Rules

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Rules
Current USGA Rules of Golf will govern all play. The Tournament Committee will provide an event rules sheet containing local rules and those rules will govern play for that tournament. The one-ball rule will not be in effect during play however all members must complete the hole with the same ball type as they began play of the hole. If there is any confusion of a particular ruling during play, and a Tour Official is not accessible, the member is to enter a second ball into play (Rule 3-3). The member then plays both balls throughout the hole, keeping separate scores and must bring the situation to the Rules Committee at the end of the round for a ruling and prior to signing their scorecard.

 

Ties
All ties in a flight for the prize positions will be settled by a scorecard playoff and will take place following the routine described in Section 9 of the USGA Handicap System Manual and use scores for only the players who are tied comparison.
Under this method, the Tour compares the sum of scores for the last nine holes, then the last six holes, then the last three holes, then finally the last hole to determine a winner.

For awarding points in the event of a tie (other than for first place), the Tournament Director will add up all points for the tied places and divide by the number of members tied for the spot. The tied members will then be awarded the same number of points (Example: If there are 3 members tied for 2nd place, add up 125, 100 and 90 and divide by 3 - each member will receive 105 points).

Pace of Play
Each group is responsible for maintaining and policing their pace of play.
The position of the group behind has no bearing in determining whether or not any group's pace of play is satisfactory.

1. Expected Pace of Play – As noted on the front of the Notice to Contestants and as defined on the scorecard.
2. Penalty Statement – All groups are deemed to have received their first warning at their designated starting tee. Subsequent warnings will result in penalty assessments. With exception of the lead group, in order for a group to be penalized, the group must be both behind the prescribed scorecard time and be out of position. The first penalty will be One-Stroke to each member of the group, the second penalty will be Two Strokes to each member of the group and the third penalty will be disqualification from the event. Any group who is searching for a ball is requested to allow the group(s) following to play through if necessary. Failure to allow this courtesy may be deemed 'Undue Delay' and each member in the violating group may be assessed a Two-Stroke Penalty. The assessment of penalty strokes will be by any course marshal and/or Tour official who will verbally notify the group when issuing a courtesy warning or a penalty. The courtesy warning will be only that the group is in danger of being out of position. Members within a group may inform another contestant that he/she is the cause of the group being out of position as a courtesy to that player. The group must report the notice to a course marshal or Tour official as soon as practicable who may assess a penalty to that member, individually.
3. Start Time – The lead group must be at their designated starting hole no less than 10 minutes prior to their starting time. Every member thereafter is responsible to be at their assigned starting hole in time to see the preceding group start and be ready to play. Ready to play means but is not limited to, that you have a good idea of what club you are going to play in your hand when approaching the Starters tent and that the balls that you are going to use are marked accordingly. Additional local rules and course information will only be provided once prior to the hitting order being announced. It is recommended that if you don’t personally know your cart partner that you proceed to the assigned starting hole as any member that is not present in time to see the preceding group start will incur a Two-Stroke Penalty on the 1st hole.
4. Rulings & Other Incidents - Except on the 1st tee, if a ruling or some other official delay occurs which causes any group to lose its position, that group is expected to regain its position no later than the tee area two holes ahead otherwise they are considered to be out of position.
5. Appeal Process - 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 member of the group. An appeal may result in a one step reduction of a penalty (i.e. two strokes to one stroke or one stroke to no penalty, but not two strokes to no penalty).
Definitions
Out of Position - With exception to the lead group, at any time during the round any group that reaches the tee of a par 3 and the hole is clear or fails to clear the tee of a par 4 before the preceding group clears the putting green or arrives at the tee of a par 5 when the preceding group is on the green is deemed to be out of position. The lead group is deemed to be out of position when it is both ahead of the scorecard pace and the group following is not behind on their scorecard pace.
Monitoring - Any contestant in a group out of position who takes more than 40 seconds to play a stroke on one occasion will be informed as soon as practicable that they have one bad time. If they exceed 40 seconds on one more occasion (a total of two timings exceeding 40 seconds), they will be informed as soon as practicable that they have been penalized one stroke. If they exceed 40 seconds on one more occasion (a total of three timings exceeding 40 seconds), they will be informed as soon as practicable that they have been penalized an additional two strokes. Any contestant who takes more than 40 seconds to play a stroke on one more occasion (a total of four timings exceeding 40 seconds) will be informed as soon as practicable that they have been disqualified. NOTE: If the group in question regains it proper position, any previous timings of more than 40 seconds will be carried over for the remainder of that round in the event that group requires additional monitoring. Members within a group may inform another contestant that he is exceeding the 40 seconds time limit to play their shot as a courtesy to that player. The group must report the violation to the Committee or a course marshal to assess a penalty.
Timing - The timing of a contestant's stroke will begin when they have had reasonable opportunity to reach their ball, it is their turn to play and they can play without interference or distraction. Except on the putting green, if a contestant has reached his ball, it is their turn to play and there are no distractions, timing will begin after they have had reasonable time to select a club. Time spent walking forward and backward for determining yardage will count as part of the time taken for the next stroke.

 

Points Distribution
Calloway Merit Points will be awarded in each flight based on the order of finish. Points will be awarded as follows:
POS POINTS
1st 175
2nd 125
3rd 100
4th 90
5th 80
6th 70
7th 60
8th 50
9th 40
10th 30
11th + 20

 

What happens if there is not a Rules Official available on the course?
If, during the course of play, a situation arises that requires a ruling and an official is not available, the member shall play two balls through the hole and keep score for both balls (Rule 3-3). The situation in question must be submitted to the Tournament Committee for an official (final) ruling prior to the signing of the scorecard.
Electronic distance measuring devices:
The Seattle Tour allows the use of any electronic distance measuring device that complies with the Rules of Golf. The use of non-conforming devices is cause for disqualification and revocation of membership

Dress Code Policy
The Tour will strictly enforce a tournament dress code with no exceptions. Collared shirts are required, and no jeans, denims, jogging outfits, or sweat pants are permitted. Shorts may be worn, but must be within five inches of the knee.

Code of conduct
The GCAT will not tolerate swearing, vulgar language, alcohol abuse, lack of golfing etiquette, or other such behavior. Such conduct may result in tournament disqualification and suspension or expulsion from the Tour. Any member that uses a cell phone, beeper, radio and other such device during play will incur a 2-stroke penalty per occurrence. A Tour official need not be present or witness the use. An exception will be made in the event of an on course emergency or request for assistance. Any member that throws a club in anger or frustration will be immediately disqualified from the event. Two disqualifications in any season for club throwing will warrant revocation of membership for the balance of that season.

Scorecards
To insure statistical records are maintained accurately, the Seattle Tour has developed its own scorecard. These scorecards are not exchanged between players yet they do provide an area for a competitor’s score to be recorded. Each golfer is responsible for the correctness of their scorecard even though a fellow competitor will also be marking the scores on each hole. Each scorecard must be signed by the marker and attested by the member. In attesting the scorecard, the member is stating that the score for each individual hole during the round is correct. Members are not responsible for the calculation of the total round score. In an effort to equitably resolve any scoring disputes all members in a pairing must submit their scorecards at the same time to the scorer's table and each member must be available for a reasonable amount of time afterwards to answer questions by the Tournament Committee in the event that a ruling is required. Any protests need to be made to a Tournament Official as soon as possible after an incident occurs so that a proper ruling can be made in a timely fashion. In the event no protests are made within a five-minute period after all scores are posted on the tournament scoreboard, the scoreboard shall be considered final. All scorecards should be reviewed and signed at the “scoring table" with all parties from the group present.
If a member submits a scorecard that has not been signed or submits a signed card with a lower score on a particular hole than the actual score, the member will be disqualified from that event. If a member submits a signed card with a higher score on a particular hole than the actual score, the higher score will be posted. Members are only responsible for the score on each hole and not the total score (math).

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General Tour Rules

 

Membership to the Golf Channel Amateur Tour is open to all amateur golfers with a verifiable and active handicap index. If a member does not have a verifiable index, the Tour will accept six (6) completed, signed and attested scorecards that will be reviewed by the local Tour Director.

What does membership cost?

The cost of a rolling annual year membership in the Seattle Tour is a non-refundable $199.00. Tour member benefits include but are not limited to a membership package where the contents are published on the national web site. The Tour also provides members with timely updated statistical information such as driving accuracy, G.I.R., driving distance, putts per round, scoring average, etc. on the national website. Membership gives you the ability to play in any Tour event across the country.

How do I register for membership?

If Internet access is available, access the National website www.thegolfchannel.com

On the National website click the ‘Sign Me Up!’ link. Select Seattle from the drop down menu. Click “Join Now.” If you already have a “Profile” from last season or before, simply enter your email address and password from that time and click continue. If you are a new member you must first create a ‘Member Profile.’ This is accomplished by entering your information in the “New To the Golf Channel?”’ area of the page. This information should be complete and accurate and may only be changed by the member. In the box titled ‘USGA Handicap #’ enter your GHIN Number if you have one. Complete the rest of the information as necessary. A word of caution, when clicking the ‘FINISH’ button is that it only be clicked once as each click creates a registration and a charge to your credit card. The local site link will take you to the general information page for the Seattle Tour.

By signing or electronically submitting a member application and entering and playing in a Golf Channel Amateur Tour Event, the member and/or guest understands and agrees that there are certain dangers involved with the participation in a golf event, including but not limited to being struck by lightning, getting hit by a golf club, suffering from heat exhaustion, heart attack or injury from uneven terrain, all of for which risks participant assumes and solely accepts, and waives all claims of injury to body or property against the American Amateur Golf Tour, LLC and/or the local Tour Director. Further, the participant agrees that while on the premises of a Golf Channel Amateur Tour Event ("Event"), as well as all other presenting sponsors, co-sponsors and representatives affiliated with the tournament, the participant, and any guest, relative or anyone else affiliated with participant, shall be present at their own risk and that the American Amateur Golf Tour, LLC and/or the local Tour Director shall not be liable for any claims for injuries or damages whatsoever to person or property of the participant or related person arising out of or in connection with the participation in the Event or presence at the Event. Member and/or guest agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the American Amateur Golf Tour, LLC and the local Tour Director from all claims by or liability to member or affiliated person.

How many positions does the Tour pay?

The Seattle Tour pays the top 33% of each flight from a pool of funds that are included in the event entry fee.

How do I redeem my winnings?

Monies from the flight prize pool are distributed to the winners at the conclusion of each event in the form of gift cards or certificates.

Are there any skins or side games?

At each Tour event, there will be an “optional” skins game to be entered by cash payment only (no exceptions). Skins are won by recording the lowest gross score on any hole and is scored within each flight or combination of flights as displayed prior to the event.

 Once all scorecards are in, skin winners will be determined and payouts dispersed. If any member or guest is not present to except their winnings, the money will be held until the next event they are entered in. All disbursements made in person must be signed for.

If no skins are awarded for a particular flight, the pool will roll over to the next event. In the event of a rolled over pool, that portion of the pool will be available to only the members who participate at the next event. Should a member not participate in the next event, said member forfeits any and all monies rolled over. The skins game is optional and thereby does not conflict with amateur status rules.

What about pace of play?

The Seattle Tour pace of play policy shall be posted on the Notice to Contestants at each event.

How are scorecards handled?

Players will exchange scorecards on the first tee and will mark scores for their fellow competitor. Each golfer is responsible for the correctness of their own scorecard.

Each scorecard must be signed by the member and attested by the marker. In signing the scorecard, the member is stating that the score for each individual hole during the round is correct. Members are not responsible for the calculation of the total round score.

In an effort to equitably resolve any scoring disputes all members in a pairing must submit their scorecards at the same time to the scorer's table and each member must be available for a reasonable amount of time afterwards to answer questions by the Tournament Committee in the event that a ruling is required. Any protests need to be made to a Tournament Official as soon as possible after an incident occurs so that a proper ruling can be made in a timely fashion. In the event no protests are made within a five-minute period after all scores are posted on the tournament scoreboard, the scoreboard shall be considered final.

What is the Tour policy on inclement weather?

The delaying or canceling of an event due to inclement weather will be determined solely by the host facility. In the event of a cancellation the Tour will try and re-schedule the event date within the seasonal timeframe. Should a member not show up due to the threat of inclement weather and the event proceeds, the member agrees to be financially responsible to the Tour.

When do I get my membership package?

Membership packages will be distributed by the National Office approximately 30 days after the payment of the annual membership fee with first shipments beggining in late April.

How do I know what flight I will play in?

The Tour is divided into six separate flights for the open division and six flights for senior division. Seniors must be at least 50 years of age and are not required to play as a Senior if they are 50 or over. Flights are based on the members Index as of the last revision date prior to the member’s first event:

All members will be placed into a flight after Indexes have been reviewed. All members must have and maintain a verifiable Index or be in the process of establishing one. If a member does not have proof of an Index, the member can be placed into a flight based on submission of 6 scorecards.

The Tour also includes an internal “Tour Index” which is derived from a similar calculation as what the USGA Index includes. This “Tour Index” comes into play after the third posted event score and is used to maintain each members competitive position in a flight.

It is very important to provide an honest initial assessment if there is not a current Index available. If a member is deemed to have ‘sandbagged’, that member could lose all points earned to that point and then be moved to the proper flight. Sandbagging will NOT be tolerated and could result in forfeiture of membership privileges.

What if I have a few ‘rounds of my life’?

The Tour does not want to penalize members for getting better so the Tour monitors not only your USGA Index but monitors your play in Tour events as well by reviewing your “Tour Index” after each event. The Tour recognizes that members will on occasion have an exceptional round of golf.

If a member is moved from one flight to another, the member will not be allowed to move any higher than Current 3rd place of that next flight. Points will be adjusted to reflect the move.

Example: If a member is moved from the "Hogan" flight where they had 200 points, up to the "Nicklaus" flight where 3rd place has only 150 points, then the member’s point total will be reduced to 150 and will then be placed in a tie for 3rd.

Should any member’s Tour Index fall more than .6 strokes below the low threshold of their flight Index range, the member is subject to review and will be re-flighted.
Members may also be moved into a higher Index flight category (i.e.; from Palmer to Hogan or Hogan to Sarazen). A member may opt to continue in their current lower flight for an additional 3 events in an attempt to get their index back within the flight range.

How many members does it take to make a flight?

Each tournament will vary in the size of the field. In order to present a competitive field in terms of competition, Order of Merit point distribution prizes and side games, a flight must consist of at least 6 members. If a flight has less than 6 members, those members will move to an adjacent flight for that particular event.

What format does the Tour use?

With the exception of a Regional Championship and the Tour Championship, all tournaments are at a minimum 18-hole stroke play events. All tournaments are scored at gross score within each flight. There is no net scoring and under no circumstances are members to receive strokes.

What tees will I play from?

The Tournament Director, prior to each event will determine flight tee placement and course length. Seniors will normally play from the same tees as the Open flight they compete with depending on course length and conditions. The tees and estimated yardages each flight will compete from are posted on the local web site www.gcatsea.com.
A breakdown on the average distances the Tour tries to set yardage to (based on course availability):

The yardage will vary depending on the course teeing grounds, slope and rating. The Tour will attempt to provide every golfer with an opportunity to participate under the most competitive tournament set-ups possible. Split tees within a group will be kept to a minimum.

 

What happens if there is not a Rules Official available on the course?

If, during the course of play, a situation arises that requires a ruling and an official is not available, the member shall play two balls through the hole and keep score for both balls (Rule 3-3). The situation in question must be submitted to the Tournament Committee for an official (final) ruling prior to the signing of the scorecard.

What happens if a hole score on my scorecard is not correct?

If a member submits a scorecard that has not been signed or submits a signed card with a lower score on a particular hole than the actual score, the member will be disqualified from that event.

If a member submits a signed card with a higher score on a particular hole than the actual score, the higher score will be posted. Members are only responsible for the score on each hole and not the total score (math). The marker should initial an incorrect hole score after it is changed.

Where should I return my scorecard?

All scorecards should be reviewed and signed at the “scoring table" with all parties from the group present.

How are points awarded?

Points will be awarded in each flight based on the order of finish. Points will be awarded as follows:

(Revised April 2008)

New Points Policy  All flights that do not have a minimum of 10 players will be awarded points from a "bottom-up" perspective.  This does not mean that all flights now have to have at least 10 members to form a flight.  We believe that this will allow for closer points races in small flights, easier mid-season recruitment for those flights and also still encourage non-local play from members of other Tours.  It will also somewhat diminish the "cherry-picking" that better players from other Tours do and allow for the not-so top players to play at different venues to gain more points. The "bottom-up" perspective is just that. Example: If a flight only has the rquired minimum six members, the last place finisher will be awarded 10th place points of 30 instead of 6th place points of 70.  This process goes up the scale until 1st place points where in this example the player would be awarded 80 points plus a 25 point bonus for the win.

How are tie scores handled?

All ties in a flight will be settled by a scorecard playoff which will take place following the routine described in Section 9 of the USGA Handicap System Manual and use scores for the players who are tied for comparison.
Under this method, the Tour compares the sum of scores for the last nine holes, then the last six holes, then the last three holes, then finally the last hole to determine the playoff winner.

How do tie scores affect the number of points awarded?

For awarding points in the event of a tie (other than for first place), the Tournament Director will add up all points for the tied places and divide by the number of members tied for the spot. The tied members will then be awarded the same number of points (Example: If there are 3 members tied for 2nd place, add up 125, 100 and 90 and divide by 3 - each member will receive 105 points).

How do tie scores affect my winnings?

Prize fund places will be determined via scorecard playoff as described above.

What is a Regional Championship?

The Western Region will have a minimum of two Regional Championships. This event is a two-day 36-hole event that may include members from all Tours in this region. These events are worth double the Order of Merit points. A member is only allowed to compete for points nationally in as many Regional Championships as their region has scheduled. The top three finishers in each flight at a Major automatically qualify for the Tour Championship as long as the member plays in no less than the minimum number of local events required on their home Tour in the current season. Regional Championships count as a local event only when they are held in the member’s home Tour area. If the member fails to fulfill their respective Tour’s minimum event requirements, their qualification to the Tour Championship may be forfeited.

What is the Team Championship?

The Team Championship is the oldest event on The Golf Channel Amateur Tour. Each local Tour will qualify a team of twelve (12) members to compete during “Championship Week” for the coveted Championship Cup. The tournament in 2007 was a 45-hole match play event with 27 holes played on day one and 18 holes on day two. This format may be modified for 2008.

The winning team will take home the Championship Cup. Each member will receive a smaller version of the Cup as well as individual gift certificates/merchandise.

How do I qualify for the Team Championship Cup Team?

A member qualifies for the Seattle Team Championship Cup Team by being one of the top two point’s leaders in their flight as of August 30th or a date mandated by the National Office. The Seattle Tour will use the points schedule below to determine which two members from each flight will be invited to the Team. In the event one or both of the member’s cannot commit, the next highest points leader will instead get the invitation. This process will continue until the Team is filled. Commitment to the Team also includes an exemption to the National Championship. These standings will only be available on the local web site in the Results section and are only awarded from participation in local, non-regional championship events.

 

(revised April 2008)

What is the National Tour Championship?

The National Tour Championship, held during the annual “Championship Week”, is a 72-hole event with a cut after the third round (54 holes) of competition. The cut line is based on a percentage of members in each flight. The members that make the cut will participate in the 18-hole final round to determine the National Champion in each flight.
 

How do I qualify for the National Championship?

Members of the Seattle Tour will qualify for Nationals in the following manner:

• By winning a season flight points championship.
• By winning their flight in the Seattle Tour Championship event.
• By winning 4 or more regular season events. A win is defined as the awarding of 175 points for an event.
• By placing 4th or higher in the Tour Championship event and not being already qualified.
• By placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in your flight at a Regional Championship.
• By being on the Seattle Championship Cup Team.

The Seattle Tour also requires its members to play in 6 of the local events if they were a member prior to April 30th and 4 of the local events if they joined after that date to be considered for post-season play.

Is there anything else I should know?

The Rules and Regulations of the Seattle Tour are subject to revision. The Tour is not associated with either the PGA or the USGA, and tournaments on the Tour have not been sanctioned by either golfing organization. Failure to comply with the aforementioned rules and regulations could result in suspension or expulsion from the Tour.

What if I have more questions?

Any questions or comments should be submitted to the Seattle Tour Director at ffauls@theaagt.com. To ensure timely responses please make sure your questions are specific in nature.