CHESAPEAKE BAY GC WINTER SIMULATOR LEAGUE (SEASON IV)

PLAY FAMOUS COURSES EVERY WEEK ON OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART TRACKMAN SIMULATORS

NOVEMBER 27th, 2023 – February 1st, 2024 (Playoffs ends March 7th, 2024)

FORMAT & HANDICAPPING:

The league format will two-person teams, 9 holes once a week.  The format every week is team better ball.  This league is open to both men and women of all ages and will be handicapped.  The two-player teams will not be head-to-head until the playoffs – all teams will compete for the lowest total better ball score each week for points.  Handicaps will be 80% of your official USGA GHIN.  If you do not have a USGA GHIN index but played in the simulator league in the past, your starting handicap will be 80% of your previous league handicap.  If you are brand new to the simulator league and do not carry a GHIN index, you will be required to submit 5 scorecards for me to create a conservative starting index.  All handicaps will be assessed every 2 weeks based on net average, where your index will decrease 3% for every stroke you are averaging under par, and increase 2% for every stroke you are averaging over par.  The maximum playing handicap each week will be 28, or 14 strokes for 9 holes.

COSTS:

Team Entry Fee: $250 per team – covers administrative costs and end of year prizes.

Daily Fee: $30 per player for 9H match.  $15 for Simulator Pass Holders.

Prizes & Skins: $10 per player (mandatory).  $6 goes towards skins (house rules – Canadian Skins at 70% of your current league handicap), $2 goes to low net teams, and $2 goes to low net individuals.

SCHEDULING:

When you sign up, you will inform the staff of the days and times you can typically play your weekly round.  The league will have times reserved every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for league play.  Time slots available for league play on Mondays and Thursdays will be 2pm – 4pm, 4pm – 6pm, 6pm – 8pm, 8pm – 10pm (and if necessary, we will have odd time intervals as well like 3pm – 5pm etc.).  With 2 simulators, 4 teams (8 players) can occupy a time slot at once.  Based on the times you selected, you will be scheduled to play during that time frame as close as possible.  If you need to change your time slot for the week, or if you need to play on a day that is not Monday – Thursday you must notify Andrew Barbin Jr. or the pro shop and make your arrangements during normal hours of operation (9am – 7pm).  League play can only be played Monday through Thursday - league play will not be permitted on Fridays-Sundays unless a VERY special exception is made by Andrew Barbin Jr.  We will try to keep your time slot as consistent as possible!  Please keep pace of play to avoid matches from going overtime!  There is an option to pick up if needed!

SCORING:

This year we will be doing all scoring and standings on Golf Genius.  All golfers will be required to enter their hole-by-hole scores on the Golf Genius mobile scoring app each week.  Each week will be preloaded and accessible from the get-go so that you can play ahead if needed.  All golfers who have participated in CBGC leagues and events will be able to use their existing Golf Genius accounts!  All new golfers will have accounts created (unless they have an existing account, in which we will tie in with email).  The utilization of Golf Genius will allow for instantaneous scoring results and season standings!

 

POINTS SYSTEM & PLAYOFFS:

Each week, teams will compete for low net better ball of partners.  Based on your placing as a team and as an individual you will receive points.  Points will be accumulated through the 10-week regular season.  The top 24 teams in points will make the playoffs, in which they will have their matches scheduled in five consecutive weeks.  Teams that do not make the playoffs may continue to play on designated league nights for prizes and skins!  We have a consolation game where each team buys in for $40 ($20 per player) and is based on the total of points amassed through the four playoff weeks.  The top three teams will split the cash pot.  Teams eliminated from the playoff bracket will be allowed to join in and will get 50 points for each week they remained in the playoff bracket.

Tiebreaks for seeding in the playoffs will be combined net average, as the best overall team statistically will get priority in the event of a tie in seeding.  Playoff format will be Net Better Ball Match Play, with the second best net score acting as the tiebreaker.

We will also have a virtual Calcutta auction for the playoff bracket!

HOLIDAYS & VACATIONS:

We will be starting the week after Thanksgiving.  Christmas and New Year’s fall on Mondays this year – we will give a grace period for Monday groups to play their match on different days.

Because this is a simulator league, and because conditions will always be the same, there are no restrictions to pre-playing weeks in advance.  For example, if you are going on a family vacation on weeks 3 through 5, you can pre-play those rounds on non-league times.  When pre-playing, you can also be in contests and skins, and there will be no point reduction for pre-played rounds.  You are permitted to make up a week if you missed it prior, but you are not eligible for skins or prizes as cash payouts as those are paid out on the week.  As opposed to previous years, make up rounds will not be unlimited.  Each team is permitted ONE makeup for the entire year.  Please normalize playing ahead.

SUBSTITUTES:

If necessary, you are permitted to have a substitute play on non-playoff weeks.  There will be no instances of double substitutions permitted – one player from your team must play!  In the instance of a golfer being unable to finish the season due to a legitimate injury, a permanent replacement will be permitted at any time (including playoffs).  The permanent replacement must have an official USGA handicap (or TrackMan / previous year simulator handicap) and will play to 80% of that handicap on their first week.  The injured golfer forfeits all potential end of year earnings to the substitute.

PLAYERS GRILLE:

The bar will be open the entire duration of the night.  We will have Monday and Thursday Night Football on the big screen TVs!  Stay and hang out!

TWITCH STREAM:

We will be livestreaming matches from time to time, including all playoff bracket matches!  My twitch profiles @abj_golf and @abj_golf_ALT – so make sure to subscribe to get notifications on when we go live!  Commentary and video will be available as well – hang out with us on the stream!

FINAL PAYOUT DETAILS:

Top 8 of Regular Season and Playoffs receive gift cards based on perfomance!

 

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET CALCUTTA PAYOUTS:

 

League Champion: 30% of Calcutta pool (cash)

League Runner Up: 25% of Calcutta pool (cash)

League Third Place: 15% of Calcutta pool (cash)

League Fourth Place: 10% of Calcutta pool (cash)

Top Eight: 5% of Calcutta pool each (cash)

 

WEEKLY PAYOUTS:

 

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Low Net Individuals.  1st, 2nd, and 3rd Low Net Team.  Handicapped Canadian Skins (Net skins, but gross wins tiebreaker – for example if there is a 4 for 3 and a 3 for 3, the 3 for 3 wins the skin).  If there are ties for low individuals or ties, all ties will split accordingly.


OTHER PRIZES:

 

Most Valuable Player, Low Gross Average, Low Net Average, Most Valuable Team, Money List Leader, Playoff MVP

 

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE:

  • Make sure one player on your team has the Golf Genius live scoring app and is signed in.  As opposed to previous years, we will not be using the TrackMan scan in app or the TrackMan Tournament software this year although you are welcome to sign in anyway since the TrackMan app stores a lot of data!  The course and settings will be on a sheet of paper – make sure you select the correct settings and tees each time!
  • Make sure you are wearing CLEAN SPIKELESS SHOES and that your clubs are CLEAN!  We provide all golfers with special RCT Pro V1s and Pro V1xs, you cannot use any other ball – we can’t afford dirt and markers to get on our screens.  If you need to clean your clubs, we now have a nice washing station outside the pro shop – it has a bucket, towel, and scrub brush.
  • Make sure you come 15 minutes early.  You need to pay your league fee and prizes in advance and make sure you meet all of our cleanliness requirements.

 

GETTING STARTED:

  • Make sure you or your partner is signed into Golf Genius.  Select the round you will be playing.  Your handicap and default tees will be pre-loaded.
  • Optional – sign in with your TrackMan account.  TrackMan app has a lot of data to improve your experience!  Do not worry about your TrackMan Handicap not reflecting your Sim League handicap – all scoring is done on Golf Genius and we want all golfers to use our basic gross stroke play settings anyway.
  • Go to courses and select the course you are playing for the round.  Go to settings and select the correct 9 you will be playing.  Make sure the default settings are correct (16 foot gimmies, auto-aim manual putting, medium firm fairways and greens).  All golfers will fall into 5 sets of teeing ranges – Front, Short, Regular, Long, and Tips.  We will have an info sheet in the simulator room with each course’s tees for each subset of golfers to select – make sure you select the correct tees for your teeing preference!

 

PLAYING:

  • Enjoy the best simulator experience on the market!
  • Remember that the format is better ball of partners.  If you are out of the hole, you don’t need to finish.  The maximum score you can take on any hole is net double bogey.  Please keep pace of play as there are likely groups behind you!
  • Make sure you are properly oriented with the interface.  Feel free to ask a staff member to help you in case you have any questions.
  • If for whatever reason the TrackMan picks up a wrong reading (such as a practice swing), mulligans are turned on.  In the very rare event that a game breaking glitch occurs such as the ball clipping through the course – pick up on the hole and replay the hole after the round.

 

FINISHING:

  • Make sure you entered all your gross scores into the Golf Genius app.  Double check afterwards to make sure it was correct.  A staff member or other team is required to verify all scores to make sure they are correct.  If needed, cross reference the scorecard on TrackMan to make sure all scores are accurate.
  • Make sure you take all your stuff, throw out your trash, and pay your bar tabs!!!

 

OTHER STUFF:

  • Please note that your simulator league fee covers your scheduled round.  It’s not “two hours on the simulator”, it covers the 30 minutes per player it takes to finish a round of virtual golf.  Two golfers on one simulator are not entitled to two hours of play, as they are expected to complete their 9-hole round in one hour just as it should take four golfers two hours to play 9 holes.  If you play more golf before or after your round, you do need to pay for any additional hours you play.
  • Any golfer found “sandbagging” or posting the wrong scores will be subject to handicap adjusting, suspension, or expulsion from the league.

 

SCHEDULE (subject to change – pending course releases by TrackMan):

Week 1: Hualali B9: Host of the Mitsubishi Electric

Week 2: Royal Melbourne West Course B9: Ranked 7th in the World

Week 3: Quail Hollow B9: Host of Wells Fargo Championship & 2025 PGA Championship

Week 4: Royal Troon F9: Host of the 2024 British Open

Week 5: Firestone CC South B9: Host of several PGA Championships and the World Golf Championships

Week 6: Lahinch F9: Ranked 36th in the world – European Tour Stop

Week 7: Medinah F9: Several-time major championship venue

Week 8: Royal County Down F9: #6 Ranked Course in the World

Week 9: Olympic Club Lake F9: Host of 6 U.S. Opens

Week 10: St. Andrews B9: 2022 British Open venue, oldest course in the world

Playoffs Week 1: Marco Simone F9: Host of the 2023 Ryder Cup

Playoffs Week 2: Casa De Campo F9: #1 course in the Caribbean, Top 100 in World

Playoffs Week 3: PGA West Stadium Course F9: “Hardest Course in the World”

Playoffs Week 4: Real Club Valderrama F9: Iconic Ryder Cup venue.

Playoffs Week 5: Pebble Beach 18H: One of the most iconic courses in the world & US Open regular venue.

 

Course Setup:

            Courses will be set up with easy pins, calm wind, medium firm fairways, medium firm greens, and green speed stimped at an 10 (same as putting turf).  Putting will be on the “Aimed” setting, with automatic gimmies inside 16 feet.  Aiming markers always on.

            Note: Gimmie Circle will be reduced to 12 feet for the playoffs, and pins will go to “medium” difficulty