1. Rules of Golf
1.1 The events will be run in accordance with ‘The Rules of Golf’ as laid down by the R&A and the Local Rules of the courses visited.
2. Format
2.1 The playing format is Individual Stableford with 95% of Course Handicap. Play is generally in three and fourballs.
3. Who Can Play?
3.1 The Events are open to all golfers, male and female who are members of a golf club and who comply with the handicap requirements in Section 4.
3.2 Competitors under the age of 18 are welcome to take part but must be accompanied by an adult.
4. Handicaps
4.1 Since November 2nd 2020 the Tour has fully adopted the World Handicap System (WHS) and it is the responsibility of every competitor to have an understanding of the WHS. The following links provide a simple guide and a fully detailed guide to the WHS:
https://www.congu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CONGU-Player-Ref-Guide.pdf
https://www.congu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CONGU-Rules-of-Handicapping1.pdf
4.2 All competitors must have a current WHS Handicap Index.
4.3 We accept entries from iGolf members and they can win prizes but will only be eligible for Order of Merit
points and GAGT membership after completing four rounds on the GAGT schedule.
4.4 The maximum Playing Handicaps will be 24 for men and 30 for ladies.
4.5 The organisers reserve the right to disqualify a competitor and ban them from any further participation on the
Tour if there is evidence of handicap manipulation.
4.6 All the events will be WHS qualifying events and it is the ultimate responsibility of each player to
report his / her scores back to the club at which their handicap is managed.
5. Tour membership
5.1 The annual Tour membership fee can be paid online or by calling the office on 0345 466 2222. Membership runs for 12 months from the date of joining.
5.2 Non Tour members can play in the events but are not eligible for order of merit points.
5.3 A competitor new to the Tour must join the Tour before he / she plays their first event if they wish to be eligible for merit points in their first event. Order of Merit points will not be allocated retrospectively.
6. Member’s Guest Entry
6.1 Members are welcome to bring guests to any events. A member wishing to bring guests to a Tour event can only enter their guests by calling the office on 0345 466 2222 or by email to info@gmmltd.co.uk.
7. Ties and Countbacks
7.1 In the case of a tie the result will be decided on a card playoff.
1) For a one round event this will be resolved by taking into account the last nine holes on the scorecard. If there is still a tie the result will be decided on the last 6, 3, 2, 1 hole/s.
2) For an event over more than one round this will be resolved by taking into account the last 18 holes played. If there is still a tie the result will be decided on the last 9, 6, 3, 2, 1 hole/s.
7.2 In all cases of tied results, the decision will be made based on the order of the holes as set out on the scorecard regardless of which hole the individual competitors started on.
8. Caddies & Buggies
8.1 The use of buggies is permitted in the events where they are available for hire. Caddies are permitted at any of the events and the competitor is responsible for his / her caddie’s actions.
9. GPS Range Finding Equipment
9.1 The use of GPS and laser rangefinding equipment which only measures distance is permitted. Under the R&A Rules of Golf the use of smart phones and other devices which provide additional information such as wind speed/direction and distance taking into account gradient is in breach of the Rules of Golf.
10. Orders of Merit
10.1 The Tour has five orders of merit. The Worldwide OoM, the Senior OoM for golfers of 60+ and
the Ladies OoM each include every event on the schedule. The UK OoM only includes those events
in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The International OoM which includes all
events outside the UK.
10.2 Each of the Orders of Merit work in the same way.
Merit points are awarded on the basis of 100 to the winner, 99 for 2nd, 98 for 3rd and so on.
10.3 Any tied scores will be decided by a card play off over the last nine holes as they
appear on the scorecard. Merit points will then be issued based on finishing position.
10.4 Final positions in all five Orders of Merit are decided in the same way. A competitor’s
final OoM position is determined by the total merit points accumulated in his/her best eleven
results throughout the season following the final round of the Tour Final. The rounds
in the Tour Final may or may not be included in a competitor’s best eleven rounds.
10.5 Any tied positions in the Orders of Merit following the last round of the Tour Final
will be decided by taking into account the competitor’s twelfth best merit point score
and so on.
10.6 The final Order of Merit will be established after the last round of the Tour Final has been played.
10.7 To be eligible for merit points, a competitor must be a current member of the Tour for which
the annual fee is £40 and runs for 12 months from the date of joining. Order of Merit points will not be allocated retrospectively.
11. Championship Events
11.1 Certain events are designated Championship Events and these are denoted by a trophy
image on the schedule. The prizes will be upgraded at the Championship Events.
12. Tour Final
12.1 A competitor’s best nine Order of Merit scores will count towards qualification for the Tour Final
12.2 After the last event of the season prior to the Tour Final the following competitors will qualify for the Tour Final:
- The leading two competitors in the Ladies Order of Merit;
- The leading three competitors in the Senior Order of Merit**;
- The top 12 and ties in the Worldwide OoM excluding anyone qualifying in categories 1 – 2 above;
- The top 10 and ties in the UK OoM excluding anyone qualifying in categories 1 – 3 above;
- The top 10 and ties in the International OoM excluding anyone qualifying in categories 1 – 4 above;
13. Entry Fee Payment Terms
13.1 To secure a place in an event the relevant deposit is payable at the time of entering.
13.2 Full payment for one day events is due one calendar month before the event and for multi day events full payment is due two calendar months before the date of the first round, unless otherwise stated.
13.3 If full payment has not been made one calendar month before the event we reserve the right to cancel your entry and retain your deposit.
13.4 If a competitor withdraws from a one day event within one calendar month of the date of the event or withdraws from a multi day event within two calendar months of the date of the first round we may suffer financial losses and we reserve the right to retain any payment made or make further charges which reflect the losses we incur.
13.5 Payment for events can either be made online or by calling the office on 0345 466 2222 with your credit / debit card details.
We take all reasonable care to ensure our website is secure but, unless we have been negligent, we cannot be held liable for any loss you may suffer if a third party procures unauthorised access to any data you provide when accessing our website.
14. Insurance
We consider adequate travel insurance to be essential. As a condition of booking you are required to arrange an insurance policy to cover cancellation, accident & medical problems, personal liability, legal expenses, luggage, delays, etc.
14. Competitor Information 14.1 The Draw for each event will appear on the website 2/3 days prior to the event along with an itinerary of the day and including other relevant information. For multi day events each competitor will receive an email informing them that the Draw and Competitor Information are ready to view online.
