DESIGNATION OF CHAMPIONSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

The Championship Chairman shall have overall responsibility for:

Arranging and coordinating all commitments relating to the golf activities

Food & beverage needs to be provided by the host club for the Championship

Providing web-ready host course logo

Contact information for host club

Directions to and within host club

Suggested lodging for competitors – negotiate best rate possible for publishing their hotel. Web links when provided

Filing Championship summary report with WCGA president including expenditures and other items of interest

The Championship Director will be responsible for:

Marking the course

Providing hole locations

Local rules or other conditions of the competition

Preparing a rules sheet for distribution

Appointing a Rules Committee

Arranging for starters/rangers/marshals

Flighting/starting times/pairings of competitors

All Championship scoring activities

Finalizing championship yardages

Maintain inventory on tee markers, signs, banners, flags, and championship flight pins

The Championship Administrator will be responsible for:

Preparing and sending out the entry forms

Determining the field of 96 players and maintaining a standby list if necessary

Collecting WCGA portion of the entry fee

Updating the website with the competitor information

Working with the Championship Chairman & WCGA Board Members to agree in advance on the prizes to be awarded

Filing Championship summary report with WCGA president including payouts, other items of interest, and maintaining records of the results

PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING

The WCGA Officers and Executive Board will meet with the Championship Chairman and the Championship Director at the host club at least 2 times prior to the scheduled Championship date (generally in September/ October and March/April). Goals for this meeting include:

Decide on the tee locations and yardages for each hole.

Acquiring host club logo to be provided to both Championship Director and Championship Administrator

Determine tee-gift

Review inventory of tee markers, medals for Championship medalists and Championship flight – order if necessary

Determine prize certificates

Determine entry fee based on club expenses for carts & food plus other Championship related expenses

WCGA STANDING REGULATIONS

ANNUAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP.   These regulations may be waived, amended, or modified at the discretion of the WCGA Board of Directors.

COMPETITION DATE.  The suggested date for the WCGA Amateur Championship will be the third full week in May, subject to hosting club availability. This date should not conflict with another major Championship if at all possible. It is in the best interest of the WCGA to maintain a Championship schedule at least four years in advance and keep it well advertised with all other major women’s associations. This is the best way to avoid scheduling conflicts.

ENTRIES.  The WCGA Amateur Championship is open to any female amateur golfer with an established USGA handicap index whose primary residence as determined by her most recent federal income tax return is North or South Carolina and who has paid her WCGA annual dues individually or is a member of a club which has paid its annual WCGA dues prior to the entry deadline. In the case of gender reassignment, the player must comply with the Gender Policy of the United States Golf Association.  Compliance procedures may be found at the following link: www.wcgagolf.org. The Board of Directors, taking into consideration location, expenses, and the like for each Championship, shall determine the entry fee. Entry forms and entry fees must be received no later than the deadline stated on the entry.

A portion of the total entry fee designated as the “registration fee” will be payable to the WCGA and must accompany the entry form. The handicap index will be used to determine the starting field of 96, which will include all WCGA Board members and the lowest handicap entrants received by the entry deadline. The balance of the entry fee will be collected at registration with checks payable to the hosting club.

Notice of acceptance or non-acceptance of the entries shall be mailed within 3 days after the entry deadline by email. Entry status will also be posted on the WCGA web site.

Entry fees shall NOT be refunded for withdrawals received after the entry deadline. Cart fees and bag storage will only be refunded if paid in advance and cancellation is made prior to registration.

Entrants must register no later than 5:00PM on the day before qualifying in order to be paired for play. Only late-arriving entrants should register with the Championship Chairman by telephone.

Senior and Super-Senior Championship

All contestants who are 50 years old by the first day of the Championship and elect to play the Championship Tees are eligible for the Senior Championship. Super-Seniors must be 65 years old by the first day of the Championship and elect to play the Carolina Tees. Players wishing to enter the Senior or Super-Senior competition must indicate on the entry form which competition they wish to enter and may not enter both.

PRIZE DESIGNATIONS

WCGA Medallion.  Awarded to each participant in the Championship flight and to those going off the Board and to the Senior and Super-Senior Champion if they are not in the Championship Flight.

Medalist prize.  Determined after 2 days of qualifying rounds. In the event of a tie there will be an immediate post round playoff for all players present. The permanent trophy shall be in the custody of the winner until the next championship. It is the winner’s responsibility to have the trophy engraved. She is welcome to request reimbursement for the engraving fee.

Overall Champion.  The Champion shall have her name engraved on the WCGA Perpetual Trophy and shall be the custodian of the Trophy until the next Championship. She is welcome to request reimbursement for the engraving fee.

Senior Champion.  The Senior Champion shall have her name engraved on the WCGA Perpetual Trophy and shall be the custodian of the Trophy until the next Championship. She is welcome to request reimbursement for the engraving fee.

Super Senior Champion. The Super Senior Champion shall have her name engraved on the WCGA Perpetual Trophy and shall be custodian of the Trophy until the next Championship. She       is welcome to request reimbursement for the engraving fee.

Flight Winners.  If a flight contains more or less than 16 players, prizes may be awarded proportionately at the discretion of the Championship committee.

CHAMPIONSHIP CHAIRMAN - GENERAL GUIDELINES

The Championship Chairman should work closely with the WCGA President, Vice President, Championship Director, and Championship Administrator.

ADVANCE

Although provided in the past, funds will no longer be advanced to the Championship Chairman. All expenses are to be submitted in writing, with receipts (when possible) to the WCGA Treasurer. The Treasurer is to reimburse the Chairman in a timely manner.

COMMITTEES/LOCAL VOLUNTEERS

1.       Create a committee structure within your club that will best serve your responsibilities and reflects resources available in your club. You are to provide:

a.       Registration – 4 or 5 workers on day of practice round

b.      Prizes – 1 or 2 to set-up awards table on last day and help with presentation

c.       Hospitality – make all food and drink arrangements

d.      Spotters – determine the needs based on the hosting course along with Championship Director

e.      Publicity – designate a contact to handle all pre-Championship publicity, contacts with news and TV media. The Championship Director may have a list of media on file.

2.       Scoring – provide at least two workers to assist the Championship Director with reviewing scores. Discuss with championship Director ahead of time.

3.       Make arrangements for the Board Meeting to be held on the day of the practice round. The meeting space must accommodate at least 15 people. Coordinate this with the WCGA President.

HOST CLUB ARRANGEMENTS

1.       Meet with the appropriate contacts (i.e. Club Board/Owners, Club Pro, Grounds Superintendent, Catering Manager, etc.) to review your Championship needs. Following meetings, provide a written report to the WCGA president detailing all critical elements.

2.       Discuss with the hosting club professional the number of carts needed, including 5 or 6 additional carts for the Championship staff. The entry fee should be adequate enough to cover cart costs including any extra rentals necessary for the Championship. Also discuss the fact that in the event of a playoff, it is traditional to allow competitors to follow the play in their carts.

3.       Determine if the club has a Championship-size scoreboard sufficient to handle the Championship field. Coordinate any needs with the Championship Director.

4.       The player dinner venue must accommodate cocktail party, dinner, and annual meeting – sound system is needed.

BUDGET

Work closely with the Championship Administrator to determine the costs of the Championship so that the entry fee can be established and approved by the WCGA Board.

a.       Determine all golf fees for the practice and Championship rounds

b.      Food and beverage costs for the Championship dinner, awards luncheon, any breakfasts or luncheons to be provided

c.       Registration favors – table decorations

d.      Incidentals (cameras, paper supplies, postage, etc.)

e.      Tips for bag staff and grounds crew. NOTE: all tips require prior Board approval and may or may not be included in the entry fee.

In the event of a hole-in-one during the Championship, the Championship Chairman and the WCGA President shall determine the appropriate sum to be spent on a prize for the player/s. The Treasurer shall reimburse the Championship Chairman for any amounts approved and spent.

INFORMATION FOR CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY FORM

The Championship Chairman shall provide the Championship schedule, hosting club logo, directions, hotel accommodations, etc. to the Championship Administrator at least 4 months prior to the Championship so that the entry forms can be produced by no later than 3 months prior to the Championship date.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

The following should be researched in advance of the spring meeting. Actual information is needed prior the web announcement of the championship – sometime in early March.

The Championship Chairperson shall research available hotels to accommodate players and board members. Every effort should be made to negotiate a reduced rate.

Provide a complete address to the club so that web-based directions can be created.

Provide other directions as needed for locating events within the host club, when necessary.

Provide a list of suggested activities for competitors for after play. This helps to increase player interest in travel to your area.

Provide a list of suggested restaurants with price points.

CHAMPIONSHIP DIRECTOR

PLAY PROCEDURE

The Championship will be held in accordance with the Rules of Golf set forth by the USGA. The Rules Committee shall be comprised of the Championship Director and at least 2 other certified rules officials from the CGA. The Rules Committee will decide on all questions concerning the Rules of Golf and neither the Championship Chairman nor a competitor shall serve on the Rules Committee.

No caddies shall be permitted. All contestants will ride in golf carts.

The Championship Chairman and Championship Director share the right to call play temporarily because of playing conditions. The Board and Championship Committee shall decide if play is to be cancelled.

The WCGA Board and the Championship Director will set the length of the golf course for the championship.

The Championship Director will select the daily hole locations, mark the course, determine need for dropping zones, etc.

FLIGHTING

The Championship shall be 54 holes stroke play. The first 36 holes of the 54-hole stroke play Championship will be the qualifying rounds. The Championship Director shall flight the competitors after the 2 qualifying rounds.

The low 16 qualifiers and all ties shall constitute the Championship flight. The balance of the field shall be flighted as evenly as possible (using the “all ties” principle for cut-offs) until all contestants have been placed.

Players must report to the first tee at least 5 minutes before their scheduled starting time. A player shall be subject to penalty if she unduly delays play. Players will be timed when out of position.

Any ties for the Champion, Senior and Super-Senior Champion will be decided by a sudden-death play-off on the course. The rights to a play-off will be forfeited if the participants are not available. If all tied participants fail to appear, winners will be determined by a scorecard playoff per USGA guidelines for stroke play.

All other ties will be determined by a scorecard play-off using the USGA procedure for stroke play.

MARKING COURSE

The Championship Director, along with the Chairman, should inspect the course with the appropriate club personnel (club pro and superintendent) and discuss the marking of the course for the Championship. All out-of-bounds, hazards, and ground under repair should be properly identified and their limits established. The course should be marked before the practice round play begins.

1.       Water hazards – yellow stakes/lines

2.       Lateral water hazards – red stakes/lines

3.       Ground Under Repair – white lines

4.       Out-of-Bounds – large white stakes where not already established by walls or fence posts

SPOTTERS

At a pre-Championship meeting, the Championship Director and Chairman should discuss the assistance required for ranging and marshaling and spotters during the championship. To keep the field moving, the rangers and marshals and spotters should be available to:

1.       Assist competitors in locating balls in particularly troublesome spots such as water hazards, blind holes, etc. depending on course logistics.

2.       Noting incidences of slow play and ensuring that the Championship Director is notified.

3.       Assisting in locating a member of the Rules Committee when requested by a competitor

4.       Being helpful to the competitors without being in violation of the Rules of Golf.

All personnel should be advised THAT AT NO TIME SHOULD A RANGER OR MARSHAL OR SPOTTER ATTEMPT TO GIVE A RULING OR INTERPRET THE RULES OF GOLF. The Championship Chairman should ensure that the rangers and marshals and spotters are informed of the above guidelines.

STARTERS

The Championship Director shall appoint Starters Committee to assist the Championship Director as follows:

1.       Starter tables and seating shall be arranged at the first and tenth tees.

2.       Starters should be assigned to the first and tenth tees for Round 1 and Round 2.

3.       Starters should be provided with a pairings sheet showing tee times, and the      competitors’ names, and a radio if available.

4.       Starters should be provided with the following material for distribution:

*Copies of the Rules Sheet      *Pencils      *Daily hole location sheets

5.       Starters shall maintain noise control at the tee.

6.       Competitors should report to the Starters Table no later than 5 minutes prior to their starting time.

7.       Any new information on matters pertinent to the competition should be provided to the starters for announcement to all competitors.

8.       Starters shall announce the order of the tee-off starting with the first name on the pairings sheet.

9.       Starters should not tee off a group prior to their scheduled tee time or until the previous group has executed their second shot. In some cases, the Championship Director will request that the field be held on the tee until the previous group reaches the green.

RULES COMMITTEE AND CHAMPIONSHIP RULES

The Championship Director, with the assistance of the hosting club personnel and the Rules Committee, shall prepare a Rules sheet for the Championship in ample time for printing and distribution to the competitors prior to the first day of competition.

The Championship Director shall appoint a Rules Committee comprised of at least 3 members, all of which are certified rules officials from the CGA. At least one member of this committee must be on the golf course with the Championship Director at all times during the competition. The Championship Chairman is not a member of the Rules Committee. A competitor may not serve on the Rules Committee.

ONLY MEMBERS OF THE RULES COMMITTEE ARE AUTHORIZED TO GIVE RULES DECISIONS DURING THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

The Championship shall be conducted according to the USGA Rules of Golf.

The WCGA Board recommends the following guidelines:

Local rules should be kept at a minimum.

Exception.  If unusual conditions occur during the Championship, the WCGA Board Championship Committee, with the recommendations of the Championship Director and host club, may approve modification and shall ensure that competitors are notified before play.

Ball to be played as it lies. The ball shall be played as it lies except under extreme conditions. Any adoption of lift, clean, and place will be a decision of the WCGA Championship Committee.

Penalty for undue delay.  Definition: Rule 6. Undue delay is stipulated on the local rules provided prior to play.

VIOLATIONS         One Bad Time                  Warning

Two Bad Times                1 Shot Penalty

Three Bad Times              2 Shot Penalty

Four Bad Times                Disqualification

DUTIES OF THE RULES COMMITTEE

1.      All members of the Rules Committee should be familiar with the USGA Rules of Golf and be able to interpret them. Each member should be supplied with a copy of the Rules of Golf and should never attempt to make a ruling without consulting it. The USGA Decisions of Golf should be available during the Championship.

2.      At least 2 members of the Rules Committee should be available on the course at all   times during the Championship.

3.      The Rules Committee shall be given a Championship rules sheet and should be familiar with any local rules that are in effect during the competition. All local rules and rulings shall be consistent with the Rules of Golf.

4.      No member of the Rules Committee has the power to waive a Rule of Golf.

5.      Disqualification penalties, or the modifying of disqualification penalties, should be decided by the Rules Committee as a body, and not by any individual official.

6.      The Rules Committee will decide all questions concerning the Rules of Golf.

SCORING

At a pre-Championship meeting, the Championship Chairman and Director shall discuss the scoring procedures, personnel and supplies needed, etc. The Director with the assistance of the Chairman and the Scoring Committee shall be responsible for receiving, checking and posting scores each day.

SCOREBOARD PROCEDURES

1.       The Championship Chairman shall arrange for and supply a large scoreboard which should be centrally located and near the club house.

2.       Scoring Strips – The Championship Director shall supply and print scoring strips containing the contestant information (name, home city and state). Each strip is for an individual contestant and made so that it can be moved around the scoreboard.

3.       First Round and Second Round– Strips should be placed in alphabetical order within their respective division.

4.       Third Round – Strips should be placed according to flights with leading scores in each flight at the top and so on in descending order within their respective division.

5.       Provide leader boards for Championship, Senior and Super Senior leader. Provide a summary sheet of scores for Round 1 and 2.

SCORING COMMITTEE

The Championship Director shall meet with the Scoring Committee prior to the first round to discuss scoring procedures, personnel and supplies needed and the location of scoring tables.

At least 2 scoring assistants should be trained in posting scores to the computer disk used for the Championship.

SCORING PROCEDURE

The Championship Director and scoring assistants are responsible for the following:

1.       Ascertain that cards are properly signed by each competitor, and her marker.

2.       Check and double-check addition. Competitors are responsible for correctness of hole-by-hole score. Scorers are responsible for the correct total.

3.       Summary sheet or computer input to disk to be used at the discretion of the Director.

4.       Post scores on scoreboard.

5.       Arrange cards in order of scores—lowest to highest – using tee times for ties and within their division.

POSTING SCORES

Posting should be done neatly, legibly, and with care and accuracy.   All checking and addition must be done prior to posting. Post in the following order:

·         Front total

·          Back Total

·         Total Gross Score

·         Accumulative Gross Score

Scorecards are deemed returned when the official score is posted.

CHAMPIONSHIP ADMINISTRATOR – GUIDELINES

The Championship Administrator shall coordinate the entry printing and delivery of forms. Responsibility for the entry mailings will be determined in advance by the WCGA Board.

The entries shall be issued 7 weeks prior to the Championship with an entry deadline of approximately ten days prior to the Championship (see article 1V of the By-Laws).

The Championship Administrator shall determine the field of 96 by accepting entries from the WCGA Board and the lowest handicap index to the highest until the field is full. Once determined, the field should be posted on the website and updated with any changes. In the event of a full field, the Administrator shall also keep a standby list of the next 12 (minimum) eligible players. (Players on this standby list should be advised of their status by phone on a weekly basis). The list of competitors, including index and home club, home city, home state, and division should immediately be sent to the Championship Director for preparation of the scorecards and scoring strips.

CANCELLATIONS

If cancellations are received before entry deadline, return or destroy the entrant’s check. If cancellations are received after the entry deadline but before the Championship, the entry fee received will be non-refundable after a specified date as noted on the entry application.

PERMANENT TROPHIES

At least 2 months prior to the Championship, the Championship Administrator will confirm that the WCGA President or other officer has contacted the holders of the Championship and Club trophies to ensure delivery of the trophies to the hosting club. The trophies should be polished and appropriately engraved before being sent to the hosting club.

The Championship Administrator will be responsible for:

1.      Preparing the entry brochure and entry forms (at least 8 weeks prior to Championship)

2.      Ordering all printed materials

3.      Mailing entry forms to recent-past participants

4.       Providing these materials to the Webmaster for broadcasting entry procedures on the WCGA website.

Once the entries have been prepared and mailed, the Administrator will be responsible for:

1.       Recording all entry applications as received to the website

2.       Verifying that the appropriate entry fee and USGA index reported on the application

3.       Verifying that the applicant is a current WCGA member or a member of a club which has paid its annual WCGA dues

NOTE: If annual dues are included with the entry application, the check should be forwarded to the Treasurer and the member information forwarded to the Secretary. If an applicant or her home club is not a member of the WCGA, she should be contacted immediately by telephone to determine how the dues will be paid.

Within 3 days of the entry deadline, all entry applicants should be notified of their acceptance or non-acceptance by email if an email address has been provided on the application or by postcard if no email address has been provided.

The entries maintained on the standby list should be notified of their non-acceptance but that they have been put on the standby list.

If cancellations/changes occur in the final field, make sure that the Championship Director is notified immediately of all changes so that scoring strips, pairings and tee times can be updated.

Any entry fees for non-accepted applicants should be destroyed except for the checks of the applicants still on the standby list. All remaining checks for potential alternates should be held but not deposited until after registration in case any further cancellations occur.

The Championship Administrator must work closely with the Championship Chairman, Championship Director and WCGA Webmaster on all aspects of the entry process and field determination.

The Championship Administrator should also provide guidance on prior Championship favors and awards and work with the Championship Chairman to agree in advance on the prizes to be awarded.

END OF WCGA CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDELINES