COMPETITION INFORMATION & RULES

These are the generic rules for club competitions. Note that the written text within an IG competition will supersede the information on this webpage.

COMMON RULES
  • For eligibility and/or any restrictions, refer to the relevant ‘table of competitions’ per section.
  • Buggies may be used in all competitions except the Royds/Scriven-Jeffries & Rees/Gregory 36 hole competitions, subject to any ban on buggies or their restriction to pre-registered users as provided above affecting the day of the competition. Players in the Royds/Scriven-Jeffries & Rees/Gregory competitions with a dispensatory medical certificate may use a buggy.
  • Use of non 4-wheel vehicles (eg Scooters, Segways) will require authorisation from the Captains Committee and a dispensatory medical certificate if used in the Royds/Scriven-Jeffries & Rees/Gregory competitions.
  • Competitions will be set up on IG.
  • There must be at least 5 entries for a competition prize(s) to be awarded.
  • There must be a minimum of 8 entries to award a trophy.
  • Where the same competition is played across multiple days and the results are combined, a player can only play on one of the days.
  • Playing groups shall not consist of more than 4 players. For a singles competition, the group must consist of 2 or 3 players only.
  • Play must start from a tee consistent with the “Starting Points and Times” grid found under ‘Course’ on the Club’s website and on notices around the course, unless otherwise directed by the HUB or the competition secretary.
  • A green fee must be paid if the member plays in a competition where their membership category is not part of the general eligibility for that competition.
  • Members are responsible for being aware of their handicap index on the day of a competition.
  • For Mid Herts members, you must be a ‘paid-up member’ (ie…have paid the full subscription or have a direct debit agreement in place), and, have an official WHS handicap index. Visitors are permitted to take part in ‘open’ competitions providing they have an officially recognised WHS handicap index.
  • Eight handicap qualifying scorecards within the previous 12 months are required to enter all competitions where money/bar-card credits are awarded as prizes.
  • To obtain your correct playing handicap for a competition, use the WHS Handicap Calculator located on the website via the ‘My Golf/My Rounds’ link, or the Calculator option located on your IG mobile phone app by pressing the ‘Handicap Record’ link. 
  • Intent to play in all competitions is indicated by the member signing up to enter on IG. It is the responsibility of the member to withdraw from the competition anytime BEFORE the competition date.
  • Entrance fees will be deducted from the members club-card on the day of the competition via the check-in button or manually by the HUB/competition secretary. Note NO refunds will be processed once the competition start date has been reached unless as agreed by the competition secretary.
  • For all competitions, a players’ bar-card will be used to pay for entry. It is the responsibility of the player to ensure they have sufficient funds on their bar card to pay for the entry into a competition. In the event of a competition being cancelled, all entry fees received will be refunded.
  • Details of the apportionment of monies/prizes may be described within each competition on IG. Note all money won will be credited onto the club-cards of the winners. Depending on the format of the competition, the entrance fee is allocated based on one or more of the following:
    • all to be used for the procurement of prizes.
    • a set amount for the end-of-season prize giving evening.
    • an amount based on the number of entrants for the end-of-competition prize pot.
    • a sectional fund deduction.
    • the residue after all deductions made is allocated for the competition winners.
  • Failure by a member to follow the competition rules may result in the temporary suspension or eligibility to take part in future competitions.
  • All singles stroke play events (Medal, Stableford) will be run as qualifying competitions for handicap purposes unless playing conditions for such competitions cannot be provided, or if some other consideration arises.
  • It is the responsibility of the member to ensure the scorecard contains the following information before it is submitted:
    • Name
    • Competition name and date (recommended)
    • The gross score per hole……in the case of pairs/team events, in the correct column
    • The marker’s signature
    • The member’s signature
    • The tee used
  • Completed scorecards should be posted in one of the approved scorecard collection points - changing room post box, black post box adjacent to the practice nets or the competition tray inside the HUB.
  • Players should be aware that all accepted scorecards submitted are processed to determine the daily ‘Playing Conditions Calculation’, which is subsequently used as part of the overall handicap evaluation. For the Playing Conditions Calculation to be accurately calculated scorecards need to be submitted on the day of play and before midnight.
  • Ties in medal stroke play competitions will be resolved by scorecard countback, deducting the appropriate proportion of the playing handicap from the gross score in this order
    • Holes 10 to 18 total gross score and applying 50% of playing handicap
    • Holes 13 to 18 total gross score and applying 33% of playing handicap
    • Holes 16 to 18 total gross score and applying 17% of playing handicap
    • Hole 18 gross score and applying 6% of playing handicap
  • Ties in stableford stroke play competitions will be resolved by stableford points countback in this order
    • Holes 10 to 18 accumulated stableford points
    • Holes 13 to 18 accumulated stableford points
    • Holes 16 to 18 accumulated stableford points
    • Hole 18 stableford points
  • Members can play in competitions that their current category allows them to. If a member changes to a category that is not permitted in a competition after it has started (eg KOs), then they must withdraw from the competition.
    • Singles Medals/Stablefords : 95%
    • Singles Matchplay & Medal KOs : 100%
    • 18 Hole 4BBB Medal/Stablefords : 85%
    • 15 Hole 4BBB Medal/Stablefords : 70%
    • 4BBB Matchplay KO : 90%
    • Foursomes : 50% of combined unrounded Course Handicaps
    • Greensomes : 60% (lower handicap) and 40% (higher handicap) combined unrounded Course Handicaps
    • Scrambles : as per the R&A recommendations
  • Juniors do not pay any entrance fee nor can they receive any prize, either monetary or gift.
  • Junior members playing in adult competitions must play with and have their scorecard marked by an adult member (ideally not their parent).
  • A member is classified as a junior if they are 18 years of age up to and including the 31st December in the calendar year.
  • The mens and womens competition secretaries are responsible for finalising competitions.
CLUB KOs
  • If you know you will be away for a period of time, please consider carefully whether it is appropriate to enter.
  • To enable a knockout competition to be run, a minimum of 16 singles/pairs are required. If the number of entrants is fewer than this, a league format may be implemented providing the number of singles/pairs reaches12.
  • All matches MUST be played by the date indicated for the round. The name(s) drawn first in a match is responsible for the initial contact to arrange the match date. Extensions to the defined dates for any round may be allowed if the course is closed for a prolonged period at the discretion of the competition secretary. Note general extensions are NOT allowed and the final decision about this is made by the competition secretary. A coin-toss can be performed by the HUB if ALL parties are unable to agree a date to play their match.
  • If a scheduled match is cancelled by an individual or pair, then they will forfeit the match unless a new date can be agreed within the timeframes set by the competition secretary for the completion of the round in question. Both parties must make reasonable effort to rearrange the match within the timelines of the completion of the round. In the event of a dispute, the final decision regarding the outcome will be made by the competition secretary.
  • Ties in match-play competitions will be decided by extra holes, sudden death, played in sequence from the 1st hole played in the match, with handicap strokes allocated as in the first 18 holes.
  • Ties in medal stroke play competitions – see note within the generic rule section.
  • Club Knockout Competition Finals and Semi Finals should be played starting on the 1st tee, in line with the starting grid. This is to ensure fairness in respect of playing the course ‘the right way round’ and in respect of when strokes are to be received for handicap KOs (noting when strokes are received varies depending on the starting point). By exception a match may start on a different tee, eg the 10th, but only if both participants agree. Also by exception a match may start on the 1st tee at a time other than as per the starting grid, provided this has been agreed with the HUB as being reasonable from a course-flow perspective.
FOR COMPETITIONS WHERE MONEY/BAR CARD CREDITS ARE AWARDED
  • If a junior finishes in a ‘money winning’ place in a competition, their prize will be apportioned and added to the prize fund of the adults in the ‘winning positions’. In the case of a singles competition, their prize will be transferred the ‘next player’ down the list and so on until all the prize fund is allocated.
  • For singles, and team competitions (pairs, 3’s & 4’s), prize money is allocated based on the number of entrants in a division.
    • If 10 or fewer singles/teams, prize money is awarded to the winner only.
    • If 11-15 singles/teams, the available prize fund is allocated to 1st & 2nd only (70% & 30% respectively).
    • If 16+ singles/teams, the available prize fund is allocated to 1st, 2nd and 3rd only (50%, 30% & 20% respectively).
  • For team events, the positional prize money is apportioned equally between the each member of the team.
  • For Knockouts
    • if 5 or more rounds are scheduled, the prize fund will be allocated to the winner(s), runners-up and semi-finalists.
    • If 4 or fewer rounds are scheduled or a league format instigated, the prize fund will be allocated to the winner(s) and runners-up only.
FOR COMPETITIONS WHERE PRIZES ARE AWARDED (e.g. Alcohol, Gifts etc)
  • Juniors are not allowed to win any prizes awarded.
  • These are at the discretion of the competition organiser. For consistency, the recommendation is to follow the clubs payout rules for money/bar-card credits
    • 1-10 singles/teams         1st only.
    • 11-15 singles/teams        1st and 2nd only.
    • 16+ singles/teams           1st, 2nd & 3rd only.
TEES (for COMPETITION PLAY)

Men play off the White tees and Women play off the Red tees for all board competitions unless stated otherwise.

For guidance, some competitions will have a tee booking system in place. For those that do not have this, the following should be used when deciding where to start your round:

  • 2 ball starting holes

          Singles Knockouts
          Foursomes

  • 3-4 ball starting holes

          4BBB Knockouts (after 3pm on a weekend when there’s a singles competition on)
          Greensomes Knockouts

  • Individual Medals / Stablefords (2-3 balls only)

          Weekdays   use the starting board grid
          Weekends   all start points are open

Winter Greensomes and Foursomes knockouts can be played at any time of the day when there is also a men’s or mixed Medal / Stableford individual competition scheduled.