2005
BAY REGIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT revised
5/05
USGA Rules govern all play. The
following describes the Tournament and the Local Rules.
THE TOURNAMENT:
The Bay Regional Golf Tournament is played annually
at Tilden Park Golf Course the final weekend of July and the first weekend of
August. The format is 72 holes medal
play. After 36 holes, each flight is cut
to one-half the field, plus ties. The
field is limited to 144 players.
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT:
The
Championship Flight is for players with GHIN Index Rating at July 1, 2004 of 5.4
and under. Men competing in the
Championship Flight play from the blue tees.
Women competing in the Championship Flight play from the white tees.
HANDICAP
FLIGHTS:
The
Handicap Flights are for players with GHIN Index of 5.5 and over. Each player’s GHIN Index Rating at July 1,
2005 determines the player’s flight for the tournament and handicap for the
first two rounds. Each player’s GHIN
Index Rating at August 1, 2005 determines the player’s handicap for rounds three
and four. Men competing in the Low Handicap
Flight (roughly 6-10 handicap) play from the blue tees. Women competing in the Low Handicap Flight
play from the red tees and receive one extra stroke of handicap to compensate
for the difference in course ratings between the blue tees and the red tees. Men competing in the Middle Handicap Flight (roughly
11-14 handicap) and High Handicap Flight (roughly 15-28 handicap) play from the
white tees. Women competing in the Middle
or High Handicap Flights play from the red tees and receive three extra strokes
of handicap to compensate for the difference in course ratings between the
white tees and the red tees.
ENTRIES:
The entry fee is $120 and includes green fees for
two rounds of play during the tournament.
The entry fee does not include carts.
Players making the 36-hole cut must pay green fees of $90 for the 3rd
and 4th rounds at the pro shop prior to the 3rd round. No refunds will be made for unplayed rounds.
PRIZES:
First
place winners in each flight are awarded a trophy. The Northern California Golf Association
(NCGA) has accredited this tournament for the Player Point System. The first five place winners in the
Championship Flight receive 100, 65, 40, 30 and 20 points. Sixth to tenth place and ties receive 10
points each. Gift certificates
redeemable at any American Golf Corporation pro shop (including Tilden) are
awarded. (USGA $750 limit applies) The first ten places in the Championship
Flight receive $750, $500, $350, $250, $225, $200, $175, $150, $125 and $100. The first four places in the Handicap Flights
receive $250, $150, $100 and $50. Anyone
breaking the tournament course record (Tyler Brown 64) is awarded $250. Low gross is awarded $50 each day. Closest to the hole is awarded $25 each
day. Any hole-in-one is awarded $100.
TIES:
Ties for first place in any flight are broken by a
three-hole playoff starting at the first tee immediately after the ties are
determined. If the players are still tied after three
holes then a hole-by-hole playoff begins at the fourth tee and ends when a
winner is determined. If the ties are in
a Handicap Flight, handicap for three holes is 1/6 of total handicap rounded up
or down to the nearest whole number. If the
Handicap Flight continues to the fourth hole, then handicap is given where it
falls on the scorecard. Contestants who
may be in contention for first place are advised to be ready for such a playoff
or be subject to default. Ties for the NCGA Player Points awarded for second to
tenth places in the Championship Flight are combined and divided equally. Gift certificates for ties for second to
tenth places in the Championship Flight are combined and divided equally. Gift
certificates for ties for second to fourth places in the Handicap Flights are
combined and divided equally.
THE COMMITTEE:
The Committee acts as Referee to decide questions of
fact and apply the Rules. Decisions of
the Committee are final. If a player
is doubtful of their rights or procedure, they may, without penalty, play a
second ball. The player must
announce their intention to invoke this rule and the ball with which they will
score if the Rules permit. The player
must report the facts to the Committee before returning their scorecard. Penalty for breach of Rule is
disqualification. (USGA Rule 3-3)
AMBASSADORS:
Ambassadors are stationed at strategic points and
are roaming the course in order to facilitate the tournament. Ambassadors are not Referees. They will forecaddie; help find lost balls
(but not identify them) and otherwise ensure that all contestants have the
opportunity to finish 18 holes within the 4:40 pace-of-play mandate.
ETIQUETTE:
Please
replace divots, repair ball marks, rake bunkers and be careful with carts. Everyone should be quiet and still when a
player is addressing the ball or making a stroke. (USGA Section I) The Committee may penalize unsportsmanlike
conduct. First offense the player is
warned. Second offense the player is disqualified. (Local Rule)
STARTING TIMES:
Starting times for the first two rounds are posted
on the website at tildenparkgolfclub.org and mailed to all competitors about
Tuesday before the first round. Starting
times for the third and fourth rounds are posted on the website and mailed
Monday after the second round. The
Championship Flight will play in threesomes and begin play about 8:00 and
continue at ten minute intervals. The
Handicap Flights will then play in foursomes/threesomes at ten minute intervals
from about 10:00 to 12:00. All players
must report to the starter at least 15 minutes before their scheduled starting
time and be ready to tee off at the time assigned. Official time is kept at the first tee. Penalty for being five minutes late or less
is two strokes. Penalty for being more
than five minutes late is disqualification.
(USGA Rule 6-3)
SCORECARDS:
Players
will exchange scorecards with a fellow competitor who will be the player’s
marker. Following the round, the players
must assure that the score on each hole is correct, that the scorecard is
properly signed, that if handicaps were used they were correct and that the
scorecard is returned to the Committee as soon as possible. The scorecard is considered to be returned
to the Committee when it is checked by a Scorer at the Scorer’s Table and the
player has left the immediate area of the Scorer’s Table. Penalty for breach of Rule is
disqualification. (USGA Rules 6-2b, 6-6)
OUT OF BOUNDS:
Out of bounds is ground on which play is prohibited
and is defined by the inside edge at ground level of all boundary fence posts
that surround the course. Fences are
located to the left of holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12 and to the right and behind
the green on 16. Out of bounds is also
defined by white stakes to the left of hole 3 and to the right of hole 9, and the
greenside edge of the cart path behind the green on hole 9. The player shall play a ball, under penalty
of one stroke, from as near as possible to the spot which the original ball was
played, no nearer to the hole. (USGA
Rule 27)
PROVISIONAL BALL:
If a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may
be out of bounds, to save time, the player may play a provisional ball from as
near as possible to the spot which the original ball was played, no nearer to
the hole. The player must declare that
the second ball is being played as “provisional”. (USGA Rule 27) This option most commonly comes into play
for shots hit to the left or right on holes 1, 2, 3 and 12, to the left on holes
4 and 5 and to the right or over the green on holes 9 and 16.
HAZARDS:
Yellow stakes and paint define water hazards. Water hazards are located in front of the
tees on holes 4, 11 and 12 and in front of the green on holes 5 and 12. Under penalty of one stroke, a player may
play a ball from as near as possible to the spot which the original ball was
played, no nearer to the hole.
Alternately, a player may 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. (USGA Rule 26) HOLE 11: If a player’s ball enters the yellow
water hazard in front of the forward tees, as an additional option, the player
may use the drop area (gold tees) located in the area of the forward tees. (Local Rule)
HOLE 12: If a player’s ball enters the yellow water hazard in front of
the teeing ground, as an additional option, the area on the front of the
forward tees may be used as a drop area.
(Local Rule)
Red stakes and paint define lateral water hazards. The lateral water hazards that commonly come
into play are to the right side of holes 2, 5, 6, 8, 14 and 15, the left side
of holes 7 and 8 and behind the green on holes 3 and 6. In addition to the options above, if the ball
last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, under penalty of one
stroke, the player may drop a ball outside the hazard within two club-lengths
of and no nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last
crossed the margin of the hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the
hazard equidistant from the hole. (USGA
Rule 26) HOLE 3: If a player’s ball
enters the lateral water hazard behind the green, as an additional option, the
player may drop a ball in the drop area marked to the back side of hole 3
green. (Local Rule)
GROUND
UNDER REPAIR:
White lines painted on the ground define ground
under repair. The planted areas behind
the greens on holes 9 and 13 are ground under repair. Visible gravel adjacent to cart paths and visible
gravel and sand patches covering recent drainage improvements are ground under
repair. Determine the point nearest
to where the ball lies which is no nearer to the hole, avoids the condition and
is not in a hazard or on a putting green.
The ball may be lifted and dropped within one club length of the point
determined, with no penalty. (USGA Rule
25)
EMBEDDED BALL:
A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground
in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped
as near as possible to the spot where it lay, no nearer to the hole, without
penalty. (USGA Rule 25-2)
POWER LINES:
A ball striking an overhead power line while in
bounds (holes 2 and 3) must be replayed from as near as possible to the
spot which the original ball was played, no nearer to the hole, with no
penalty. (USGA Rule 20-5)
IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTION:
The fence between the fifth green and sixth tee is
an immovable obstruction. If the obstruction
interferes with a player’s swing or stance a drop is allowed within one
club-length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer to the hole and not on
the other side of the fence from where the ball lies, with no penalty. (USGA Rule 24-2)
BALL UNPLAYABLE:
The player may declare his ball unplayable at any
place on the course except when the ball is in a water hazard. Under penalty of one stroke, the player may
(i) play a ball from as near as possible to the spot which the original ball
was played, (ii) drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball
lay, but not nearer the hole, or (iii) drop a ball behind the point where the
ball lay, keeping that point between the hole and the spot on which the ball is
dropped. (USGA Rule 28)
PRACTICE:
On any day of competition, a player shall not
practice on the course or test the surface of any putting green on the course
before a round. (Local Rule)