GAITHERSBURG GOLF

Members may select partners; unpaired individuals will be assigned to teams. The lower handicap golfer on each team at the beginning of the season is designated team captain and will remain so throughout the season regardless of eventual handicaps. In case both have the same initial handicap the team captain will be the person listed first on the division roster.

Each scorekeeper will establish the scoring to be used for awarding match and medal points by their division for each individual match. A match consists of nine (9) holes. Scoring for the match must be based on the player’s handicap. See section 6 for a definition of handicaps.

A player's assigned handicap for the match play will be the difference between the player's round handicap and the lowest round handicap of the match. Strokes will be assigned on holes in the handicap order shown on the scorecard. For medal play, a player's assigned handicap is the player’s round handicap minus the lowest course rating for the scheduled round.

1. Returning Cards.
   Matches shall return cards to the scorekeeper, or a designated alternate, on the night of the match. Any card not returned shall be scored as NO SHOWS for both teams involved.

2. Maximum hole score.
   A maximum score of 10 will be recorded for any hole. A player who has not holed out by the player’s 10th stroke shall be deemed a 'pick-up' and indicate a 'P' on the scorecard for that hole. 'P' is counted as 10 in determining the handicap.

3. Teams with one player.
   If one team is missing a player (member is absent and there is no substitute) a 'blind' is used in place of the missing player. Each individual scorekeeper will determine what score will be used for the “blind”. The match-up for medal points is the same as if the member were present (if both teams are missing one player the present players are matched as opponents). A player matched-up against a blind must shoot a net score of no more than 3 over par to win any medal point(s). If the player does not then the medal point(s) is not counted for either team. Under no circumstances can a player lose the medal point(s) to a blind. The scorekeeper will establish how the other point(s), if any, will be awarded if there is a blind.

4. No Players for a Team
   If neither team shows up no points are awarded. If one team does not show up for the match, the scorekeeper will determine how match play points are awarded. However, each player of the present team must shoot no more than 3 net strokes over par to win the player’s medal point(s). An absent team cannot win any points.

5. Suspended play.
   If weather presents a problem, the scorekeeper will determine whether or not play is suspended. If five or more holes have been completed by each match of the division when play is suspended the round is valid and scored as established by the scorekeeper for their division. Cancellation due to inclement weather will be made at the golf course unless the golf course is determined to be closed early enough to notify members. Any member may suspend play if they are concerned with personal safety or are unable to continue for health reasons. The number of holes completed by the match will be the number of holes completed by the remaining members of the match.

The following will be awarded in each division:

First Place Team                                           $40.00 per member
Second Place Team                                      $30.00 per member
Third Place Team                                          $25.00 per member
Individual Season High Player Points              $25.00
Individual Low Gross                                     $25.00
Individual Low Net                                        $25.00

Place is determined by number of points won by the team. Individual low gross is the lowest single gross score for the season. Individual low net is based on the best single round (after 5th round adjustment). A member winning a Team prize is not eligible for an individual award. The “Individual Season High Player Points” winner is not eligible for any other individual award. The “Individual Low Gross” winner is not eligible for any other individual award. Members' handicaps after playing 5 rounds will be used to re-calculate net scores for those 5 rounds to be used as candidate low net rounds for an award. Members must play at least 6 rounds in their own division to qualify for an individual award. A member qualifies for Team awards as long as that member paid their registration fee.

Other weekly prizes will be golf balls. If a division has at least ten team, the scorekeeper will receive six dozen at the beginning of the season to be given out as individual prizes. The scorekeeper will determine how the individual wins the golf ball. Team members and substitutes will be eligible to win the golf balls. If a division has less than ten teams, the scorekeeper will receive five dozen golf balls.

Each golf league committee member will receive a stipend of $80.00 for performance of their duties.

Each golf league member must pay a $25.00 entry fee for each division that member will be playing in that season. Entry fee must be paid before the member begins plays in the division for that season.

The following tie breaker procedures have been developed to determine prize winners for the Divisions of the Golf League:

1. First / Second / Third Place Team.
   In the event of a tie the winner will be the team with the most points won in head-to-head competition between the tying teams. If a tie still remains, a nine hole playoff between the teams will be used to determine the winner; scoring for the nine hole playoff will be the same as for regular season matches. In the event that the teams are still tied after nine holes, a sudden death based on individual holes will decide the winning team. No medal points will be considered even if the sudden death goes to nine holes or more. Handicap strokes for the nine hole playoff and sudden death holes will be assigned as for a regular nine hole match using the final season handicap of the players; handicaps will not be recomputed after the nine hole playoff to be used for sudden death play nor recomputed after or during sudden death play. Nor will the entry handicap for the next season be influenced by any playoff play. Duplicate prizes will not be awarded.

2. Season High Player Points
   If there is a tie for player points, the winner will be the tying individual with the highest points won in a single round. If this is also a tie, the comparison will continue through as many rounds as played by both members until the tie is broken. If this is still a tie, the individual who played the most rounds will be the winner. Duplicate prizes will not be awarded.

3. Low Gross.
   If there is a tie for low gross, the winner will be the tying individual with the next best gross round. If this is also a tie, the comparison will continue through as many rounds as played by both members until the tie is broken. If this is still a tie, the individual who played the most rounds will be the winner. Duplicate prizes will not be awarded.

4. Low Net.
   If there is a tie for low net, the winner will be the tying individual with the next best net round. If this is also a tie, the comparison will continue through as many rounds as played by both members until the tie is broken (as for low gross). Duplicate prizes will not be awarded.

1. Division Handicap / Round Handicap
   A player's round handicap is the player’s division handicap plus the course rating for the course being played. A player's assigned handicap for match play for a match is the difference between the player's round handicap and the lowest round handicap of the match. A player's assigned handicap for medal play for a match is the player’s round handicap minus the lowest course rating being used for the matches scheduled for the division for that round. The table below illustrates an example.

   
                            Assigned Handicaps for:
                  Division  Course   Round   Match   Medal
          Player  Hcp       Rating   Hcp     Play    Play
            A       5         33      38       0       5
            B      10         33      43       5      10
            C      15         34      49      11      16
            D      20         33      53      15      20
   
   

2. Member as Substitute
   A league member handicap when substituting in a different division will be calculated the same as a non-member substitute. A substitute round played by a league member will not affect the player’s division handicap.

3. Substitute's Handicap
   A substitute's handicap will be computed based on the division the player substitutes in during the season. A non-league-member substitute will have a division handicap for each different division the player substitutes in during the season.

4. Entry Handicap
   Entry handicap will be one of the following in the order of precedence:

   1. Handicap established in the same division of the Gaithersburg Golf League the previous year
   2. USGA handicap established at an approved 9 or 18 hole golf course.
   3. Handicap computed from three attested 9 hole golf scores, from an approved course, submitted to the division scorekeeper prior to the start of league play.

   Handicap computed after the first round of play as described in F below “New Member/Player without an Established Handicap”.

   Entry handicaps will be used for the first round of play and will be used to compute subsequent round handicaps as detailed below.

5. Computation of Handicaps
   Handicaps will be computed with the USGA handicap system against the course rating using 100% handicap over the better half of the rounds played (adjusted gross score). “Handicap strokes” are strokes in excess of course rating for a round with upper bounds on holes as described by the USGA handicap system.

   
         After Round:     Your Handicap will be:
                0         entry handicap
                1         average of entry handicap and handicap strokes of 1st round
                2         average of entry handicap and handicap strokes of 1st 2 rounds
                3         average of handicap strokes of 1st 3 rounds (drop entry)
                4         average of handicap strokes for best 3 of previous 4 rounds
                5         average of handicap strokes for best 3 of previous 5 rounds
                6         average of handicap strokes for best 3 of previous 6 rounds
                7         average of handicap strokes for best 4 of previous 7 rounds
                8         average of handicap strokes for best 4 of previous 8 rounds
                9         average of handicap strokes for best 5 of previous 9 rounds
               10         average of handicap strokes for best 5 of previous 10 rounds
               11         average of handicap strokes for best 6 of previous 11 rounds
               12         average of handicap strokes for best 6 of previous 12 rounds
               13         average of handicap strokes for best 7 of previous 13 rounds
               14         average of handicap strokes for best 7 of previous 14 rounds
   

   Best rounds are those that result in the lowest number of handicap strokes.

   The maximum allowable handicap used for nine holes is 21. A maximum of 27 handicap strokes (nine triple bogies) may be accumulated for any given round, and used in computing an average, but if the average is greater than 21, the handicap is set to 21. A player’s assigned handicap may exceed 21 (see section 6.A on round handicap).

   Fractions will be dropped from the computed average. Note that actual “rounds played” not “scheduled weeks” are used to compute handicaps; because of absences, all players may not have played the same number of rounds, therefore their handicaps may not be computed from the same number of rounds.

6. New Member/Player without an Established Handicap
   If a division member or substitute plays in an official match without an established handicap (as defined in the rules) the player’s handicap for that match will be computed as follows:
   1. The handicap is computed after the round is completed.
   2. The handicap is computed (recursively if necessary) by multiplying the difference between the course rating and the player's score by 0.8 (i.e. 80%); as usual, fractions are dropped.
   3. The player's score cannot include single hole scores greater than the maximums described in the USGA handicap system.
   4. This handicap is then used to determine the points for the match.

   The computed handicap becomes the entry handicap and the match is scored as though that handicap existed before the round began. The player’s new handicap (for the next round) is computed also as though that handicap existed before the round began.