SJGA Men’s Better Ball Gross
Wedgwood Country Club
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 

The Rules of the United States Golf Association govern play. 

This is a better ball gross tournament. Whichever score is to count for the hole must be recorded on the card. The scores must be individually identifiable (write the score of the player that counts on the line next to his name).  

Teams are assigned to flights based on the Course Handicap® of the player with the lower Handicap Index®:
Flight 1: Course Handicap 0-5
Flight 2: Course Handicap 6-9
Flight 3: Course Handicap 10-12
Flight 4: Course Handicap 13-17
Flight 5: Course Handicap 18 and over 

Note tee assignment on score card: men on White tees, senior men (age 70 and over, Handicap Index greater than 10) on Gold tees. Gold tees are set to play 505 yards shorter than White tees; Course Handicaps have been adjusted accordingly.  White tees: 70.9/129. Gold tees: 68.6/124. 

Players should arrive at the first tee ten minutes prior to their scheduled tee time. Do not wait for your partner if he is late. You must start on time. Your partner may join you between holes, but not during play of a hole. Players arriving late to the tee but within 5 minutes of their starting time will be penalized two strokes on the first hole. 

Pace of play is extremely important in this tournament. All 128 players are expected to complete their round in less than five hours, and to turn in their score cards within 10 minutes of the preceding group. This is a better ball tournament – PICK UP IF YOU ARE OUT OF THE HOLE. If you are waiting to play behind a group that has an open hole in front of it, ask to play through.

***Play “ready golf.” There is no penalty for playing out of turn in stroke play.*** 

The competitor should verify the score after each hole and settle any doubtful points with the tournament director prior to signing the score card. DO NOT LEAVE THE COURSE UNTIL THE SCORER CHECKS YOUR CARD. 

Local Rules

1. Out of Bounds: Defined by inside points, at ground level, of white stakes and fence posts. All private property fences are out-of-bounds fences. There is no free relief from fences, stakes, and railings defining out of bounds. If you choose to take relief (Rule 28, Unplayable Ball), assess yourself one penalty stroke and (1) play a ball from the spot where the original ball was last played; or (2) drop a ball within two club-lengths, no closer to the hole.

2. Summer Rules: Play the ball down. If you must lift a ball to identify it, you must mark it and replace it exactly as you found it; an opponent must observe the entire process.

3. Carts:  Ride on fairways. Keep carts out of rough and away from greens and tees. Exit fairway when you reach the rope 30 yards from green. Cart Path Only on all par 3’s and holes 3, 10, 11, 17, 18.

4. Cart path relief: Free relief from asphalt-paved cart paths (drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief not closer to the hole). Free relief from the dirt path that runs between hole #1 and hole #8. No free relief from any other dirt cart paths unless marked as ground under repair (white painted line).

5. Ground under repair: Marked with a white painted line. Free relief (drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief not closer to the hole).

6. Stones in Bunkers: You may remove stones from bunkers.

7. Relief for Embedded Ball: Through the green (fairways and rough, NOT hazards), a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground, other than sand, may be lifted without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

8. Use of cell phones is prohibited. Players may be disqualified under rule 33-7.

9. Distance measuring devices: Devices that measure distance only are permitted. The penalty for taking devices onto the course that measure other conditions (wind, gradient, etc.), regardless of whether those functions are used, is disqualification (Rule 14-3).

10. Score cards: Players must turn in their score cards to the tournament official IN PERSON immediately following the round. Settle all rules questions with the tournament director prior to signing your card. Score cards must have two signatures.

11. Course care:  Replace divots, if possible, or use divot mix.  Carefully rake traps and repair ball marks. 

Course Information

Yardage markers: Discs in fairway: blue, 200; white, 150; red, 100. No information as to hole location. 

ON ALL HOLES, if you hit into the fescue, or into the trees on the left side, hit a provisional ball. There are out-of-bounds stakes in the trees not visible from the tee. 

#1: Distance from White tees to left bunker is 210 yards.
#3: On the far side of the two bunkers on the left is a waste area in which you may ground your club.  The 150 yard marker sits at the end of the dogleg. 75 yards from the 150 yard marker to the water hazard.
#5: Creek crosses fairway 150 yards from green. Fescue on right and left – hit a provisional.
#6: Fescue on the right – hit a provisional
#8: Hit a provisional if you hit into the fescue on the right.
#11: Tee shot into left trees – hit a provisional. Water hazard 50 yards past the bunker on the left side.
#13: Stream running up left side is out-of-bounds. The lakes are within driving range: 230 yards from White tee to  the left lake; 260 yards to the right lake. 180 yards to the green from the left lake; 160 yards to the green from the right lake. For a ball in the left lake, follow Rule 26-1 (Water Hazards). For a ball in the right lake, follow Rule 26-1 or use the drop area located to the right of the tree.
#14: Hit a provisional for any long drives to the right that may be in the fescue.
#17: Out of bounds on left, hit a provisional.
#18: Out of bounds on left, hit a provisional.