League Rules
Membership - Members (full time and part time) are eligible for Birdie Hole contest and League Championship. Golfers need to talk to Commish and
and enter at BEGINNING of the season to become members.
Contests - Full time members are in contests. Part time members have to enter contests as they play. Birdie Hole is separate.
Guests - Guests are welcome to golf and can enter contests but are ineligible for Birdie Hole and League Championship.
48 Hour Rule - Commitments are needed by 9am on Tuesday before each outing. If golfer has to cancel, please let the Commish know ASAP. Inside 48 hours of tee time, golfer is still responsible for the green fees.
Local Golfing Rules
All play is conducted under the
USGA Rules of Golf and rules of the course being played. As permitted by the USGA Rules of Golf Rule 33-1, the
19th Hole Golf League may invoke local rules also that govern play. Use common sense and don't cheat!
Fluffing - Fluffing is allowed. The ball can not be moved closer to the hole and must stay within 6 inches of its original spot.
Ground Under Repair - A player is entitled to relief, without penalty, if your ball winds up here or in Fire Ant mounds.
Lost Ball - A new ball may be dropped with a 1 stroke penalty. Drop area should be as near to where the ball went out of bounds.
Ball Hit out of Bounds - You may play a provisional ball provided you inform your fellow golfers that you are doing so. If you find the original ball, you pick up
the provisional ball. In the interest of pace of play, no more than 1 provisional ball is to be played.
Ball in Water - Drop a ball in the designated drop area. If there is no drop area, drop a ball on the tee side of the hazard.
Stones in Bunkers - Stones are movable objects and a player is entitled to remove the stones found.
Disaster Holes - Every golfer must finish every hole to the best of their ability. If a golfer is having a very bad hole and slowing pace of play down
he can estimate the strokes it would take him to finish that hole and record that on his scorecard. The estimate must be agreed upon by all playing partners.
No Practice Shots of any kind - 2 stroke penalty.
NO MULLIGANS!!
Handicap Definitions
Golfer Handicaps - Easiest explanation of the USGA handicap formula is
found here.
Course Handicaps - Golfer Handicap * Slope / 113
Equitable Stroke Control - maximum strokes a golfer can post on hole based on the player's handicap.
Table
Unspoken Golf Rules
Silence please - Golf is a social game. It's one of the best things about it. But golf is also a game of concentration. Don't talk to a player
(or anyone else - including into a mobile phone) when someone else is hitting. Your voice is both a distraction as they swing - and an excuse if they
hit a bad shot. You don't need to provide either of those.
Leave the course like you found it (or better) - Fill your divots, fix your ball marks, rake your bunker. When your ball lands in an unfilled
divot in the fairway or a footprint in a bunker, making your shot much tougher than it would have been, you'll understand why. On the green, fix your
ballmark and perhaps one more.
Watch your shadow - Don't allow it to get in someone else's putting line or have it moving in the visual field as another player is hitting.
Watch your positioning - Do not stand too close or in the wrong area to another player. Directly behind a player's hitting/putting line can be
a distraction. Really, anywhere that can encroach in a player's visual field as they swing. When on the green, if you want to "learn" from another player's
putt, move to the correct line behind them AFTER they've hit the putt.
Sportsmanship trumps gamesmanship - You think you're gaining an advantage with the 'early walk' or the dropping of the bag or the 'cough' when
they are putting? No, probably not. But you're definitely gaining a reputation as someone no one wants to tee it up with.
Tend the pin - It's never a bad thing to ask someone with a lengthy putt if they want you to 'tend the pin.' That is, keep the flag in the
hole until the putt has been struck and then remove it before the putt gets to the hole area. Also, if someone is just off the green, ask if they'd
like to keep the pin in or out.
Safety first - Know when to yell "Fore!" "Fore" is a warning that a wayward shot is coming. If you hit a shot that is headed towards another
golfer, a course worker, any person - let them know a shot is coming their way. Seriously.
Tip well - The caddies, the beverage cart, the bag boys, etc. They aren't on the course for fun today, this is their job. You expect them to
act in a professional manner, you should treat them professionally as they do so.
Return lost clubs - Players will inevitably leave clubs behind. Don't look at this as an opportunity to score a new wedge. You'll leave yours
behind as well one day. This shouldn't even have to be said. But alas, it does.
Keep up with the group in front - Pace of play is all the rage right now. For good reason. I'm not talking about speed golf. Just don't fall
too far behind the group in front of you and you'll be just fine.
Let faster groups play through - They'll be glad you did it, so will you. It's no fun for them to watch you plumb bob for a 7. It's no fun
for you to know they are staring you down. Also, when you're playing through, be fast. Don't hunt for errant shots too long. Don't measure up every
putt.
Don't laugh when someone misses a short putt - It's not funny to them. It won't be funny to you when you do it. And you will. (This actually
goes for any bad shot)
Respect the game - Have fun, but don't be obnoxious. Screaming/yelling so that someone three fairways over can hear you...not cool. Cussing
is bad - doing it loudly is dumb. Shake hands with each playing partner/opponent after the round. Take your hat off when you do it. And throwing
your club/putter in disgust is never ever appropriate.
Putt 'em out - Unless your partner/opponent specifically tells you that your putt is "good" - don't assume it is and pick it up. We've all seen
someone miss a three-footer and just because they are disgusted, pick the ball up or knock it away. The hole is not over until your ball is in the cup.
Understand cart etiquette - Park in an area where you're not walking backwards after the hole to get back to the cart. Don't park where you're
in the way of another player or another group. Don't start the cart during another player's swing. Don't start the cart as someone is starting to take
a drink. Especially if they're wearing white.
Remember when you were a beginner - Don't be a jerk to those who aren't as skilled, or educated in golf norms. Rather than criticize, or get upset,
offer to teach.
Don't sandbag - If you're in a competition, whether an organized tournament or a friendly wager - don't inflate your handicap hoping to win a few
bucks or an acryllic plaque. The worst thing you can do in golf is cheat. It's the unforgivable sin. And this...is cheating.
Winner buys drinks after the round - If you won the big money (not condoning (or condemning friendly wagers)) - the least you can do is buy the
group a round.
