Rules & Policies – Page 3 – Poplar Creek Golf Club

Tournament Guest Policy

Members will be allowed to bring non-member guests to away tournaments based on the following criteria:

Members may sign-up a maximum of two guests provided the tournament is not full as of the closing date.
The member is responsible for payment of entry fees prior to the closing date for invited guests. Entry fees for guests are the same as the member fee including individual sweep costs.
The member must play in the same group as his invited guests.
Guests are not entitled to win any prize or sweep money awarded to individual flights.
If the tournament is full prior to the closing date and a club member indicates a desire to play, the guest must relinquish their position in the tournament. Once the closing date has passed guests will not forfeit their position in the tournament.
Cancellation procedures for guests are the same as for members, entry fees will only be refunded if a replacement player can be found. In addition, guests may not be placed on the waiting list once the tournament has closed.

New Local Rules Effective October 2009

All Tournaments, All Courses

Embedded Ball (effective October 2009):

LOCAL RULE: Embedded Ball, “Through the green” a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground, other than sand, may be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

Poplar Creek Golf Course – Local Rules

Staked Trees due to Poplar Creek’s tree planting project (effective October 2009):

LOCAL RULE: Protection of Young Trees, Protection of young trees identified by a stake. If such a tree interferes with a players stance or the area of his intended swing, the ball must be lifted, without penalty and dropped in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Rule 24-b (Immovable Obstruction).

Member Score Posting Policy

Poplar Creek Golf Club Zero Tolerance Policy

Our Zero Tolerance Policy “Effective on February 15, 2003 and revised January 1, 2008 states, The Handicap Committee will continue frequent audits of score posting by members of the Poplar Creek Golf Club.

Any player found to be in violation of any of the following items will be subject to review by the Disciplinary Committee:

a. Failure to post an acceptable score as soon as practicable after completion of a round or waiting until after the new handicap is calculated for the following month before posting previous months scores;

b. Posting erroneous scores;

c. Stopping play after 6 holes to avoid posting scores

If a player only completes 6 holes no posting is required. Completing 7 to 12 holes requires posting a 9 hole score and completing 13 or more holds requires posting an 18 hole score. Use Equitable Stroke Control when posting;

d. Repeatedly playing more than one ball to avoid posting scores;

e. Not adjusting hole scores under USGA Equitable Stroke Control Rules;

Handicap	Maximum Number on Any Hole
9 or less	Double Bogey
10 through 19	7
20 through 29	8
30 through 39	9
40 or more	10

f. Deliberately reporting more or fewer strokes to actually scored;

g. Deliberately taking extra strokes to inflate a score;

h. Playing multiple tees during a round and not posting a score;

i. Repeated violations of the USGA Rules of Golf in tournament play.

If the Disciplinary Committee votes that penalty action is required the matter will be forwarded to the Board of Directors for review and determination of penalties to be incurred by the player. Penalties incurred could range from probation to removal of the player from the club roster depending on the findings in the Disciplinary Committee’s report. The player will be notified by mail of the Board’s decision and has a right to appeal the decision at the next Board of Director’s meeting.

Pace of Play Policy

Play ready golf and keep up with our established Pace Of Play.

The pace of play for the Poplar Creek Golf Club tournaments at Poplar Creek is 4 hours and 12 minutes or less. This equates to an average of 14 minutes per hole or less.

Important: The first groups must play in 4 hours or less. Players that cannot meet this goal will not be placed in the early tee times.

If you are the first group in the field, play efficient golf. If you are in a following group, keep up with the group in front of you and you will not have a pace of play issue.

If you are in the first group, or any following group, and fall behind on one hole you are expected to play efficient golf and regain your position. This might mean playing ready golf and doing continuous putting, both of which are allowed in stroke play.

If you tee off at a time that is different from your scheduled time it should be recorded on every scorecard in your group. Tee off time is the time the first tee is placed in the ground

Important Pace of Play information for today’s tournament

The first group must play in a maximum time of 4 hours. As pacesetters it is hoped they will play in less than 4 hours. Should the first group finish 18 holes at 12 minutes to 15:59 minutes over pace each player will be penalized one-stroke. 16 minutes or more over pace will result in each player being penalized two-strokes.
Each following group must finish the 18 holes no more than 12 minutes behind the group they follow. Groups that finish in more than 4 hours and 12 minutes and 12 minutes to 16 minutes behind the group they follow will be penalized one-stroke. Groups that are over 4 hours and 12 minutes and 16 minutes or more behind will be penalized two-strokes.
Any player that would like to appeal any pace of play penalty must do so before signing and turning in his scorecard.
The last hole is considered completed by the group when the flagstick is placed in the hole.

Appeals: Do not sign and turn in your scorecard if you intend to appeal a POP penalty. Players concerned about a slow player(s) in their group may ask to have the group monitored. The individual player need not be identified; the request only needs to be made to a course ranger or a tournament official. At some point during the round the group will then be monitored to determine which player(s) may be the cause of slow play. Pace of play penalties may be appealed to the Committee but must be made before scorecards are signed and returned. In order for an appeal to be considered, there must have been an action by the Committee, a circumstance beyond the contestant’s control, or some similar occurrence that contributed to the delay, such as an action by an individual of the group. An appeal may result in no more than a one-stroke reduction.

Official clocks are on the 1st tee and the 18th green.