A. TERMS OF COMPETITION
2 Person Scramble Format: On every hole, each team member may hit a tee shot. The team then selects one of the tee shots to play for the next shot. Both members of the team then hit from that position. This process is repeated until the ball is holed.
4 Person Scramble Format: On every hole, each team member may hit a tee shot. The team then selects one of the tee shots to play for the next shot. All members of the team then hit from that position. This process is repeated until the ball is holed.
A-1 | Male Participants
Male participants are required to hit from the delegated “Male” teeing ground selected by the event host.
A-1.1 | Female Participants
Female participants are required to hit from the delegated “Female” teeing ground selected by the event host.
A-1.2 | Senior Male Participants
Male participants age 50 and over are required to hit from the delegated “Senior Male” teeing ground selected by the event host.
A-2 | Male/Female Competition
Although competing from different teeing grounds, men and women compete against one another.
A-3 | Team Formation/Age Restrictions
There are no limits on how many males or females can participate on a team. Teams may be made up of all men or women, and also feature a mix of both men and women. Golfers of all ages are allowed to participate. However, golfers under the age of 18 must have authorization from and be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian in order to participate.
A-4 | Gross and Net (Handicap) Divisions
Teams will have the ability to select the division they would like to participate in.
A-4.1 | Tiebreakers
In the event of a tie, a tie breaker will be determined utilizing a scorecard playoff. The scorecard playoff will start by comparing the scores of teams on the hardest handicap holes and descend to the easiest handicap holes. For example, start at the hardest handicap hole (number 1 on the scorecard) and move to the second hardest handicap hole (number 2) until the tie is broken. In the event that a scorecard playoff ends in a tie, a tie breaker will commence on the putting green to determine the advancing team. The tie breaker will consist of all team members putting four balls from six feet. All balls holed will count as 1 point. The high total score at the completion of the putting contest will advance. If the putting tie breaker results in a tie, the process will be repeated until the tie is broken.
A-4.2 | Competitor Substitution
If a member of a registered team is unable to compete, a player may be substituted up to a week in advance by contacting America’s Golf Festival HQ at [email protected] to notify them of the substitution.
A-4.3 | Handicapping
HANDICAPS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE GROSS DIVISION.
Participants must be able to provide a valid USGA Handicap Index (revised within 30 days of the event) in order to have a handicap attributed to their Net Division score. If a participant does not carry a USGA Handicap, that participant (and their team) will still be able to participate in the Net Division, but will automatically be issued a 0 handicap for the Net Division scoring.
A-4.4 | Handicap Verifications & Calculations
Click Here for more information on verifiable handicaps and calculations.
A-4.5 | Amateurism
All team members competing in the Gross and Net Divisions of America’s Golf Scramble must maintain their amateur status according to the USGA Rules of Amateur Status. In the event that a team members loses their amateur status, that team member will no longer be allowed to compete in America’s Golf Scramble.
A-4.5.1 | Professionalism
Competitors who do not carry an active amateur status according to the USGA Rules of Amateur Status will not be allowed to compete in America’s Golf Scramble.
A-5 | Missed Tee Time
In the event of a missed tee time during a competition (that is not result of the negligence of an event host), a participant will forgo their eligibility to compete and lose any competition expenses that may have been incurred. In the event that a member of a team is unable to make it prior to the start of the event, that team member may join their team during the course of the event starting at the tee box of the next hole to be played.
For example, a player was unable to make their tee time but arrived at the course when their team was on the putting green of the 4th hole. That player would then be eligible to rejoin their team on the tee box of the 5th hole, but would not be allowed to have their ball counted on the 4th hole.
A-6 | Dishonesty Policy
In the event that a team or member of a team is suspected to be in a dishonest breach of the rules or is accused of cheating, participants wishing to voice their concerns should immediately contact America’s Golf Festival HQ at [email protected].
In any instance that a team is accused and later found to be cheating, the cheating team will be disqualified from play and the team finishing immediately behind them will be advanced to the next level of play.
At all times America’s Golf Festival reserves the right to render decisions in regards to this Dishonesty Policy with all rendered decisions being final.
B. TERMS OF PLAY
B-0 | Scorecard Exchange & Signing
Teams being paired and playing with another team must exchange scorecards at the beginning of the round and keep score for one another. Upon completion of the round, scorers should verify and sign both scorecards. Failure to do so may result in disqualification as deemed by America’s Golf Festival.
B-1 | Ball Placement (Outside of Putting Green)
All balls must be played one club length from the ball that is selected, no closer to the hole. A team member may improve their lie prior to the next shot. However, all balls must remain in the same lie of the shot that is selected.
For example: A ball that is selected that lies in the rough just off the fairway may not be played from the fairway, even if it is within one club length and no closer to the hole.
B-1.2 | Ball Placement (On the Putting Green)
All balls must be played one club head from the ball that is selected, no closer to the hole. A team member may improve their lie prior to the next shot. However, all balls must remain on the green and can not be moved off the green.
B-2 | Zero-Shot Minimum
Teams may utilize as little or as many of one team members shots as they would like. No minimum shot requirements (i.e. 3 tee shots from each team member) must be met during the course of the round.
B-3 | Multiple-Ball Rule
Golfers may change their golf balls at any time throughout the course of the round, even between strokes.
B-4 | Non-Ball Deterrence
With the exclusion of tee shots, a ball in play from a member of one team may not deter or interfere with another ball from a member of that same team. If two team member’s balls hit one another, the ball that caused the deterrence is considered unplayable. However, the ball that was deterred is allowed to be moved back to its original position and selected as the next shot.
Note: It is encouraged for golfers on the same team to mark their balls prior to a golfer on the same team hitting their next shot on the green.
B-5 | Putt in Policy
To speed up the pace of play, participants may putt in their ball instead of marketing it, with the lowest total strokes recorded.
For example: Player 1 hits a putt and it ends up two feet from the hole on the 3rd stroke. Player 1 may tap in the ball for a total score of 4. However, Player 2 can still make the 3rd stroke for a total team score of 3 instead of 4.
B-6 | Extension of Line
Team members may stand behind a team member, or in an extension of their line, while the golfer is making a stroke.
B-7 | Distance Measuring Device
Players may use approved distance measuring devices in accordance with the rules of the United States Golf Association.
B-8 | Grouping
Teams will either play individually or be grouped with a competing team. This determination will be made at the sole discretion of America’s Golf Festival.
B-9 | 6 Hour Round
America’s Golf Scramble events for the 2 and 4 Person Scramble are scheduled for 6 hour maximum rounds. During the course of play, should a group fall behind the 6 hour round time limit, the following procedures should be utilized to ensure that no groups are holding up the course of play and impeding the 6 hour time limit.
B-9.1 | Verbal Warning
If a group is found to have fallen behind a scheduled 6 hour maximum round of play, as assessed by allocating 15 minutes per Par 3 played, 20 minutes per Par 4 played, and 25 minutes per Par 5 played; that group will be provided with a verbal warning by the event host asking to speed up play. This verbal warning will be issued at the full discretion of the event host and must be followed by all participants. Once a verbal warning is issued, each group must finish a Par 3 within a 15 minute time limit, a Par 4 within a 20 minute time limit, and a Par 5 within a 25 minute time limit. Should a group not play within these parameters, they will be put on the clock.
B-9.2 | On the Clock
If a group has not completed holes in time following a verbal warning, each team in the group will be put on the clock. After it is made known that a group is being put on the clock, each team will have 7:30 to complete a Par 3, 10:00 to complete a Par 4, and 12:30 to complete a Par 5. Two speed watches will be utilized when a group is put on the clock and utilize the following procedures.
1. A teams clock will run only when it is their turn to hit and while in transit from one shot to another. A teams clock will not run when it is the other team in the groups turn to hit. These parameters are utilized to assess if one team in a group is taking longer than the other and resulting in slow play.
2. Upon arriving to the tee, the team with honors on the hole will immediately be put on the clock. After the team with honors has hit all of their shots, their clock will stop and the team hitting behind them will be put on the clock. After second team has hit, both team clocks will run while the teams are in transit to their next shot. When both teams arrive at their ball, it will be determined what team is out (farthest from the hole) and that teams clock will continue to run after transit, while the other teams clock will stop. This process will continue until a teams ball has been holed out.
B-9.3 | 1 Stroke Penalty
Should a team not complete a hole within the parameters set in B-9.2, that team will be assessed with a 1 Stroke Penalty on the hole that was not completed in time and will continue to remain on the clock. The team in question will continue to receive an additional 1 Stroke Penalty on any hole not completed within the allocated time until they complete a hole within the time parameters and are taken off the clock.
Once a team is put on the clock, they can be put back on the clock at any time without issuing a verbal warning. However, each group must be told that they are being put back on the clock should they not continue to play holes in the allocated time frame.
All decisions made in B-9 are made at the sole discretion of the event host with all decisions being final.
C. CONTINGENCY
Unless overridden in the contingency rules under Section C, the competition will be conducted utilizing the same rules as Section A and Section B.
C-1 | Inclement Weather/Act of God
In the event that the competition unable to played due to inclement weather or an act of god, participants will be placed and awarded with prizes based upon the following framework. All inclement weather and act of god determinations will be made at the sole discretion of the host facilities based on the safety and security of participants.
D-1.1 | Partial Round
In the event that only one 18 hole round is able to be completed by all teams, each team will be placed and awarded with prizes based upon their 18 hole total as opposed to the 36 hole total.
In the event that there is a tie in the partial round, a scorecard playoff will be conducted to break any remaining ties.
D-1.2 | No Round
In the highly unlikely event that players are unable to complete 18 holes of competition, participants will be awarded with prizes based on a putting competition with the rules at the sole discretion of America’s Golf Festival.
In the highly unlikely event that a putting competition is unable to be held (which will be decided at the sole discretion of America’s Golf Festival), participants will be provided with prizes will be awarded based upon a random drawing.
D-1.3 | Refunds
No refunds will be provided in the highly unlikely event that any rounds are unable to be completed.
Unless noted within the Official Rules provided herein, all other rulings will be made following the USGA Rules of Golf and Local Rules at a delegated facility. If for whatever reason a ruling can not be made utilizing the USGA Rules of Golf, all final decisions will be made by the official event host of the competition. All decisions made by the official event host of the competition are final.
E. TERMS OF PARTICIPATION
By participating in an America’s Golf Scramble event, participants agree to all of the contents laid forth in the terms and conditions by America’s Golf Festival.
F. PAYOUTS
By participating in an America’s Golf Scramble event, participants agree to all of the contents laid forth in the gift card payout section laid forth by America’s Golf Festival.
America’s Golf Festival reserves the right to make changes to the Official Rules provided herein at their sole discretion, without prior notification thereof.