Golf Competitions Guidance
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Competitions Guidance Brief explanation of:- Competition formats, scoring and hints on course etiquette and rules Styal Golf Club Copies of this document can be downloaded from the Styal Golf Club Web site:- http://www.styalgolf.co.uk/ Any questions or queries can be directed to the Styal GC Competitions and Handicaps Committee. Secretary:- [email protected] Golf Competitions Guidance Table of Contents 1. Competition Formats ............................................................................................ 3 Medal ...................................................................................................................... 3 Stableford ................................................................................................................ 3 Match play ............................................................................................................... 3 Four-ball Better Ball ................................................................................................. 3 Foursomes .............................................................................................................. 3 Greensomes ............................................................................................................ 3 Texas Scramble....................................................................................................... 4 4-Club Competition .................................................................................................. 4 2. Scoring................................................................................................................. 5 Nett score and effect of a hole’s Stroke Index ...................................................... 5 Medal scoring .......................................................................................................... 5 Match play scoring ................................................................................................... 5 Stableford scoring.................................................................................................... 6 Par scoring .............................................................................................................. 7 3. Handicap Allowances for different formats ........................................................... 7 4. Score recording.................................................................................................... 8 Computer Score Entry ............................................................................................. 8 Score Card Examples .............................................................................................. 9 4. Etiquette ................................................................................................................ 12 5. Pitch Mark Repairing ............................................................................................. 14 6. Summary of Basic Rules ....................................................................................... 15 Taking Relief without penalty ................................................................................. 15 Nearest point of relief: ........................................................................................ 15 Abnormal ground condition ................................................................................ 15 Obstructions: ...................................................................................................... 15 Taking relief with penalty ....................................................................................... 16 Water Hazards (Rule 26) ................................................................................... 16 Ball Unplayable (Rule 28) .................................................................................. 17 Taking relief from a water filled/part filled bunker (Rule 25 b (ii))............................ 18 07/02/2014 Derek Lamb Page 2 1. Competition Formats Medal This is the simplest format in that the total gross score for each hole is totalled and the player’s handicap is subtracted from the total gross score to record a Nett score for the round. The winner is the player with the lowest score. Stableford Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in stroke play, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. The number of points awarded on each hole is determined based on comparison of the number of strokes taken to par of the hole. This fixed score is then adjusted in relation to the player's handicap. The points for all holes are totalled and the winner is the player with the most points. Match play Match play pits players one against another, rather than one against the field as in stroke play and stableford. Opponents compete to win individual holes, and the player who wins the most holes wins the match. Match play can be played by two individuals, one on one and that is known as Singles Match Play. Or teams of two players can square off, with Foursomes and fourball the most common formats. Four-ball Better Ball A better ball competition is played as a team of two players with another team of two making up the fourball. The team score for each hole is recorded as the better score of the two. This can be a stroke play or a stableford competition Foursomes Foursomes is a competition format in which teams are comprised of two players each, and the players alternate hitting the same ball. The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on until the ball is holed. Players alternate hitting tee shots so that the same player doesn't hit every drive. Foursomes can be played as stroke play or match play. Greensomes Greensomes is a competition format that is a variation of Foursomes (2-person teams, each playing one ball). In Greensomes, both players on a team tee off, the best of the two tee balls is selected and that ball is then played alternate-shot until holed. This format is repeated on each hole with both players teeing off and the best drive chosen. (In regular foursomes, the 2-person team would play alternate shots for the full hole, i.e., only one tee ball would be hit.) 07/02/2014 Derek Lamb Page 3 Texas Scramble While this is not an officially recognised format it is certainly a popular format. It is usually played in a team of 3 or 4 players, where the team decides which shot is the best to take and all other team members play from that spot. This continues until the ball is holed. This format is repeated for each hole. In summary the rules are:- 1. All players can tee off at each hole. 2. The team then selects the best drive to take and marks the position with a tee peg within 6 inches of the ball (not nearer the hole,– for reference the Styal Golf Club score cards are 5 1/4inches wide). A minimum of four tee shots for a 4 man team and 5 for a 3 man team, per player to be used. 3. The other players then retrieve their balls. 4. The player whose ball has been chosen then plays their next shot first. 5. The remaining players, in turn, then play their ball within six inches of the tee peg (not nearer the hole) and play their shot. Note! Golf balls shall be placed on closely mown areas and dropped if the chosen ball is off the fairway or a hazard. 6. The above method of play is followed until the green is reached. 7. On the green the same method applies. The ball chosen is marked by a putter head length, not nearer the hole, and players putt from the same spot in turn. 8. Each player must mark the ball after putting. Play continues from each chosen position until the ball is holed. 9. The score is the total number of shots from the chosen spots (including the tee shot). Note! If a player putts and misses but then inadvertently knocks the ball into the hole, then that score counts. At the end of the round the total for each hole is added together and the strokes received subtracted to give the total nett medal score for the round. The winning team will be the one with the lowest nett medal score. The strokes received is usually 10% of the combined handicaps of the team players All other rules of golf apply to the “Ball in Play”. In particular please be aware of Rule 14.2. Team members are not allowed to position themselves on or close to an extension of the line of play or the line of putt behind the ball. Use of a Ghost player If a team is short of a player then a ‘ghost’ player can be used – there are a number of methods and the team must understand the method defined by the competition committee before starting to play. A common method is the following:- Each player plays as they would do in a full team. However, a minimum of 5 drives each (3 actual players) for a 4 man team event or 7 (2 actual players) for a 3 man team event. A Ghost player is defined with a handicap of 28 for men and 36 for Ladies. In this method the ghost only affects the amount to be deducted to reach a nett score. 4-Club Competition All the normal rules of golf apply to any of the above formats with the exception that only 4 clubs can be carried in which one must be a putter. Clubs cannot be shared. 07/02/2014 Derek Lamb Page 4 2. Scoring Nett score and effect of a hole’s Stroke Index Each hole is given a stroke index based on a number of factors, inc. difficulty of the hole, with stroke index 1 being the most difficult. A player gets the benefit of reducing their gross score by 1 or 2 strokes on holes where their handicap is equal to or