Athens Elks Golf League

Athens Elks Golf League

League Rules

All League information is posted on our website:

1)Regular league golfers must be an Elk member in good standing. In the event that the league is full, members of Athens Elks Lodge #973 have priority over other Elks lodge members.

2)Elks dues for the coming year must be paid in order to sign up for the Elks Golf League.

3)Absent any mention in the league rules, all rules of the course being played are in effect. Please note that at the OU Course, the Bike Path on Hole #2 and Hole #7 is OUT OF BOUNDS. Inside the pump house on #7 is out of bounds. Anything inside the fencing should be treated as a lost ball. 1 stroke and drop line of flight.

4)All matches are to be played at their regularly scheduled date and time. Should any match need to be rescheduled by either team, the match must be played prior to the scheduled date.

5)Teams are required to complete and turn in a scorecard for all matches played. Scorecards must be turned in at the Lodge after the match is completed. Any scorecards that have not been turned in at the time they are picked up for scoring will result in Zero points for both teams for that match. NO EXCEPTIONS!

6)Scoring will be based on a 10 point system. Each golfer can earn up to 2 points for the most holes won and 2 points for low net score for the pairing. 2 additional team points will be awarded to the team with the low net score.

7)In the event that a team only has one golfer and has not secured a substitute, the golfer that is present will compete against each golfer of the other team. The team with the absent golfer cannot earn any team points. In the event a golfer shows up late or leaves early, scores for the holes missed will be tallied as to allow that golfer’s opponent to win the hole by one stroke. (Taking into account the opponent’s score plus or minus any handicap strokes).

8)Substitutes may be used in normal weeks with no penalty. Substitutes may be used during a normal position round, however the team cannot win any team points. Substitutes may not be used during the final week.

9)In order to speed up play, a ball hit out of bounds or in a hazard may be dropped on the line of flight the ball entered the out of bounds or hazard and a stroke added to the golfers score for the drop. You must also count the stroke that went out of bounds (i.e. if you hit out of bounds off the tee, one stroke for the hit, one for the drop, hitting 3)

10)Winter rules are in effect. All golfers may lift, clean and place their ball. However this may not be done to improve your lie or in the event your ball is in a hazard.

11)Under current conditions at OU, sand traps will not be played as part of the league. In the event that OU improves the traps, the committee will meet and re-evaluate this rule. When a golfer is dropping out of a trap, the drop should be made within two club lengths of where the trap was entered, no closer to the hole with the exception of the trap behind the #1 green. A drop from this trap must be taken to the back side of the trap, away from the green.

12)Weather is always a factor in the league. The course will determine when it is open for play. Golfers are expected to play if the course is open, unless the majority of the league decides not to play. Position rounds have been built into the schedule. Should either league experience a cancellation prior to the scheduled position round, that round will be used for make-up purposes. The final week will not be used for make-up purposes.

13)In order for scores for a league to be valid, all participants of the league must have finished at least 7 holes. Any holes that were not completed after 7 holes will result in the holes being averaged for scoring purposes. Golfers’ scores will be input so that a tie is earned on the remaining holes. (I.E. if Golfer A is a 9 handicap and is giving a stroke to golfer B on hole 8, which is a par 4. Golfer A would receive a 5 for score and Golfer B would receive a 6)

14)Golfers that have attained the age of 65 or older are permitted to hit from the senior tees (gold). Once a senior starts the season hitting from either the white or gold tees, the golfer must hit from those tees the remainder of the season.

15)When a substitute golfer is being used, the substitute golfer plays in the position (A or B golfer) of the person for which they are golfing, regardless of handicap. (i.e. if golfer A has a 4 handicap and golfer B has an 8 handicap, and a substitute with a 10 handicap is playing for golfer A, the substitute is the A golfer)

16)Handicaps for golfers will be carried forward from the prior year. New golfers with no established handicap will be calculated at 70% of actual. Once golfers have established 3 weeks of scores, handicap will be calculated at 80%. As the season progresses, handicap will be based on 80% of a rolling 5 week average. Handicaps are based on the USGA Equitable Stroke Control formula, which is outlined below

All scores for handicap purposes, includingtournament scores, are subject to the application ofEquitable Stroke Control (ESC). This mandatory procedure reduces high hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential ability.

A handicap determined from scores to whichESChas not been applied may not be termed aHandicap Index.

ESCis used when a player's actual ormost likely scoreexceeds a maximum number, based on the table below, for the player'sCourse Handicapfrom the tees played.