NTC 2017 RULES SHEET
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
• Stroke play, three-day event (Fri-Sun), 54 hole total, by flight (Net within flights).
TEAM COMPETITION
The team competition will be based on each individual’s 2-day total NET score (for rounds 1 and 2). Essentially, the team with the lowest average net score is the winning team. However, since the flights play different tees with different course rating, we can’t use straight net scores – we must adjust against the course rating being played by each person.
Example: Joe (flight 1) and Fred (flight 4) each shoot net 73. The rating for the flight 1 tees is 71.4, so Joe is 1.6 strokes above the course rating (73 – 71.4). The rating for the flight 4 tees is 69.2, so Fred is 3.8 strokes above the course rating (73 – 69.2). So Joe counts as +1.6 for his team, and Fred counts as +3.8 for his team.
Team totals are the average “differential” of all players on the team. The team with the lowest average is the winner.
All players who tee off on day 1 are included in the Team Competition. Any player who fails to complete the 2 rounds will finish in a tie for last place net in their flight in the team competition.
HANDICAP ADJUSTMENTS
If a player shoots a combined six under compared to the course ratings in the first two days of the tournament, the player will be subject to a handicap adjustment for the third day. The handicap adjustment will be made by adding the two tournament scores to the players existing score history and recalculating the handicap index and course handicap for the third day.
CHEATING
Anyone caught cheating will be immediately disqualified from the entire event and will not be allowed to play following rounds. This is a decision by the organizers.
SCOREBOARDS
We will not be using the manual scoreboards this year. Online scoring will be available at:
http://www.golfthetour.com/ntc17
LOCAL RULES
USGA rules govern play, except as modified by the following local rules:
• Lost Ball/OB. Players are encouraged to hit a provisional ball if they expect that their ball may be lost outside a hazard or Out of Bounds. If a ball is lost outside a hazard, or OB, and the player did not hit a provisional ball, the player may drop along the line of flight of the original ball, at a penalty of 2 strokes. The drop may occur anywhere along the flight of the original ball. EXCEPTION: a ball may not be dropped closer to the green than the point at which the original ball is thought to be, except as follows. This is an issue if a ball is hit over a green and OB (for example). In this case, the ball may be dropped within one club length of the “edge of the trouble” (woods, OB, etc). The “edge of the trouble” is defined as the point at which the ball is in bounds, is not in woods, wet lands, water hazard, or unkept areas, and the player has an unimpeded stance and swing for the shot to be played.
If a player hits a provisional ball, and both balls are lost, the player continues using the provisional ball as the last ball in play, with all strokes and penalty strokes applied.
• Pace of Play: Please keep pace with the group ahead of you. Play ready golf. Each group must check in at the scorer’s table immediately upon completing their round. Score cards do not need to be ready, but you must report in. During non-shotgun starts, any group that checks in more than 20 minutes behind the preceding group may be penalized for slow play (note: a 20 minute gap is more than an open Par-5 on the course). In addition, on course rangers will be empowered to assess a penalty to a group if the group has a hole open in front of them, and the condition persists for 3 holes.
• Distance Measuring Devices: Distance measuring devices (as defined in Decision 14-3/0.5) are allowed. Such devices may only measure distance (not slope, wind, etc).
• Embedded Ball Rule: The embedded ball rule (free relief) is in effect through the green.
SCORING
Score Cards—No score card will be valid unless signed by the player and his/her scorer. Scores will be official once cards are signed AND posted by tournament officials.
Disputes— Disputes will be decided by a majority of the TOUR directors who are present at the scoring table. Each Tour shall have one vote in all decisions. A minimum of 3 TOURs must be represented before a decision can be made.
Tie Breakers—Ties for first place in any flight for the 3-day event will be determined by an on-course, sudden death playoff. The playoff will start on hole 1, unless the course directs us to start elsewhere. The playoff will be played at 100% handicap, with the higher player stroking off the lower player. For all other, we will split the appropriate winnings between the players who tie.
Completion of Round– If a player fails to hole out on any hole, the player is deemed to have withdrawn from the event. A player who withdraws is ineligible for any prizes (including side pools) in the round in which the player withdraws.