NCFGC Club Rules

This document will be reviews at least once a year by the Board for appropriate additions and amendments.

MEMBERSHIP:

1. NorCal-Fiji Golf Club is an Associate Club Member of the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) and as such, all members of this club shall have a NCGA membership through the NorCal-Fiji Golf Club.

2. All current members are eligible to renew their memberships for the next year.

3. All golfers are welcome to join the NorCal-Fiji Golf Club.

4. Guests of member’s will generally play with their referred member. Members are responsible for guest’s tournament fees. Guests are not eligible for tournament prizes. Only NorCal-Fiji Golf Club members are eligible for the year-end awards and trophies.

MEMBERSHIP DUES:

1. New member dues are $60.00. This includes the NCGA membership fee.

TOURNAMENT FEES:

1. Tournament fees are listed on the master schedule for all tournaments. Usually these include green fees, reservation fees, mandatory merchandise, and cart fees charged by the course.

2. NorCal-Fiji Golf Club may additionally charge a fixed dollar amount per member participating in a tournament. Typically, this amount will be no less than $5.00, and no more than $10.00. The most common contribution is $5.00. This amount will be posted on the master schedule on the club website, or emailed to all members.

3. CANCELLATIONS: The club tournament director must be notified of any cancelations. The tournament director will fill the vacated spot with the first player on the waiting list. A golfer that cancels AFTER the cut-off date may forfeit their tournament fee. Players will have one day to cancel their spot. Anything within a day, the player will be required to pay half the green fee. If a player no shows (without any communication to the Tournament Director, via Text, Voicemail, or Email), they will reimburse the club the full amount of green fee, unless an emergency.

4. FIRM cut off dates will be shown on the schedule. The FIRM DATE is made due to the club committing a firm number of players in advance. The golf courses reserve a final number of tee times by this date. After the cutoff date, reservations may be accepted on availability only. If no additional spaces remain, the player will be put on a waiting list.

5. The club shall not accept any walk-ons on the day of the tournament. Exceptions only at the discretion of the tournament director.

SIGN UPS:

1. Sign up for all tournaments with the tournament director by the cut-off date. Indicate IN WRITING (Email, Text) stating one is in for the tournament, and any special pairing requests.

2. Pairings, tee assignments/course handicaps will generally not be changed after the pairings sheet has been published. In certain cases, at the discretion of the club officials, changes may be permitted after the final pairings have been published.

3. Depending on the arrangements with the course, there can be 2 methods of payments. For some tournaments, one will simply pay at the club-house, as in others, cash or check made payable to: NorCal-Fiji Golf Club will be disbursed to the treasurer. The website will provide details on how payments will be handles for each golf outing.

4. If a member is to request an early tee time, please contact the tournament director. There will be a date no more than 3 days before the tournament to request an early tee time. Anything after will be up to the discretion of the tournament director.

HANDICAPS:

1. The current NCGA/USGA handicap is used to calculate the course handicap for all NorCal-Fiji Golf Club tournaments. The course handicap is computed by the Handicap Chairman using slope and course ratings of the course holding the tournament. Men will play from white tees; women to play from red, unless noted otherwise on the master tournament schedule. All tournaments will be played at course handicap using 90%of the handicap index.

2. Members NCGA/USGA Handicap Index is updated twice a month by the GHIN (Golf Handicap Information Network) Handicap System. The NCGA office provides the club with the current NCGA/USGA Handicap Indexes for all members of NorCal-Fiji Golf Club through the internet. Members are able to log onto the NCGA website (www.ncga.org) and view current index and NCGA news.

3. The club Handicap Chairman will post all adjusted scores for the Club Tournaments. All adjusted scores for the club tournaments are posted at a Tournament (T) score. NOTE: It is the responsibility of all NorCal-Fiji Golf Club members to post their adjusted scores for all rounds played outside of club tournaments. If a tournament other than a NorCal-Fiji Golf Club is played, the score must be marked as a Tournament (T) as well.

4. If a player’s handicap increases by 2 or more in a regular season, the Handicap Chairman may adjust their handicap downwards.

5. A player’s handicap may only be increased by 1 point during a regular season; but may go down as much as possible.

6. Questions such as to what constitutes a postable score should be addressed to the Handicap Chairman

7. The Handicap Chairman’s ruling on what a players handicap will be used for each tournament is final. Players may play at either the NCGA Handicap, or Tournament Handicap.

8. As of 2021- Equitable Stroke Control has changed . . . in name and in practice. For score posting purposes only, the Maximum Hole Score will be a net double bogey. That is a gross double bogey, plus any handicap strokes the golfer is entitled to on that hole based upon the ranking of the stroke holes. A 25-handicapper’s max hole score, for example, will be a gross quadruple bogey on the seven top ranked holes / a gross triple bogey for the remaining holes.

RULES OF GOLF:

1. The club plays by most current USGA Rules of Golf, except when modified by a local course ruling.

2. Players with more than 14 clubs will receive a 2-stroke penalty in stroke play. Disqualification will result in match play.

3. Play the ball as it lies. If the foursome agrees that playing from a lie can damage the club, the ball may be re-spotted no closer to the hole.

4. If the ball is in casual water, ground under repair, hole or burrow made by an animal, the player may drop one club length no closer to the hole without penalty.

5. No player shall play until the players on the hole ahead are out of range.

6. ALWAYS play a provisional ball where there is any doubt concerning an Out of Bounds or Lost ball. Any player in the foursome may request a provisional ball to be played when there is any doubt; player must play a provisional or face disqualification. In a rare situation where no players in the foursome were aware of the Out of Bounds states, and all have already left the tee box, in order to keep pace of play, the player may drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the hazard and take a 2 stroke penalty.

7. Players are allowed 5 minutes to search for their balls, after which if it’s not found or identifies. If the foursome believes that the ball was in the fairway or rough but not able to locate it, then the decision can be made by all in the foursome to drop a ball without penalty as close as possible to the lost area. If one does not agree within the foursome, then normal USGA rules apply: If a ball is lost as a result of not being found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player's side the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5).

8. Preferred Lies/Winter Rules when used by our club (this will be announced before the first tee time) shall mean that relief may be taken “through the green.” Relief meaning that the ball may be lifted and cleaned, without penalty, and places within one club length of where the original ball lies, no closer to the hole, as so as to preserve as nearly as possible the stance requires to play from the original lie.

9. Preferred lies and winter rules are used ONLY as directed by the club officered on the day of the tournament. Members should check with the tournament director to see if winter rules are in effect before the payer teeing off.

10. It is the responsibility of each golfer to know the rules of golf and make the correct “call” on the course. In the event of a dispute regarding the call, the player shall hole out the original ball and shall play the provisional ball from the point of dispute. A correct ruling shall be obtained from the golf course professional or rulebook when the round is completed.

11. A player may obtain distance information by using a device that only shows distance. If during a stipulated round, a player uses a measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect their play (e.g. gradient, wind-speed, temperature, etc.…) the player us in breach of Rule 14-3 “Artificial Devises and Unusual Equipment.

12. Upon competition of the round, players are not permitted to go back past the 18th hole to see how the rest of the competition is progressing. A breach in this rule will result in a 2-stroke penalty.

13. Pace of play is important. Teams absolutely must keep up with foursomes ahead of them at all times.

14. In any non NCGA qualifying event, a player may choose to pick up their ball without finishing a hole. In any such event, the player will post a maximum 9 strokes on that hole in stroke play, or concede the hole in match play.

15. Any disagreement concerning the interpretation of the Club rules or procedures shall be determined by a majority vote of the Board Members.

CLUB COMPETITION:

1. Tournaments are open to all members of NorCal-Fiji Golf Club with NCGA handicaps. Once accepted, new members are eligible for all prizes.

2. A temporary membership becomes effective the moment the club membership fee is handed to the treasurer. The Board has the right to refuse membership to any new applicant, even if the dues were paid. If denied, a full reimbursement will be issued.

3. Attested and signed scorecards MUST be turned in to the Handicap Chairman for all tournaments played with the club. Scorecards and scoring sheets are to be given to the Handicap Chairman at the end of the tournament and are retained by the Handicap Chairman.

4. All tournaments will be played at 90% of the course handicap.

5. The Handicap Chairman or Tournament Director will determine if the tournament will be played based on flights on course handicap. Indexed may be used to equalize flights. The flights breakdown will remain the same if there are cancellations or additional players. The additional players will fall into the flight where their course handicap or index places them.

6. If a new member does not have an established index, the Handicap Chairman may assign a handicap based on the last lowest 5 scores. If the member has n played less than 5 rounds, the Handicap Chairman is under no obligation to assign any index to the player.

7. For most club events, we will use the USGA recommendation for breaking ties by scorecard, as outlines in the Rules of Golf, Appendix 1, Part C, Section 11 – How to Decide Ties, Stroke Play ©. If this does not settle the tie, this procedure will be applied to the front nine: An acceptable method of matching cards is to determine the winner on the basis of best score for the last nine holes. If the tying players have the same score for the back nine, determine the winner on the basis of the last six holes, last three holes, and finally the 18th hole. If this method is used in a handicap stroke-play competition, one-half, one-third, one-sixth, etc. of the handicaps shall be deducted. Fractions should not be disregarded. If this method is used in a competition, with a multiple tee start, it is recommended that the “last nine holes, last six holes, etc.” is considered to be holes, 10-18, 13-18, etc.

CLAIMS, DISPUTES, DECISIONS:

1. At all tournaments, one or more committee members, or their designates will be assigned to resolve claims and disputes. These decisions shall be final (Rule 34-3 and Rule 33-7). After completing a tournament round, the player should check their scorecard and sign it, and obtain the markers signature.

2. Do not post the adjusted NorCal-Fiji Golf Club Tournament score, as the Handicap Committee will post.