Information of Interest about the Monday Seniors League.
1. Members and Schedule of Play.
The Springhill Monday Senior Golf League has close to one hundred golf members. Membership is limited to those who are 60 years old or older. New members should fill out a player information sheet (available in the pro shop) when they play their first round with the League.
The League plays every Monday throughout the year, except when a major holiday (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Christmas) falls on Monday. The league will play in inclement weather (rain, snow, cold, etc.), unless the conditions are unsafe for play or might endanger the health of players. The league does not play if the Springhill course is closed, such as because of snow cover, or flooding. You can call the course (303-739-6854) to find out if the league will play that day, but please be aware that the decision to cancel play is often not made until close to the start time.
Start times vary throughout the year to account for changing daylight, course, and frost conditions:
09:00: March (Number 1 tee only) -
08:30: April (Number 1 & 10 tees);
8:00 : May 1 through September (Number 1 & 10 tees);
09:00: October & November (Number 1 tee);
10:00 December through February 28;
Playing groups start in a set order that changes every month so that a group rotates from starting first to starting at the end. Players may join a group or create a group and the start order will include that group. Absences in a group and playing order for new members and members who do not choose to be in a group are filled by the starter.
2. Local Rules.
USGA Rules are in effect, with exceptions made by the League:
1) Maximum score on any hole is 3 over par. If you get to 3 over par on any hole you must pick up and stop your play on that hole.
2) There is no penalty for a lost ball that is not lost near a hazard / penalty area or out-of-bounds.
3) You may take a free drop on to grass from any dirt cart paths (such as the one on #4). Regular cart path rules apply to other paved and graveled cart paths.
4) You may improve your lie in the fairway or clean the ball in the fairway (grass clippings, mud, etc.).
Players play from the White tees. Any player age 80 or older is permitted (but not required) to play from the Green tees, any players age 90 or older is permitted (but not required) to play from the Gold or Yellow tees.
3. How are Handicaps Determined?
The league inputs weekly scores and computes weekly handicaps for all players. Par for the Springhill course is 64. If a player’s net score for the week is 61 – 65, his handicap will not change. If his net score is 60 or lower, his handicap goes down; if his net score is 66 or higher, his handicap goes up. The maximum handicap for the league is 40. The handicap formula applies only to this league:
Net Score Handicap Change
51 or less - 7
52 - 56 -5
57 - 59 -3
60 -1
61 - 65 0
66-70 +1
71 - 75 +2
76 or more +3
A new player receives a handicap after playing two rounds in the league. His handicap is calculated by taking the average of his first two scores and subtracting 65. As an example, a player shoots 88 and 82 for his first two rounds; the average is 85, and after subtracting 65, his initial handicap is 20.
4. How are Flight Assignments Determined?
Each golfer is assigned to a flight based on his handicap at the end of the preceding month. He will play in that flight for the entire month. Each player’s handicap is recalculated after every round he plays. If a golfer’s handicap has gone up or down at the end of the month, his flight assignment for the next month might change.
The League uses three regular competitive flights: A, B, and E. The handicap limits for each flight are set so that each flight will have roughly the same number of competing golfers each week. Those limits will change at the end of a month from time-to-time in order to keep the flights at approximately the same size.
As of October 1, 2021, the handicap limits for each flight are:
Flight A: 22 – 29;
Flight B: 30 – 40;
Flight E: 0 – 21.
For the first two times a player plays in the league, he is assigned to the C flight and does not have a league handicap. After playing two rounds, a handicap will be calculated and he will compete in one of the regular flights.
5. Prizes.
a. What Prizes are Available and How are they Calculated?
Prizes are awarded each week for the three lowest net scores in each flight (and ties). For example, if the lowest net scores are 59, 60, 61, and 61, the player scoring the 59 gets the first-place prize, the 60 gets second place, and the two 61s split the third-place prize. If the lowest net scores are 59, 60, 60, and 61, the 59 gets first place, the two 60s split the second and third place prizes, and the 61 does not get a prize. (New players assigned to the C Flight do not win a low net flight prize.)
Prizes are also awarded for the player hitting the tee shot that ends up on the green and closest to the pin on each of hole numbers 3, 6, 11, and 17. An extra money prize hole may be added from time-to-time.
The prizes are calculated so that the winner of the first place low net in each flight receives 50% of the prize pool for that flight, the second place low net player receives 30%, and the third place low net player receives 20%. Each of the closest to the pin winners receives and equal portion (25%) of the closest-to-the-pin prize pool (or 20% if an extra prize hole has been added for that week). 70% of the $5 paid in by each player goes into the low net prize pool, and 30% goes into the closest-to-the-pin pool.
The flight prize pools are calculated based on the number of players in that flight playing on that day. So, for example, if there are 20 players in the A flight and 18 players in the B flight, the prize pool split among the A flight winners will be slightly larger than the prize pool for the B flight winners. The closest-to-the-pin pool is based on all players playing that day, regardless of flight assignment. When number of participants on a weekly basis falls below 8 full foursomes or 32 players, the flight handicap limits may be adjusted by a stroke or two to even out the number of players in each Flight. This is to balance the prizes between each flight. Flight adjustments will be determined prior to posting of scores for the week to balance the number of players.
The League also awards a low gross score prize each week. If a player shooting the lowest gross score wins any of the prizes for a low net or closest-to-the-pin for the week, he does not win any additional money for the low gross score, and the “prize” is simply recognition of his score in the weekly results. If the player shooting the low gross score does not win any of the other prizes, he receives a token award of $5 along with recognition for his accomplishment. If there is a tie, the $5 prize is split. A new C Flight player is not eligible for the low net prize.
b. Who is eligible for a prize?
Before playing, each player pays $5 into the prize pot for that day. The $5 payment makes the player eligible for the low net prizes and the closest to the pin prizes. A new player (assigned to the C Flight) is eligible only for the closest to the pin prizes. On his third round the new player is assigned to a flight and is eligible for all prizes. A player who fails to pay in for that day is ineligible for any prizes and will not have his handicap changed based on his score (His score will be adjusted and posted to show a net score of 64 based on his existing handicap.).
To pay into the prize pot the player will pay an additional league fee of $5 at the clubhouse when paying their greens fees for the day. This league fee will be held separately in an account for the league in the clubhouse account systems by the City of Aurora, with weekly prizes added to the players clubhouse account and accrued through the calendar year. All funds in the clubhouse accounts must be spent by the players before December 31 of each year. Clubhouse funds can only be used for the purchase of merchandise in any of the City of Aurora municipal golf course clubhouses. Clubhouse funds cannot be used for Greens fees, Range tokens, or food in the restaurants or snack shacks.
For a flight prize, the player must submit a scorecard that is dated, signed and attested to by players in that playing group. The score total listed on the card will be used and must be accurate. An individual hole score must be entered for each hole. If a scorecard shows ONLY a running total, the players on that card are disqualified and not eligible for any low net or low gross prizes.
If a player submits a card showing a lower total score than he actually shot, that player will be disqualified from receiving a low net or gross prize (and he will be assigned a score so that his handicap does not change). If a player submits a card with a higher total score than he actually shot, the higher score submitted will be recorded and he is eligible for a prize and a handicap change based on that higher score. A scorecard that is not dated, signed, and attested makes the players on that card ineligible for any low net prizes, and their handicaps will not be changed based on the scores submitted.
For a closest-to-the-pin prize, the player’s name must be written on the stake and attested to by the initials of another member of his playing group. A player is eligible to win a closest-to-the-pin prize even if he withdraws after playing that hole or submits an erroneous scorecard.
c. Hole-in-One Prize.
A separate pool is kept for a hole-in-one scored during a league round. To be eligible for the prize, each player pays in $5 and records his entry on the appropriate sheet. When a league player who has paid in $5 scores a hole-in-one on any of the holes during a league round, he wins the contents of the prize pool. After a hole-in-one, the prize pool starts again from zero and each player must again pay in $5 to be eligible for the prize.