Terms of Competition
ELIGIBILITY
The Maine Amateur Championship is open to Maine resident amateurs, except that non-residents who have been members of Maine Golf member clubs for 10 years and who reside in Maine for at least five months annually are also eligible. Active duty service members who are stationed in Maine, live here, and hold membership at a Maine Golf member club are also eligible. All players must have a Handicap Index® from their member club.
ENTRY INFORMATION
All players, including those who are exempt, must file an entry for the championship. Players must apply for the championship online via Golf Genius, the software Maine Golf uses to conduct tournaments. All players must have a Golf Genius account prior to registration.
New in 2024: Players must have a Handicap Index of 12.0 or lower to apply for this championship.
The field for the championship proper will consist of 132 players, including those already exempt. The rest of the field will be determined through qualifying tournaments.
There will be six (6) qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Maine Amateur Championship. Each site will be limited to 78 players, with players going off holes #1 and #10. The number of available qualifying spots at each site will be determined by field size.
Any ties for the final qualifying spots will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff upon immediately following the completion of play. Only the final qualifying spots in the tournament proper will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff. Alternate positions will still be determined by using the USGA tie-breaking method.
A tie is decided by the player's score for the last nine holes, then by the last six holes, then the last three holes, and then by the 18th hole. If there is still a tie, then the last six holes, three holes, and final hole of the first nine holes will be used. If there is still a tie, it will be broken by chance. NOTE: In events with a multi-tee start, the last nine holes are always considered holes 10-18, regardless which hole the player started on.
Cost for Exempt Players: The entry fee for the championship is $165.
Cost for Qualifiers: The entry fee for the qualifier is $65. For players who make it through the qualifiers, an additional $100 entry for the championship proper must be paid no later than one week following the qualifying round.
2024 Qualifying Sites:
Tuesday, June 4: Martindale CC
Thursday, June 6: Biddeford-Saco CC
Tuesday, June 11: Waterville CC
Thursday, June 13: Brunswick GC
Tuesday, June 18: Bangor Municipal GC
Thursday, June 20: Presque Isle CC
Players have the option to sign up for one of six qualifying sites. Spots at qualifying sites are on a first-come, first-served basis. No consideration will be given for preferential tee times. Maine Golf has the final say in the makeup of all fields at qualifying sites.
Entry deadline for all players, whether exempt or attempting to qualify, is May 25, 2024 at 11:59 pm. In the event that all qualifiers fill up prior to the deadline, players may register to a waitlist.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The championship proper will consist of three 18-hole rounds (54 holes) of stroke play. A cut will be made after two rounds (36 holes) to the low 50 players and ties.
Tuesday, July 9: First round, 18 holes
Wednesday, July 10: Second round, 18 holes
Thursday, July 11: Final round, low 50 and ties, 18 holes
In the event of a tie after 54 holes, the winner will be decided immediately by a hole-by-hole playoff.
PRIZES
Winner: Crystal Trophy and title of Maine Amateur Champion.
Top finishers: Prize money, determined by finishing position, in the form of a credit added to their Maine Golf voucher account.
EXEMPTIONS
The top 40 finishers (and ties) will be exempt for the 2025 Maine Amateur Championship at Waterville CC.
The top 16 finishers (and ties) will receive an invitation to the 2024 Match Play Invitational, to be contested August 5-7 at Riverside GC.
The winner will be exempt for the 2025 New England Amateur Championship.
New for 2024: The winner will receive an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National GC on August 12-18. The winner and runner-up will be locally exempt for qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Amateur.
RULES OF GOLF
All play will be governed by The Rules of Golf as approved by the USGA, except as modified by Local Rules. The on-site Rules Committee will have the final authority on all rulings. The competition is deemed to be closed when the trophy is awarded to the champion.
TRANSPORTATION
Players will be allowed to use motorized carts in the championship. Carts may be limited at certain sites, so players should plan accordingly. Payment for cart rentals is made to the host club. No more than two carts are allowed in any pairing.
WITHDRAWAL AND REFUND POLICY
Players may withdraw from championships via Golf Genius or by reaching out to Maine Golf staff. Maine Golf will refund all of the entry fee, less $25 to cover processing fees and associated costs, if the withdrawal occurs beyond one week from the first round of the tournament. Refunds of entries made by credit or debit card will be applied to the same card used for payment.
No refunds will be issued within one week of the first round of any championship. Unusual circumstances will be considered individually and are at the discretion of Maine Golf.
STARTING TIMES
After the application deadline, starting times will be posted at Maine Golf website, as well as emailed to all players in the field. Starting times and pairings are typically available one week before the first round of the tournament.
CONDITIONS AND SCHEDULES
The Maine Golf Tournament Committee and/or Rules Committee on site reserves the right to alter any of the conditions, provisions, and/or schedules herein. The decision of the Tournament Committee and/or Rules Committee in any matter is final.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For any additional information regarding this championship, or to resolve any questions, please contact Mike Doran, Director of Competitions, at mike@mainegolf.org.