SECTION 2 BOYS GOLF

USGA RULES GOVERN PLAY.  All players are asked to familiarize themselves with USGA standards of play.  All coaches are asked to educate their players.  Local professionals are available to help with rulings.  The USGA RULE GUIDE is located on a button on this for easy access to clear rulings.  

All leagues and their entities will determine a qualifying round to be played by USGA standards throughout the season, to ensure that all rounds are deemed fair and accurate.  If a player or coach decides to play by rules that are not recognized by USGA or Local Course Play (as deemed by the course professional beforehand), the player is subject to a disqualification of that score from sectional play.  

NYSPHSAA FOLLOWS THESE SAME STANDARDS

SECTION2 FOLLOWS THESE SAME STANDARDS or works "under the USGA umbrella".

Teams and individuals are restricted to the State Standard of 16 maximum matches (contests/events).  A match, contest, or event is deemed complete if played under the stroke play or match play guildelines within their league season.  An 18-hole event, provided that it is run on a day that student-athletes have no school can be counted as 1 event.

ROSTERS for all teams will be submitted  the Head Coach of each team in the provided Reporting Form at the beginning of season play.  

A "MATCH", "CONTEST" or "EVENT" is described as a 9-hole completed round in season long League or Non-league play, or an 18-hole round, provided that round is not played while school is in session..

All TEAMS and INDIVIDUALS are restricted to 16 Matches, Contests, or Events as per NYSPHSAA Guidelines

2026 PASSAGE and AMENDMENT to SECTION 2 BOYS GOLF BY-LAWS CONCERNING POSTSEASON PLAY 

- passed 6/3/26 (15-6) in favor

TEAM and INDIVIDUAL postseason are now separate events, played without influence on one another.

"TEAM or CLASSIFICATION tournament qualifying round" (TQR) currently refers to any round (that is played under USGA standards) that includes, but does not exceed 8 strokes over the set par for that course (per 9 holes).  Unfinished rounds (weather or darkness) are not applicable for Team Qualfying Rounds, so please plan accordingly with your respective sites for play.  

LEAGUES have the freedom of how to determine their win/loss (stroke play, match play, etc.) - but must convey to their players that no player can adapt their score in match play to end a hole(concede score), or they will be disqualifying themselves from playing a valid round for sectional qualifying, both Individually and for TQR play.  In addition; NO COACH can adapt the playing conditions (forward tees, red stakes, undefined drop areas, "circle double par" "circle 10", etc) for pace of play.  To protect the sectional field, we cannot allow those participants to submit a score under these standards of play, as they do not meet the criteria for competitive balance under NYSPHSAA and Section 2 guidelines.

• In classifications A&B, TEAM tournament is played "Play 5 score 4" and is aggregate scoring for the low 4 players on each team.

• In classification CD, TEAM tournament is played "Play 4 score 3" and is aggregate scoring for the low 3 players on each team.

• Each classification will determine a first place, runner up and third place team.

THESE BULLET POINTS - as well as TIEBREAKERS - are outlined in more detail in  BASIC RULES GOVERNING SECTIONAL PLAY 

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"SCORE DIFFERENTIAL round" (SD) currently refers to any round (that is played under USGA standards) and its score submitted to par against the slope and rating of the course played, to submit forward for postseason play, and the individual stroke play tournament.

INDIVIDUALS cannot defer from USGA play for any reason in order to post each round to be considered in their SD average.

There is no true QUALIFYING SCORE in INDIVIDUAL PLAY, player's best 8 scores across a season are used to calculate their SD.

SD average is determined individually, and is recognized as the players average of the best 8 rounds played vs slope and rating of any course within a maximum of 16 matches.  Only the top 8 rounds are added and then utilized as an average.  All players are competing for the top 72 places and ties across the entirety of Section 2, to determine their place in the event.

"Qualifying Home and Away Matches"

Within the passage of the 2026 postseason amendment; all sites can be played and submitted, regardless of site being "home" or "away" for any team, so long as the 9-hole site has a reputable and recognized USGA Slope and Rating.  There is no maximum as to how many times a site can be utilized as to SD (score differential - individual)  or TQR (team qualifying round - rule of 8).

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REPORTING

All coaches will have a mandated reporting form to submit for their players who seek Sectional postseason play.  

The reporting form will be electronic in nature, and provided to every coach. 

The reporting form has been updated and can be amended to meet current conditions, if it becomes obsolete in its function for any reason. 

Every head coach is individually responsible to report their 6 scores the are being submitted for SD and TQR - in a timely manner.  It is requested by the committee that these scores are submitted within 24 hours of each match being completed (no delay).

Every coach, upon submitting the scores for each player, is responsible for the supervision of play, handing rulings forward to their scoring groups in a timely manner, and to the accuracy and attestation of their player's scores.  It is everyone's resaponsibility, coach and player alike, to make sure that scores are coming in accurately, and that the qualifying standards of play are met - in every contest played.

Examples of disqualification of qualifying standards of play are:

• Undefined drop zone areas added

• Concession of hole after match has holed out (by any player at any time)

• Playing Lateral Hazards where they are not defined by the course (playing "no OB")

• Circling or adhering to a score limit

• Advancing beyond a water hazard without a defined 'course-used' local drop area

• Changing "par" on a hole

• Moving a ball to an easier position to move play along

• Not taking appropriate penalties for scoring (as defined in the USGA rule book)

• A player who is labeled as "exhibition" by their coach cannot enter that round as a SD round for sectional play. (Over the allotted amount of players for league scoring)

TEAM QUALIFIERS:

• Teams and coaches can submit up to 5 names for advancement in Sectionals in Classifications A and B.  Teams must have a qualifying 3 players to submit a team of up to 5 players. 12 teams is the maximum field in each classification, final seeds TBD by low team SD average (low 4 players).

• Teams and coaches can submit up to 5 names for advancement in Sectionals in Classification CD.  Teams must have a qualifying 2 players to submit a team of up to 4 players. 25 teams is the maximum field in this classification, final seeds TBD by low team SD average (low 3 players).

• Electronic forms will be used for submission

INDIVIDUALS:

• INDIVIDUALS are allowed to compete for the 9 spots and 2 alternates for the SECTION 2 State Team, via season long score differential.

• THE TOP "72 and Ties"* CUT will be used to determine the field to play in the INDIVIDUAL portion of Sectional play

• A "waitlist" will be established and utilized, porivdied the tournamwent has withdrawls 24 hours before play.

• Electronic forms will be used for submission

PREVIOUS INDIVIDUAL SECTION 2 STATE PLAYERS:

If a player has represented the State Team in the past, they will be submitted to the Section 2 tournement, provided only if they have completed a full season of events (8 or more), and that they are outside the top 72 of all players submitted in SD AVG.  If the player finishes their season inside the Top 72, the field does not grow in size.  This is only for use in situations where the former State player has 'missed the cut' during regular season play.

BOYS SECTION COMMITTEE