or make up the match for serious reasons of an unexpected nature, or out for the season or extended period of time due to illness/injury and may, at the discretion of the Committee, then be substituted for, if an appropriate substitute is available, either temporarily for the duration of the injury/illness or for the remainder of the season.