TWIN LAKES GOLF CLUB - NOTICE TO PLAYER
April 6 & 7, 2024
The Lakes Course (Sat) & The Oaks Course (Sun)
LOCAL RULES & USGA RULES OF GOLF
Thank You For Your Participation
RULES / LOCAL DETAILS
- USGA Rules are always in effect. If you are uncertain of a ruling, play 2 balls and write the score down for each. A determination of the rule will be made by the Tour Director and Head Pro at the end of play.
- 3-Minute Ball Search In Play - Play a Provisional ball whenever in doubt.
- Putts must be holed out completely! Even if the flag stick knocks the ball out. Pins may be removed.
- Playing Conditions: Announced by the Starter before each group tee’s off!
- Sand Traps/Bunkers: "If Cart Path Only" - FREE RELIEF IN BUNKER BY LIFT, SMOOTH, and replace within 1-Scorecard. "If Not Cart Path Only" FREE Relief only granted for Washouts, Wet Mud, Water in the Bunkers & Foot Prints (a Group member must agree), smooth the area, replace ball within 1-Scorecard. **Note: When the ball is played “Down”, Bunkers aren't 100% "Free Relief", having a plugged shot or tough lie doesn't mean you get the Free Relief!”
- Remember to review the rules when you visit another Amateur Tour, they may not allow the same relief.
- All players must SIGN the Official Scorecard, turn-in scorecard at scorer’s table, before taking your clubs to your car!
CHECK-IN: All Players MUST personally check-in at least 30 minutes prior to the assigned tee times & be at their starting Tee-box no less than 15 minutes prior to the assigned tee time. Failure to do so may result in a player forfeiting his tee time. If a player is not at the starting point, ready to play, at the assigned starting time, he is in a breach of Rule 6-3 & may be issued a two stroke penalty.
CELL PHONE/PAGER: All cell phones & pagers must be off/silent/or on vibrate. If a player’s cell phone is heard ringing, that player will be warned on the first instance and be assessed a 2-stroke penalty for each occurrence after.
PENALTY AREAS: Play all tree lines and tall fescue as penalty areas. Areas marked with a white or green environmental sign are restricted areas (play environmental areas as a penalty area). Do not enter protected areas to retrieve or play your ball, there is a 2 stroke penalty for playing from these areas. Anything not marked will be considered lateral. Remember if an area such as a tree line is marked as out of bounds it MUST be played as it is marked, not as a lateral hazard!
CONDUCT UNBECOMING: The use of loud, foul or abusive language toward any member, Tour or course official will not be tolerated. A member is subject to revocation of playing privileges & membership for the continued use of such language. Any member throwing a club in anger or frustration will be disqualified immediately. Two such disqualifications in any season is grounds for being denied entry into any Tour competitions for the balance of that season. A Tour official need not witness the club throwing to disqualify a member.
HEADPHONES/MUSIC: You may not use headphones/earbuds on the course. However, if you are listening to music, it must not be loud enough for others to hear while playing. Please check with your foursome.
PACE OF PLAY/ TRIPLE BOGEY MAX SCORE EXCEPT CHAMP FLIGHT: Pace of play is 4:30. To support pace of play, players cannot card more than triple bogey on any hole (this does not apply to the Championship Flight). After that, the player must pick up for the hole. Rangers will act as Tour officials, will warn slow groups & report to the director. Play ready golf!
DROP ZONES (BALL DROP) – Are “not” in play for this tournament. PRACTICE BETWEEN HOLES IS PROHIBITED. WASTE AREAS - If any, noted prior to the start of play.
RULE 15.1 - STONES IN BUNKERS - Stones in bunkers are movable obstructions.
AERATION HOLES - Through the green/on the putting surface, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned/dropped, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole.
RULE 20.1.c.3 - RULES DISCREPANCY: If there is a discrepancy in the interpretation of a rule, the member is to play 2 balls through the hole & get a ruling at the end of the round from the Tour Director(s) and club pro.
GROUND UNDER REPAIR AND SODDED AREAS – (Rule 16.1) is defined by white lines. French drains are ground under repair. White-lined areas tying into cart paths are part of those obstructions. Sod seams (not the sod itself) are deemed to be ground under repair, and relief is available, if the ball lies in or touches a sod seam or the sod seam interferes with the area of intended swing. Relief is granted for the ball only and not the stance. The nearest point of relief may be on the sod itself. All edges and seams are considered the same condition. Fire Ants, Alligators, Snakes are ground under repair. The Rule specifically allows for relief from dangerous animal conditions (16.2) such as fire ants, stinging bees, alligators and even bears. A regular ant hill is not considered an abnormal ground condition. A player may take relief from such dangerous conditions if they interfere with his or her ball or area of intended stance or swing.
EMBEDDED BALL: General Area, (Rule 16.3) a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground, “NOT IN A PENALTY AREA”, may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course within the General Area.
ONE-BALL RULE IS IN EFFECT - If this rule is in effect, you must play with the same brand, make, and model of golf ball that you started the round with. The ball the player plays must be named on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls issued by the United States Golf Association. Players must have a marking on the ball they place in play. Note: The GWAT National Championship is played with the One-Ball Rule in effect. (Model Local Rule 8:G-4).
OUT OF BOUNDS – (Rule 18.2) is defined by the inside points of white stakes at ground level, by the inside points of fence posts at ground level and by the inside edge of paved roads and beyond. Relief is not allowed from stakes or fences that mark OB.
ORNAMENTAL FLOWER BEDS - Planted flower beds outlined in white paint are mandatory drop areas. Take relief using (Rule 16.1 - Ground under repair). All other planted beds are considered “through the green”.
SUSPENSION OF PLAY for DANGEROUS SITUATION - Signaled by 1 long air horn blast. All play must cease immediately. All practice areas will be closed during a suspension of play, until the Committee has declared them open again. ** View the LIVE Scoring for any messages from the Tour Director **
TIME OF STARTING - If a player arrives late but within five minutes after the assigned starting time, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes at the first hole instead of disqualification. The assigned starting time is that on the Pairings Sheet.
DIRECTOR & RULES COMMITTEE – The Tour Director, official-in-charge, has final authority on any rulings.
ABNORMAL CONDITIONS are animal holes, ground under repair (GUR) immovable obstructions or temporary water. General Area Relief / Limits on Location of Relief Area: - Not be nearer the hole than the reference point - Complete relief for: Lie, Stance, Swing
- F-4 Extensive Damage Due to Heavy Rain and Traffic Purpose. When heavy rain has resulted in many areas of unusual damage to the and it is not feasible to define them with stakes or lines, the Committee has the authority to declare such unusual damage to be ground under repair.
- Model Local Rule F-4: “Ground under repair may include areas of unusual damage, including areas where other traffic has combined with wet conditions to alter the ground surface materially, but only when so declared by an authorized referee or member of the Committee (Tour Director).
- Players should play two balls, and report the situation to the tour director. (Taken a photo on the course of the situation is allowed)
FLIGHTS WILL COMPETE FOR VISA GIFT CARDS. All first-place ties (for all events) will be decided by sudden-death playoff on the course. If more than two people are tied for first, the playoff ends as soon as a first-place winner is determined. The playoff winner receives the trophy and the first-place prize. The remaining participants’ places will always be based solely upon the scorecard playoff format listed below.
- 1-Day event tiebreaking: for prize purposes outside of first-place (i.e., second, third, fourth, etc.), will be determined using the following USGA Matching Scorecards system: back nine; best total of last 9 holes, last 6 holes, last 3 holes, and finally the 18th hole / if sill tied, front nine; last 6 holes, last 3 holes, 9th hole.
- 2-Day event tiebreaking: for prize purposes outside of first-place (i.e., second, third, fourth, etc.), will be determined in the following
manner: / Day 2 total, Day 1 total, Day 2 back nine, Day 2 front nine, Day 1 back nine, Day 1 front nine if a winner is still not determined through the above processes, a tie will be declared and the prizes will be split between tied players.
DCMGWAT will not replace any lost gift cards after a tournament is played Per the 2023 Tour Manual:
The Lakes Tee-Boxes:
Men: Champ: Blue – 6695 yds; A/B-Flight: White – 6290 yds; C/D-Flight: Gold– 5847 yds
Women: Gold – 5847 yds; A/B-Flight: Gold/Red – 5354 yds (Red 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 17, & 18); C/D-Flight: Red – 5062 yds
The Oaks Tee-Boxes:
Men: Champ: Blue – 6715 yds; A/B-Flight: White – 6321 yds; C/D-Flight: White/Gold– 5927 yds (Gold: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 & 15)
Women: White/Gold – 5927 yds (Gold: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 & 15); A/B-Flight: Gold/Red – 4985 yds (Red 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, & 18); C/D-Flight: Red – 4652 yds
PLAYING ABOVE CURRENT FLIGHT STANDARDS
To maintain the integrity of each flight, the Golfweek Amateur Tour Index Committee (comprised of the Tour President and five Local Tour Directors) will review instances where members return a score that indicates their actual playing performance exceeds that of their current flight. If this occurs the Local Tour Director will contact the Committee prior to awarding flight prizes. The committee will then: Evaluate the playing record of the individual (including but not limited to the number of rounds on Tour for established players versus rookies with few rounds, etc.); Determine whether the player will be disqualified from the event (during 2-Day tournaments, the Committee will not make a final decision until after both rounds have been completed); Share the final decision with the player and his/her Local Tour Director. RULE 8: Update – Any player with 8 or more completed tournament scores in the last two years “will not be disqualified from the event!” That player will be promoted to another flight after the tournament!