Men's Golf Bylaws and Sport Handbook
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Men’s Golf Bylaws and Sport Handbook SPORT CHAIR: GARRETT GOOSMAN, WVU TECH SPORT RATER: GARRETT GOOSMAN, WVU TECH AD SPORT LIAISON: KENNY HOWELL, WVU TECH COMMISSIONER: MICHAEL SCHELL LAST UPDATED: FEBRUARY 1, 2021 I. Playing Rules/Resources A. The River States Conference plays under USGA rules with approved NAIA modifications. The current USGA playing rules and interpretations can be found at http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub.html. B. Complete information (including the Coaches’ Manual) for NAIA Men’s Golf can be found in the Coaches’ Corner section of the NAIA website in the links below: 1. NAIA Men's Golf Coaches' Corner 2. NAIA Men's Golf Coaches' Manual II. General Information A. Personnel 1. Sport Chair – Garrett Goosman, WVU Tech 2. Rater – Garrett Goosman, WVU Tech 3. Ratings Oversight Committee a. John Gordan, Indiana University East b. Jason Cox, Brescia University c. Kenny Howell, WVU Tech (Sport Liaison) 4. Sport Liaison – Kenny Howell, WVU Tech B. Participating Teams 1. Asbury (Ky.) University 2. Brescia (Ky.) University 3. Carlow (Pa.) University 4. Indiana University East 5. Indiana University Kokomo 6. Midway University 7. Oakland City University 8. Ohio Christian University 9. Point Park (Pa.) University 10. University of Rio Grande 11. West Virginia University Institute of Technology III. Regular Season Competition A. The regular-season conference schedule consists of a 36-hole Fall Preview Tournament. This two-day tournament is held at the same course as the spring conference championship tournament. B. The 2020 Fall Preview Tournament is scheduled for September 28-29 at Belterra Golf Course in Florence, IN. The Sport Chair will coordinate the site/course selection process with a selection committee and the conference commissioner. i. The 2021 Fall Preview Tournament will be held at Belterra Golf Course in Florence, IN on September 27-28. C. The Fall Preview Tournament (and the Spring Conference Championship) is open to both teams and individual golfers. However, a minimum of four golfers is necessary for both team scoring and national championship qualification. D. River States Conference and the NAIA follow the rules of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and as a general rule, players must walk the course in the River States Conference Preview and Championship events. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disabled player may be permitted to use a golf cart as an accommodation to his or her disability for those events where golf carts are not allowed. As required by the ADA, the National Administrative Council (NAC) will evaluate such requests on a case-by-case basis. In order for the NAC to properly evaluate the merits of such requests, while maintaining the fundamental fairness of the golf competition, it is necessary for players requesting this accommodation to submit medical documentation to facilitate that analysis. The documentation provided must demonstrate: (1) a player’s disability as defined by the ADA (temporary conditions may not be covered); (2) the medical need for the golf cart that results from that disability; and (3) that by providing a golf cart to a player or caddie in that particular circumstances, the NAC would not be fundamentally altering the fairness of the competition by providing a player with an advantage over other players. Individuals requesting the use of a cart should contact Nathan Doctor, [email protected], to initiate the process for the NAC to consider the request. (Administrative Council Winter 2019) E. All conference competition rounds (Fall Preview/Spring Championship) will be factored into determining the All-Conference Team and Player-of-the-Year. F. All players are responsible for their scores and the scores of their markers. Each card must be signed at the score table no longer than 15 minutes after team has completed the round. G. In the case of a team tie for first place (Fall Preview and/or Conference Tournament), a sudden death playoff will occur. Play will begin with the five participants from each team on the first hole. The sum of the four lowest scores will be used to determine a champion. If the ties still exist, play continues in the same fashion on the next hole and continues until the tie is broken. All other team ties will be decided by scorecard player listed below in III.G. If two teams are tied and one team has 4 players, then the team with 5 players is declared the winner. H. If a team tie for 1st place exists and the tie cannot be broken by sudden death playoff due to darkness or inclement weather, the following sequence will be used to break the tie: 1. Best 5th-player score in the final round. 2. Best 5th-player score in second round. 3. Best 5th-player score in first round. 4. Scorecard playoff (add total strokes of all five golfers in final round beginning with 18th hole and continuing in reverse chronological order (17- 16-15-etc.). I. A pre-tournament coaches’ meeting will be held the evening before both the Fall Preview Tournament and the Spring Conference Championship Tournament. IV. Conference Postseason Competition A. The conference championship tournament will be a 54-hole, two-day tournament. All eligible teams and individuals participate in the conference tournament. B. The 2021 River States Conference Men’s Golf Championship Tournament is scheduled for April 18-20 (practice round on 4/26) at Belterra Golf Course in Florence, IN. i. The 2022 River States Conference Men’s Golf Championship Tournament will be held at Belterra Golf Course in Florence, IN on April 10-12. C. Two USGA certified rules officials must be used for the spring Conference Championship Tournament. These rules officials and the club professional will be included on the tournament committee for the conference championship. D. The winner of the conference tournament is the conference champion and automatic qualifier to the NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships. If the tournament medalist (individual champion) is not a member of the championship team, the medalist also qualifies for the NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships as an individual participant. E. The tournament committee (sport chair, sport liaison or commissioner, rules official, tournament director and club professional) will determine the number of holes played per day and review all tournament procedures in a coaches’ meeting prior to the championship. F. See III.F above for team tie-breaking procedures used to determine the conference champion. If there is a tie for the medalist honors, a playoff will begin at hole #1 and continue until a medalist is determined. If there are both team and medalist ties, the tie-breaking procedures will occur simultaneously. G. Inclement Weather Policy 1. In case of inclement weather, at least 18 holes must be played for a champion to be determined. The tournament committee will have the responsibility of halting and restarting play. 2. Options regarding suspension of play due to inclement weather will be determined prior to the beginning of the tournament. 3. Round 1 must be completed before the start of Round 2. If play is interrupted, a participant may choose to spot the ball or complete the hole. 4. In the case of lightning, play halts and the player must mark the ball. 5. If Day 1 is completely rained out, the tournament committee will decide the number of holes to be played on Day 2. 6. If less than 18 holes of the tournament are completed, then the most recent Golfstat rating will be used to determine the national qualifying team (contingency plan). 7. The All-Conference Team and Golfer of the Year are determined by calculating all five rounds (Fall Preview Tournament/Spring Championship Tournament) played. Golfers must play all five rounds to be eligible for All-Conference and Player of the Year honors. 8. The following tie-breaking criteria will be used to determine the Golfer of the Year and All-Conference Teams: a. Compare scores of each round, beginning with the final round and move in reverse order (start with round #6, then #5 and so on until ties are broken; b. If ties remain, compare hole-by-hole scores in the final round (beginning with hole #18 and moving in reverse chronological order (#17, #16, etc.). NOTE – If three players are tied at #5 in the final standings, then the tie- breaker must be used to determine the #5, #6 and #7 spots. V. Conference Ratings A. Each sport committee will elect a member to serve as rater. If a sport cannot elect a rater, then the commissioner will appoint a rater after consulting with the sport chair and oversight committee. Criteria for serving as a rater are listed below: 1. Raters must be head coaches with at least one year of head coaching service in the conference. 2. Raters will serve a term of two (2) years. 3. Raters may serve additional terms; based upon recommendations from the coaches and satisfactory evaluations from the sport oversight committees. 4. If two divisions exist in any conference sport, the division that does not include the rater must have a coach on the oversight committee. B. Raters will familiarize themselves with and adhere to established NAIA and River States Conference ratings policies and procedures. Raters will serve the best interests of the River States Conference and its member institutions and the NAIA at all times. C. Raters will provide ratings and justification to members of the Oversight Committee for review before they are submitted to the NAIA. This e-mail communication must be sent to the conference sport oversight committee no later than 9AM on Monday (or the established NAIA date for submitting conference ratings).