Golf Genius ::

2024 Fall UI Faculty/Staff/Student Golf League

Rule 1: Players & Teams
Each team is made up of 2 players. One player from each team must be a current University of Iowa Faculty, Staff or Student (or retired Faculty/Staff). Spouses or immediate family of current UI Faculty, Staff, or Students (or retired Faculty/Staff) are also eligible for play but must play with a current UI Faculty, Staff, or Student (or retired Faculty/Staff).

Rule 2: League Play
Each week, teams are matched up against another team in their league. At the beginning of the season, Finkbine will set a tee time schedule for each week with specific tee times for each team. Teams will have balanced schedules throughout the 10-week period. Once registration is complete, a schedule for all 10 weeks will be distributed.

Rule 3: Handicaps
Each player’s handicap will be determined by using the score from week 1 and adjusting it to 85% of the difference between the player’s score and par. After the first night of play, your playing handicap will be based on 85% of your Handicap index (a detailed explanation of the handicap process is included at the end of this document).

Subs may be used and will have the same criteria for handicapping. The maximum handicap allowed will be 22. The max score that will count and able to be recorded for any hole is a “net double” For example, if you get 2 strokes on hole 1, the most strokes you should take before picking up is 8 as a double is a 6 and getting 2 strokes adds that to 8. If you get to a net double stroke limit, PLEASE PICK UP AT THIS POINT AND DO NOT continue playing out the hole.

Rule 4: Scoring
League will be scored using a “team Best-Ball” format that are played for points against a specific team each week, as well as all other teams in the league. The “team Best-Ball” format is played with each player keeping their own score for each hole throughout the 9-hole round. At the completion of the round, the best “net” score between the two teammates on each hole will be used to create their teams “net 9-hole score.” The team in each foursome with the lowest “net score” will be awarded 4 team points. Teams will also receive 2 points for every other team they beat (1 point for ties) in the league that week. For example, if there are ten teams in the league, the team with the lowest “team net score” will be awarded 4 points for winning their specific match and another 18 points for beating each of the 9 teams. The team with the highest “team net score” will receive 0 points. In the case of a ten-team league, 22 points could be won each week.

Rule 5: Tee Boxes
Men (under 65 years old): Gold Tees
Men (65-79 years old): White Tees
Men (80 & Older): Gray Tees
Women (65 & under): Gray Tees
Women (66 & older): “I” Tees

Rule 6: Pace of Play
A 2 HOUR PACE IS EXPECTED FROM EVERY GROUP. Due to the number of teams and the limited amount of daylight, it is VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP PACE WITH THE GROUP AHEAD OF YOU. Please work hard to keep up. Please limit practice swings to one or less.

Rule 7: Scorecards
Ensure your scorecard is filled out with ALL names (especially any subs playing), date, and each player’s ACTUAL SCORE for each hole. Turn scorecards into the golf shop or the drop box in the main lobby, following your round.

Rule 8: Stroke Limit
A player may pick up their ball once they have reached a net double bogey (two over par) and has not completed the hole. NOBODY should ever take more than 10 shots on a par 5, 9 shots on a par 4, or 8 shots on a par 3 as 3 strokes is the most any player can receive on a hole. If you receive less than 3 shots on a specific hole, the maximum strokes will be even less.

Rule 9: Putting
Each hole will have a 3-putt maximum from the green. If your ball is on the green, and you do not hole out after your first two putts, YOU DO NOT NEED TO PUTT AGAIN. You should automatically add one more stroke to your score, and pick-up your ball. EXCEPTION: If one of your first two putts goes off the green, you must hit it back onto the green before you can add a stroke and pick-up.

Rule 10: Playing Rules
Summer rules of the USGA will be used in situations not covered here:

Players can improve their lies by moving the ball no more than one club head (6 inches) but may not move closer to the hole or change the condition of the ball without penalty.
- i.e. move the ball out of a bunker, out of the water, from behind a tree, from rough into the fairway, etc.
If a ball is lost or hit out-of-bounds, a player may either:
- Add a penalty stroke and re-hit from the original spot
- Find the nearest fairway edge point perpendicular to where the ball was lost/went out-of-bounds (no closer to the hole) and within two club lengths of that fairway edge spot, drop your new ball, add two-strokes, and play the ball in from there.
Sand traps will be played as lift, clean, and place within a club length.

Rule 11: Looking for a Ball
A player may search for a ball for UP TO THREE MINUTES before the ball is declared lost (standard USGA rules). After three minutes, the player should drop in the general area of where the ball was deemed “lost” and take a two-stroke penalty. The area where you drop must be approved by the group.

Rule 12: Substitutions
Individual matches will not be made-up. Substitutes or blinds may be used. When using a blind, 9 points will be added to the partners score which will make your team score. On any given night, a team can use two subs, but a team cannot use two blinds together on the same night. It is possible to use a sub and a blind. Subs can be any UI faculty/staff/student or public person.

Rule 13: Rainout/Lightning Policy/Darkness
The Finkbine Staff will make the decision as to whether or not the league will be called-off due to inclement weather and will be decided upon 90 minutes prior to the first scheduled tee time.

If more than half of the section does not complete their rounds, no scores will be counted, and that entire week will be made up (if possible). If at least half of the groups in a section completes their rounds, those groups who have not finished will take the scores on the unfinished holes from their last completed league round. If there has not been a completed round for a golfer, he/she must make-up the uncompleted holes within 6 days, otherwise that week the team will be scored incomplete and finish in last place.

Rule 14: No Mow Areas

All no now areas will be played as a lateral hazard. If you cannot locate your ball in the no mow, determine the spot where you think your ball entered the no mow and come to a consensus with your playing partners. Take a club length from that spot and add a penalty stroke. DO NOT play it as a “lost ball” and go back to your previous spot and replay your shot to help with pace of play

Rule 15: Prizes
Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of the league by UI Rec Services and Finkbine Golf Course.

Faculty/Staff League Handicap

Handicaps will be established in week 1. Using handicaps enables players of a wide range of skill levels to fairly compete in a golf competition.

Handicap equation: X=9 hole score ((X-36) *2) *0.85=Handicap

**We take your 9 hole score and subtract 36. This number is then multiplied by 2 to get what your handicap would be for 18 holes. Then we multiply that number by 0.85 (85%) to get your handicap.

This is an example of the excel spreadsheet we use to keep track of and calculate handicaps.

- Handicap index: Average handicap based on cumulative week’s scores. (This is the number applied to your score for the following week)
  - Sarah shoots 38 rd. 1, her handicap is 3.4 for the first week and applied to week 1’s score.
  - She shoots 40 the week 2 but the 3.4 handicap is applied to week 2’s score since that is the only handicap established so far.
  - The score of 40 comes out to a 6.8 handicap. The average of 3.4 and 6.8 is 5.1 That number will be applied to week 3’s score and the process continues like that for the remainder of the season
- RD1 (F Column): Handicap calculated from corresponding week’s score using handicap formula.