TWIN BRIDGES MEN’S CLUB OFFICIAL RULES
COURSE CONDITION:
Unless you are incurring a penalty or are getting relief from one of the noted bunkers, we will play Lift, Clean and Place within 6 inches of where your ball came to rest throughout the entire course.
PUTTING:
All putts must be holed. If you pick up, your score will be an Automatic Triple Bogey.
PACE OF PLAY:
Holing out putts, will in theory add a slightly bit more time. Do your prep on the green and in the fairway while others are playing. Be ready when it's your turn. Play ready golf when you can. Be self-aware. We don't need 5-hour rounds! Rule of thumb, you're most likely doing something wrong, if you have the same number of people in your group as the group in front of you and you are not keeping up to them! Unless you're under 4-hour pace, you should always be keeping up with the group in front of you.
SAND BUNKERS:
You are entitled to lift, rake and place within 6 inches in sand bunkers.
In addition to any areas that are marked with white paint as “Ground Under Repair”, we consider the following as Ground Under Repair:
- #6 Front Left Greenside
- #10 Front Left Greenside
GUR relief is Lift, Clean and Place within one club length of the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole.
FAIRWAY BUNKERS:
Most of our fairway bunkers no longer exist. Some are filled in. A few are not maintained. You are entitled to lift, rake and place within 6 inches in any of those fairway bunkers.
In addition to any areas that are marked with white paint as “Ground Under Repair”, we consider the following as Ground Under Repair:
- #13 Left and Right Fairway Bunkers…the ones reachable from the tees
- #16 Right Fairway Bunker
GUR relief is Lift, Clean and Place within one club length of the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole.
LEAF RULE:
If you and your Team Captain are reasonably certain that your ball is under a leaf that is not in the woods or at the edge of the woods or in a pond or at the edge of a pond then you are entitled to, without penalty, put a new ball into play by placing the ball, as close as possible to the point where you believe the ball is.
PENALTY AREAS AND DROPPING:
We will play all of the heather, woods, ponds, creeks and driving range as a Red Stake Lateral Hazard.
If your ball lies in a penalty area (woods, pond, creek, heather or driving range) and you choose to play it, you can lift, clean and place within six inches without penalty.
The three areas below incur a one stroke penalty.
- You can play from where your last stroke was made (Stroke and Distance)
- You can take Lateral Relief by placing your ball within two club lengths of where the ball crossed the hazard line…not where it came to rest in the hazard
- You can move back as far as you want keeping the point where the ball entered the hazard in a straight line between the hole and where you place your ball.
You only have three minutes to look for your ball. The three minutes begins when you get to the point where your ball crossed into a hazard or the driving range.
BLIND DRAWS:
When needed, the computer will select a random B or C player from one of the ABCD teams that day. We will use a B or C player because they have an appropriate average of impact. This will be a player not from the same team. Blind draws are used for score only. They are not paid, unless the original team that the blind draw is on, is knocked out of the money by the team the blind draw is on. In that case, they will receive money as a blind draw for that finish.
TEE ASSIGNMENTS:
The Men’s Club Board shall establish Tee Assignments. We use a formula that takes into consideration age, handicap, ball striking distance and ability. If you feel your Tee Assignment is not appropriate, please seek a meeting with the Men’s Club Committee.
The system analyzes age by three divisions (50 and under, 51-64, 65 and older), handicap index (6 and under, 6.1 - 13.9, 14 and higher), and distance you hit a 5 iron (181 yards and longer, 180 to 161, and 160 or less). We then assign points where you fall in those three categories and it provides a fair and logical conclusion for what tees it makes sense for you to play.
We also make this assessment at the beginning of each year and expect the player to remain there for that season, until a re-assessement takes place at the beginning of next season.
HANDICAPS:
We are now playing 90% allocation of your handicap index when calculating your course handicap, for net games like best ball or net individual. This evens the curve from top to bottom for an equal influence in ABCD and standalone games. This is based on USGA, and recommendations based on previous data. Quota is excluded as it uses a different formula in combination with current handicap index.
- All players must have a BlueGolf handicap to play in club events that require handicap, such as all the Irby Law Cup tournaments.
- A BlueGolf handicap is available through the Pro Shop.
- The handicap committee reserves the right to adjust a player’s handicap prior to a tournament if their handicap is discovered to be inaccurate.
- Players can pick up at Triple Bogey for Pace of Play.
- Always mark down your actual score - gross score (NOT net) - on the scorecard (live scoring)
TIE BREAKING:
- Choose Ups - All ties shall be broken by the lowest scores on the final hole or holes. The computer does all these calculations automatically.
- Irby Cup Events - We accept ties and money is split proportionately.
- Club Championship and Irby Cup Championship will be decided by Sudden Death Playoff starting on hole #1 and continuing until we have a Champion.
MEN’S CLUB DUES AND FEES:
Annual Dues for the Men’s Club is $30 and is required to participate in any choose-up or event. A player that has no intention to join our club but wants to play as a guest a couple times is allowed.
The fee options for the Irby Cup year long points race that spans over 10 events are:
- $20 per event if you pay-as-you-go. This fee covers closest-to-pin contests, skins and hole-in-one contests.
- $160 for the entire year which needs to be paid prior to our first Irby Cup Event. Paying the $160 up front can save you $40 (2 events). The package price of $160 includes fees, closest-to-pin contests, skins and hole-in-one contests.
If you want to play on a day that we have an Irby Cup event, but you do not want to participate in the Irby Cup, that fee is $15.
SIGN UPS AND DEADLINES:
In winter mode our deadlines tend to be relaxed. We communicate on our GroupMe chat and flex with the conditions and if the course is busy or not. But when we are in normal summer mode, the following are how our deadlines work:
- Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday choose-up deadlines are 2 hours before tee-off unless our tee times are full.
- Saturday events and all other tournaments or special events, the cutoff is 5:00 p.m. two evenings before the event unless our tee times are full.
- You must signup and register using Unknown Golf.
HOLE-IN-ONE:
Hole-In-One is only available to Men’s Club Members who have paid their dues, unless we have an event with a stated exception. It will be assumed you are participating in the Hole-In-One each time it is played unless, for that day, prior to teeing off, you advise your Team Captain that you are not participating.
We will have a Hole-In-One contest anytime there are 12 or more players (3 groups) in an event.
When there is a Hole-In-One winner, the winner shall win 80% of the pot, and we use the other 20% to start a new pot. If we have two holes-in-one on the same day, the two winners will split the 80%.
WINNINGS:
- Irby Cup events and year Top 15 payout are paid in Shop Credit
- All other events, club championship and choose-ups are paid in cash
MISC:
All situations not addressed in this document will be covered by Twin Bridges Local Rules and the USGA.