What do I get for my membership to the GolfWeek Amateur Tour?
Your tour membership allows you to play in any tour event nationwide. Your membership comes with an online credit to our members only ProShop - to let you pick your own preferred Swag Bag items (that can include caps, visors, bucket hats, shirts, 1/4 zip jackets, handicapping services, ball markers, bag tags, scorecard holders, tumblers, and leather goods like money clips, bags, pouches, and other items to be added.
What do I get for my tournament entry fee?
Your entry fee for each tournament gets you 18 holes (or 18 holes each day for a 2 day event), cart and range balls. Tournaments Include a Prize fee already added to create a purse to pay equal across all five flights. Each flight winner gets an etched trophy at each event as well as their share of the pot.
What is the event format?
All standard 1 and 2 day events are gross stroke play with USGA rules in effect. We will also have a 2 man Ryder/Pres Cup event this year. The Tour Championship at the end of the year in Hilton Head, SC is a 3 day, 56 hole gross stroke play event where members from all 45 tours come together to determine overall Flight Winners for the season for the whole tour.
Are Range Finders or GPS devices allowed to be used during the events?
Range finders and GPS are allowed as long as they conform to USGA rules and do not measure slope, wind or any other information other than distance. They may not give club recommendations. Cell phone range apps can also be used. No green reading apps or greens charts are allowed.
Can I try an event before I commit to becoming a member?
Golfers who have not been on the tour before can attend one event as a guest and would only have to pay the tournament entry fee. In order to play a second event, the membership would have to be paid for first.
In order to play as a guest you must enter your player registration by filling out and submitting the first page on the "Join the Tour" tab (exit out when asked for member payment), then submit event payment and lastly email me at JeffH@amateurgolftour.net and let me know that you are planning to play as a guest. Once those steps are complete, you will be set to play and try an event as a guest. Guests can not win overall within a flight, but they can win the last paying spot in a flight and they may buy into all side games.
Do I need a USGA handicap index?
It is helpful to have an established index to place you in the correct flight, but the index is not necessary. If you do not have a USGA or Tour index, we will place you in a flight based on your average score and ability for the appropriate yardage. Please give me at least three recent scores and the courses that you played. Your flight placement can always be adjusted later if the placement doesn’t fit your ability. Once on Tour, you will develop a Tour Index based strictly on your tournament results, and that will be used to dictate all flight placements. Your Tour scores will automatically be added to your Tour index .
Do I have to play in every event?
You can play in as many or as few events as you wish. The more events played, the more points you will earn towards the race to get to the Tour Championship at the end of the year at Hilton Head Island, SC. If you cannot make an event on your local tour, you may play any other event nationwide to make up for it. Make up events only earn 60-80% of the original value. Only a single day event can be used to make up a single day event and only a 2 day major can make up for a missed 2 day major. A single day event can NOT be doubled to make up for a missed 2 day event.
How long do I have to decide to play in an event?
All tournament entry fees are due no later than the end of the day on the day before the tournament. Courses cannot leave openings, therefore they need to know how many players the tournament requires before the event. Most Nashville Tour tournaments sell out quickly and players can view the updated Player Fields on the schedule page. These are updated within 24 hours of payments.
What time are the events?
Most events are played on Saturdays or the occasional Sunday, which are golf courses busiest days of the week. We normally schedule in a couple of private clubs, which allow tournament play during the week, usually on Monday’s. These events are usually scheduled during the summer. Our events are normally straight tee starts but occasionally we schedule shotgun starts. If the field allows it, and the course is ok with a Double Shotgun then we will attempt to run a double shotgun start.
What is the breakdown of handicap indexes for each flight?
Championship Flight players have handicaps 0 -3.9;
A Flight players have handicaps 4 – 8.9 ;
B Flight players have handicaps 9 – 13.9;
C Flight players have handicaps 14 – 18.9; and
D Flight players have handicaps 19 +.
How is the Tour Handicap Index calculated?
The Tour Index Policy is intended to group players into flights of comparable potential ability to promote fair competition within the flight. Indexes are based solely on Amateur Golf Tour performance. The AGT index formula closely mirrors the published USGA handicap method. The AGT formula differs from USGA handicap methodology in that it uses only rounds played on tour and substitutes the triple bogey rule in place of Equitable Stroke Control.
What if I am playing in the wrong flight?
Flight adjustments are usually made after 2 events have been played. However, adjustments to a higher flight can be done at any time. If you are in the wrong flight and are shooting out of the flight range, a battlefield promotion will be done instantly. This would create a loss of winnings and points to balance and account for the adjustment to the higher flight. If you feel you are in too difficult of a flight, you may request to move down a flight (provided your index allows for the move). Flight adjustments to a lower flight does not warrant any loss of points. However, an adjustment to a higher flight warrants an adjustment of 20-40% reduction of current point earnings as that is approximately the amount of points you would have earned had you been in the proper flight all along, but cannot earn a spot higher than a tie for 5th when moving up a flight.
What yardage is played for my flight?
Championship plays from roughly 6800;
A flight plays from roughly 6600;
B flight plays from roughly 6400;
C flight plays from roughly 6200; and
D flight plays from roughly 6000.
**Yardage distances played can vary from this guide based on ease/difficulty of course slope and ratings.**
Women typically play the forward tees, or approximately 10-15% less than their male counterparts. For women the
Championship flight plays from roughly 6000;
A flight plays from roughly 5800;
B flight plays from roughly 5600;
C flight plays from roughly 5400; and
D flight plays from roughly 5200.
What are the prizes for the events?
Prizes are in the form of VISA Gift Cards. The Prize purse amount is determined by how many players are in the Player Flights and the 2022 Prize Matrix is located on the Nashville Home Page.
Can I play events on another GolfWeek Amateur Tour?
You can play any event in the nation, on any of the other tours. If you play a visiting Tour, you must first indicate the play to your local tour director and also let the visiting tour director know which tour you are a paid member of. Event registration is then the same process as your local tour. Be sure to take note of any differences in the other tours' local rules.
How do I earn a spot to the Tour Championship at Hilton Head Island, SC at the end of the season?
You must play at least 5 rounds in the season, local tour or other, to qualify. 2 day Majors count as two rounds. The top 10 season long points winners from each flight earn a spot to enter the Tour Championship.
What if the weather is bad?
We play rain or shine unless the course suspends play. If an event has to be cancelled due to dangerous weather, then a make-up event will be arranged for later in the season.
What is the Cancellation Policy for Events
Any player who wishes to withdraw from a Tournament and receive a full refund must tell the Tour Director before Pairings are announced/posted/emailed. Telling the Director once Pairings have been announced/posted/emailed will result in a 50% Entry Return; No Refunds on the Tournament Day will be allowed.
Live Scoring System at All Events
Live scoring page can be found by clicking the corresponding link from your tour homepage under the LiveScoring System button or by going to Amateurgolftour.net/livescore. Your login is the email address that we have on file with the tour. Family and friends can follow along in real time at home by clicking on the Live Leaderboard tab. This process is a welcome change, but can really only be most beneficial if each group participates, so it is mandatory to have one person in your group enter scores into LiveScoring. One other person in the group must keep score on the official scorecard. Entering scores throughout the round will also make the scoring and results easier and quicker at the end of the round as we won't have to take the time to enter the scores, but rather just verify them. The system will do the rest, so results will be quickly calculated, but again, can only be done if all players participate.
What is the triple bogey max rule?
To promote a good pace of play, the AGT implemented the triple bogey max rule for all flights except the Championship flight. All players must pick up their ball and discontinue their play on any hole where they have reached a score of triple bogey. (If you are at double bogey, and are not in the hole yet, pick up as triple is the best you will get. Do not hit for the triple as the whole purpose of this rule is for a faster pace of play).
What if I don't know the rules?
Players are responsible for knowing the rules. Other players can help with the rules if in doubt or unsure. Always play 2 balls if a rule or play is in dispute. The Tour Director can determine the proper play when discussed at the end of the round. Penalties can, and will be, assessed for rules infractions, so be sure to know the rules to the best of your ability.
What is the dress code?
Collared shirts and soft spikes are required. (Mocks are considered Collared Shirts at most locations). No jeans, denims, jogging outfits, tank tops, workout wear or sweat pants are permitted. Shorts may be worn.
Are caddies permitted?
Caddies are not permitted.
Are spectators permitted?
Spectators are usually welcome but it is to the discretion of the course. Spectators may be required to ride and rent a cart, whereas some courses do not have enough carts and spectators will have to walk. We try to refrain from having spectators ride with the players. It is up to each course in regards to their spectator policy, so be sure to contact the course to inquire as to their policy.
What are the cash games at the events?
At each event, players are able to enter into optional CASH games. Games MUST be entered with cash as the money gets paid to the winners in cash the same day.
Closest to the Pins - CTP entry is $5 for that day ($1 of every $5 entry goes into the Tour hole-in-one pot and continues to accumulate during the season). 4 pat 3’s are available for each player to win. Only players in that day's CPTs are eligible for the hole-in-one pot, otherwise the hole-in-one winner will win $100, Only Nashville Members can compete for the Hole In One Purse at Nashville events. (Any Hole In One winner during the season will split the ending purse with all other winners, it will build during the season).
Flight Skins - $15 for in flight skins. Out right low score on a hole, amongst the players in the skins game, will win their share of the flight skins pot.
Superskins - $10. These players compete against all the flights and players that entered super skins. Outright low score on a hole, amongst the players in the super skins game, will win their share of the super skins pot.
Points Game - $10. The points game has 2 parts. The first part is $5 per player to each flight. Points are calculated by gaining or losing points based on your per hole score. The point system used is a modified Stableford system. The players AGT or handicap also factors into the game because players will be given their equivalent number of points based on their handicap. The second part of the game will be a random draw partnership (across all flights) with both players points being totalled for a score.
50/50 Raffle - $10. Half of the pot goes to a player selected at random using a random number generator. The other half of the pot is collected for a yearly donation to the charity of our choice - Currently our charity of choice is Stand Up to Cancer.
Any player can enter in as many, or as few, or none of these events. In the case of a 2 day event, players must enter the games each day. 1st day entries go towards day 1 results and 2nd day entries go towards day 2 results.
How are Ties for Placing and Prize Pay-Outs handled
Ties for placement and prize pay-outs will not be split among multiple players. A tie for 1st Place within a flight will result in an on course playoff, and all other ties will be broken using the USGA scorecard tie breaking rules. (Last 9, then last 6, then last 3, then last hole, and finally using scores on each individual holes starting at 17 and working backward).