TERMS OF COMPETITIONS

 

The Rules of Golf as approved by the United States Golf Association and the R&A govern play. See applicable championship or qualifying round Notice to Players and Tournament Information for additional Local Rules and Conditions. Complete text of Rules and Appendix I may be found in the Rules of Golf, effective January 2016.

 

The Trans-Mississippi Golf Association (TMGA) Tournament Rules Committee shall have the final decision on all claims and disputes.  The following Conditions of Competition apply for all TMGA events.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the penalty for breach of a Condition is:

Match play – Loss of hole  •  Stroke play – Two strokes

 

Upon completion and confirmation of entry, all players have agreed to abide by all Trans-Mississippi Golf Association Policies and Procedures – including Conditions of Competition, Code of Conduct, Dress Code, and any special guidelines for specific events.

 

SPECIFICATION OF CLUBS AND THE BALL:  

a. List of Conforming Driver Heads

Any driver the player carries must have a clubhead, identified by model and loft, that is named on the current List of Conforming Driver Heads issued by the USGA.

Exception: A driver with a clubhead that was manufactured prior to 1999 is exempt from this condition.

 

PENALTY FOR CARRYING, BUT NOT MAKING STROKE WITH, CLUB OR CLUBS IN BREACH OF CONDITION:

See Penalty Statement in Appendix I, Part B, pages 154-155.

 

PENALTY FOR MAKING STROKE WITH CLUB IN BREACH OF CONDITION:

Disqualification.

 

                b. List of Conforming Golf Balls

The ball the player plays must be named on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls issued by the USGA.

 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF CONDITION:

Disqualification.

 

PACE OF PLAY (Note 2 to Rule 6-7): See separate memorandum to players and official TMGA scorecard for pace of play guidelines and tournament-specific time charts.

 

Out of Position – A group is out of position when it (A) completes play on a hole (replaces the flagstick) later than the time scheduled in the time chart provided and (B) reaches a par 3 hole and the preceding group has left the next tee or fails to clear the tee of the par 4 hole before the preceding group has left the putting green, or arrives at the tee of a par 5 hole when the preceding group is on the putting green. Both (A) and (B) must occur for a group to be out of position.

 

Timing – When the Committee determines that a group (or individual) will be timed, all players (or a specified individual) in the group will be notified by a Referee. Players will have 40 seconds to play a stroke. The timing of a player's stroke will begin when it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction. Any time spent determining yardages will count as time taken for the next stroke. 

On the putting green, timing will begin after the player has been allowed reasonable time to mark, lift, clean and replace his ball, repair his ball mark and other ball marks on his line of putt, and remove loose impediments on his line of putt.

 

Penalty for Exceeding 40 Seconds:

  • FIRST OFFENSE – Informed of “Bad Time”;
  • SECOND OFFENSE – One Stroke Penalty;
  • THIRD OFFENSE – Two Stroke Penalty;
  • FOURTH OFFENSE – Disqualification.
  •  

Rulings/Other Incidents – Should a ruling or other legitimate delay cause a group to lose its position, the group is obligated to regain its position within a reasonable time.

 

DISCONTINUANCE OF PLAY (Note to Rule 6-8b):  When play is suspended by the Committee for a dangerous situation, if the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they must not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If they are in the process of playing a hole, they must discontinue play immediately and not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If a player fails to discontinue play immediately, he is disqualified, unless circumstances warrant waiving the penalty as provided in Rule 33-7.

 

All practice areas are closed during suspension during a dangerous situation until the Committee has declared them open. Note: Players who practice on closed practice areas will be asked to cease doing so; failure to comply may result in a violation of the TMGA Code of Conduct.

 

The signal for suspending play due to a dangerous situation will be a prolonged note of the siren.

 

  • Discontinue Play Immediately: One prolonged airhorn note.
  • Discontinue Play: Three consecutive airhorn notes, repeated.
  • Resume Play: Two short airhorn notes, repeated.

 

PRACTICE: Prior to and after his round in stroke play, a player may practice on the designated practice areas. Rule 7-1b applies to other practice in stroke play, and Rule 7-1a covers practice before the round in match play.

 

CLOSE OF COMPETITION: The competition is deemed to have closed when the trophy has been presented to the winner or, in the absence of a prize ceremony, when all scores have been approved by the Committee.

 

The result of a match is considered to have been “officially announced” when the Committee has approved the result as posted on the public scoreboard.

 

 

 

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