Standing Rules

1. Standing rules may be amended at any Pecan Grove Plantation Country Club (“PGPCC”) Women’s Golf Association (“WGA”) General Membership Meeting by a majority vote of the membership, a quorum being present.

2. The Rules of Golf as approved by the USGA shall govern all aspects of play. Local Rules established by the Chairperson for the event, i.e. Major Tournaments, Weekly Playdays, etc. (with consultation from the PGPCC Golf Professional) are also in effect. All Standing Rules are a part of the Terms of the Competition as they apply to that event.

3. The General Manager of PGPCC will automatically become a member of the WGA Board of Directors effective January 1 of each year. This person may attend all meetings with no voting privileges.

4. Eligibility to Compete and Maximum Handicaps

a. All WGA members are eligible to compete in WGA Play Days, Tournaments (except the WGA Championship, see Standing Rule 4.c.) and Interclub events if they have an established handicap index with PGPCC’s handicap service, have paid their WGA dues and are members in good standing of PGPCC. In order to an initial handicap index, a player must submit acceptable scores from a minimum of 54 holes. Scores can be made up of any combination of 9-hole and 18-hole scores.

b. A player must declare to the Play Day Chairman at the beginning of a calendar year if she is changing divisions or upon joining the WGA in which division she will play (18- or 9-hole regardless of her handicap index) for WGA Play Days and Tournaments. Players may not change divisions during the calendar year unless given permission by the WGA Board of Directors at its next regularly scheduled meeting. If the member is given permission to change divisions, the Board will decide how the player’s ringer board scores will be designated.

c. A WGA member must have played in at least five (5) WGA Play Days, Tournaments or Interclub Events during the current calendar year to be eligible for participation in the WGA Championship.

d. All members shall play to their full handicap index up to a maximum Handicap Index of 54.0 in play days and tournaments. (Interclub events are subject to their own Terms of the Competition).

5. Play Days

a. Regular 18- and 9-hole play day competitions shall be held each Wednesday and Saturday that PGPCC and the course are open. Members may compete on Wednesday and Saturday. Ringer Board scores are recorded only for the first play day of the week in which the member competes. Members must sign up for a Wednesday play day by a time to be determined by the Wednesday Tournaments Chairperson and for a Saturday play day by Wednesday at a time to be determined by the Saturday Ladies Chairperson. Members must play in assigned pairings in order to be eligible for prizes. Members who do not cancel by the time deadline specified by the current Play Day Chairman (either Wednesday or Saturday) may be subject to being charged the play day entry fee.

b. The size of flights (based on handicap indexes) within each of the three divisions shall be at the discretion of the Wednesday Chairperson, 9-Hole Chairperson or Saturday Ladies Chairpersons, as applicable. A minimum of three (3) competing players within a division constitutes a play day for prizes. Less than three (3) players within a division on a play day, while not constituting a play day for prizes and players will not be charged the entry fee, will constitute a legal play day for counting the number of rounds played for the WGA Championship and Ringer Board and the player’s scores will count for the Ringer Board as long as the player's scorecard is certified by a WGA member who served as a marker.

c. A special division known as the fifth flight shall be available for those players who have declared in the 18-hole division and wish to play nine (9) holes on a play day. Any time a fifth flight consisting of less than three (3) competing players cannot be constituted on play days, 18-hole members may play, but not compete, with the 9-hole flight. A 9-hole Course Handicap will be used for the fifth flight players. Play days for the fifth flight shall be coordinated by the 9-Hole or Saturday Ladies Chairperson.

d. Prizes will be awarded to approximately one-third of the field on play days. Ties will be broken by scorecard playoffs starting with the lowest stroke index hole that is applicable to the game of the day. Gross ties will be broken by gross scores; net ties will be broken by net scores.

e. A player may pick-up on one hole, continue play and have her remaining hole scores qualify for Ringer Board. A player may pick up on one hole continue play and have her score qualify for Winnings if that hole does not pertain to the game of the day. On the hole on which the player picked-up, the scorecard must indicate the player’s most likely score or net double bogey, whichever is lower. This most likely score or net double bogey score must be preceded by an “x.”

6. Posting Scores

a. Play day scores shall be posted by the Wednesday Tournaments Chairperson, 9-Hole or Saturday Ladies Chairperson or her designated representative from the PGPCC professional staff.

b. It is the responsibility of the Interclub Representative or her designated representative from the PGPCC professional staff to post all interclub scores as directed by the respective Interclub association.

7. Recognition and Awards

a. Making birdies or eagles, must be done during a WGA play day or stroke play tournament in order for the player to receive recognition

b. WGA Championship

1) The 18-Hole WGA Champion shall receive an engraved personal trophy, pecan tree charm, and provide an 8x10 photograph (reimbursement amount for the photograph to be determined by the current year’s budget).

2) Should a member repeat as the 18-Hole WGA Champion, she shall receive an engraved personal trophy, a pecan tree charm or a stone of her choice for the pecan tree charm (amount to be determined by the current year’s budget, which will include the cost of the mounting for the pecan tree charm) and if she chooses, provide an updated 8x10 photograph (reimbursement amount for the photograph to be determined by the current year’s budget).

c. The outgoing President shall receive a pecan tree charm or a stone of her choice for a previously awarded pecan tree charm (amount to be determined by the current year’s budget, which will include the cost of the mounting for the pecan tree charm).

d. In order to compete for the Most Improved Golfer Award and Ringer Board prizes a member must have posted a minimum of ten (10) scores in established WGA play days, tournaments and/or Interclub events.

e. For purposes of determining the Most Improved Golfer awards and Ringer Board awards, the start of the season is defined as January 1 and the end of the season is defined as the Sunday prior to the Wednesday and Saturday Turkey Shoots.

f. The method to determine the Most Improved Golfer is as follows: Add 12 to the player's Handicap Index at the start of the season. This is Value A. Add 12 to the player's Handicap Index at the end of the season. This is Value B. Divide Value A by Value B, calculating to three decimal places. This is the improvement factor. The player with the highest improvement factor should receive the most improved golfer award. Example: Starting Handicap Index: 22.6, Ending Handicap Index: 17.4. Value A: 22.6 + 12 = 34.6 and Value B: 17.4 + 12 = 29.4, A/B: 34.6/29.4 = 1.177. Improvement factor: 1.177. Continue this process for every golfer who improved during the year. The player with the highest improvement factor is the most improved player. If there is a tie, the person with the most improvement from the first five play day scores to the last five play day scores is the winner of the award.

g. Ringer Board: Competition for Ringer Board shall run from the start of the season to the end of the season. Awards will be given to approximately one-third of the field. Ties will be broken by scorecard playoffs starting with the #1 stroke index hole on Plantation-Pecan, followed by the #1 stroke index hole on Pecan-Grove, followed by the #1 stroke index hole on Grove-Plantation. If the tie is not broken, continue this process resuming with the #2 stroke index hole, #3 stroke index hole, etc., with the same rotation of courses (Plantation-Pecan, Pecan-Grove and Grove-Plantation) until the tie is broken. The number of flights will be at the discretion of the Ringer Board Chairperson. A player must have ringer board scores on all three nine hole courses in order to be eligible to compete. The average of the Handicap Index for the member at the start of the season or when the Handicap Index is initially established for new members and the Handicap Index at the end of the season will determine the flight in which each eligible member will compete. Ringer Board scores shall be posted on the first of each month through November. As soon as practicable after the winners have been announced, final ringer board scores for all players shall be posted, along with the handicap ranges for each flight, i.e. 1st flight: 0-16.4, 2nd flight: 16.5 – 23.4, etc.

8. Money Handling Procedures. All WGA events and/or activities will have the monies collection form completed and signed by two WGA representatives responsible for collecting and submitting funds. You will need 3 copies of the form, one for the Club Accountant, one for the WGA Treasurer and one for the Event Organizer. If the Club Accountant is available to receive the money, they will verify the amount and initial the form. If the accountant is not available, secure the money and one copy of the form in an envelope. Write WGA and the amount on the outside of the envelope and deposit it in the safe in the office. There is a log sheet above the safe. Please register your deposit there. The forms for the WGA Treasurer and Event Organizer may be left in the WGA mailbox, scanned, photographed, or sent electronically to them.

9. Prospective and New Members

a. Prospective Members: A prospective member is invited to play up to two rounds on WGA play days before committing to membership during which time she is not eligible for any prize money, recognition and/or awards. After the two rounds, she shall pay full dues (January through June) or half dues (July through December).

b. New Members: The Weekly Tournaments, Wednesday 9-Hole or Saturday Ladies Chairperson will have the new member fill out the WGA membership form at which time she declares in which division she will compete (9- or 18-Hole). The original form will be given to the Vice President/Secretary and she will distribute copies to the following: the President, the Communications Chairperson, the Website Coordinator, the Treasurer, and the PGPCC Accounting Office for a copy to be kept in the member's file.

10. Hole-In-One

a. When joining the WGA, the member is automatically enrolled in the “Hole-In-One Club,” unless she declines. Once a person has joined the “Hole-In-One Club,” she is obligated to the club for the remainder of that calendar year. A fee of $2.00 will be billed to each member at the time a hole-in-one is made. The WGA Treasurer and the PGPCC Accounting office will maintain the list of members in the “Hole-In-One Club” and an accounting of the total value in the Hole-In-One account.

b. To win, a current member of the “Hole-In-One Club” must score a hole-in-one during a regulation round* at PGPCC or a sanctioned WGA Interclub event. The hole-in-one must be witnessed by at least one golfer playing with the person scoring the hole-in one. *For handicap purposes, a regulation round is determined to be the completion of 14 holes adding a score of net for the holes not played to obtain an 18-hole score. For a 9-hole score, a minimum of 7 holes must be played adding a score of net par for the holes not played.

c. Payoff will be the total value in the Hole-In-One account at the time it is achieved. Payoff will be in Pro Shop merchandise only. All Hole-In-One payoffs must be approved by at least two (2) WGA Board members and the WGA Treasurer for a total of three (3) committee members.

Revised January 2022