PACE OF PLAY RULES
Pace of Play (Rule 5.6) (a) Player Responsibility 1. Be ready to play and play Ready Golf where possible. 2. Responsibility of all players to play without undue delay and within the time allowed. 3. Officials may inform players who are not playing within the permitted time limits. 4. Even if the reason for your group being out of position is as a result of a lost ball, lengthy search or a ruling, it remains the responsibility of the group to get back into position as soon as possible (with official assistance if necessary).
(b) Pace of Play Policy. Maximum Allowable Time: The maximum allowable time is the maximum time considered necessary by SGF for a group to complete its round. This is expressed in a per-hole and aggregate time format and includes all time associated with playing the game, e.g. for rulings and walking times between holes. The maximum time allotted for the completion of 18 holes will be distributed to all competitors prior to play.
2. Definition of Out of Position: The first group to start will be considered “out of position” if, at any time during the round, the group’s cumulative time exceeds the time allowed for the number of holes played. Any following group will be considered “out of position” if it is more than the starting interval behind the group in front of them and has exceeded the time allowed for the number of holes played.
(c) Procedure When Group is Out of Position: 1. Officials will monitor pace of play and decide whether a group that is “out of position” should be timed. An assessment of whether there are any recent mitigating circumstances, e.g., a lengthy ruling, lost ball, unplayable ball, etc. will be made. If a decision is taken to time the players, each player in the group will be subject to individual timing and an official will advise each player that they are “out of position” and they are being timed. In exceptional circumstances, an individual player or two players within a group, may be timed instead of the entire group.
2. The maximum time allocated per shot is 40 seconds + 10 extra seconds for the first player to play:
• On a par three hole; • An approach shot to the green; and
• A chip or putt
The timing will start when a player has had sufficient time to reach the ball, it is his or her turn to play and he or she is able to play without interference or distraction. Time taken to determine distance and select a club will count as time taken for the next stroke.
On the putting green, timing will start when the player has had a reasonable amount of time to lift, clean and replace the ball, repair damage that interferes with the line of play and move loose impediments on the line of play. Time spent looking at the line of play from beyond the hole and/or behind the ball will count as part of the time taken for the next stroke.
3. Timing ceases when a group is back in position and players will be advised accordingly.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF POLICY:
1 Bad Time Verbal warning from rules official and told that if he/she has a further bad time he/she will be penalised Stroke Play Match Play 2 Bad Times One Stroke Penalty One Stroke Penalty 3 Bad Times Additional Two Penalty Strokes Loss of Hole 4 Bad Times Disqualification
(d) Procedure When Again Out of Position during Same Round: If a group is “out of position” more than once during a round, the above procedure will apply on each occasion. Bad times and the application of penalties in the same round will be carried forward until the round is completed. A player will not be penalised if he or she has a second bad time before being advised of the earlier bad time.
(e) Random Timing Without Warning When Group Not Out of Position In some circumstances, a group or an individual may be timed without warning, including when a group is not out of position. In such cases of “random timing”, the timing provisions and penalties set out in clause (b) above apply, except that a player will only be given a bad time if he or she exceeds 60 seconds to play a shot, with an extra 10 seconds given (i.e. 70 seconds in total) for the “first to play” shots reference in (b) a