Membership
Membership is open throughout the season to individuals aged 18 years or older. New NIHGA members shall complete and submit a NIHGA Membership Registration Form. Annual dues are due to the Team Captains by the first outing following registration. If dues are not paid by the third outing, members will be ineligible for individual and team competitions until the dues are paid.
NIHGA Board of Directors
NIHGA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of the Team Captains, Treasurer, Handicapper, and Scheduler. A Webmaster assists the Board by posting information on the official NIHGA website. The Board of Directors collectively manages all aspects of the association including but not limited to membership, tournaments, outings, handicapping, finances, policies, rules, guidelines, and awards.
Teams
NIHGA teams shall have at least 12 but no more than 30 members. The Board of Directors may increase the upper limit or establish new teams at the season start to accommodate increased membership.
Conduct
The use of any golf course is a privilege. Conduct of the NIHGA members, therefore, must be beyond reproach and the rules of the game and the course must be fully observed. Members shall replace or seed all divots, rake bunkers, repair ball marks, and keep riding and pull carts well away from the putting greens, sand traps and tees. Golf is a game of etiquette, good manners, and fair play. It can also be a game of frustration, and members are expected to contain their frustration on the course, in the clubhouse, and in the parking lot. Physical or verbal aggression against others can create an unsafe or toxic environment and will NOT BE TOLERATED. This includes, but is not limited to threats, altercations, throwing clubs, tirades or tantrums, yelling at other players, intentionally hitting into other players to speed up their game, or other similarly disconcerting displays of aggression. The Board of Directors may discipline members for misconduct with disqualification or suspension from one or more outings.
Guests
NIHGA members may invite guests to play in stroke play and scramble tournaments. Members must play with their guests and be responsible for their guest’s conduct. No guests may play in the match play tournament. Each guest may play in a maximum of two stroke play outings per year.
Rules of Play
All play shall be in accordance with the USGA Rules of Golf, except as amended by the local rules of the course being played and NIHGA Amended Rules (see Appendix A). Members are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all rules as well as tournament information provided by the team captains and handicapper prior to the outing. Members shall apply the rules within their foursome to the best of their ability and in a timely manner. Players deliberately violating or ignoring the rules shall be disqualified. If an unusual situation arises and application of the rules is unclear, members must play on and report the issue to the Board of Directors after the outing.
Tee Selection
NIHGA offers three tee selections for its members: back, middle, senior, or forward tees (see Table 1). Members shall choose a tee prior to the first outing based on their skill level, and shall play from that tee for the entire season including match play and scramble tournaments. Members may choose any tee regardless of age or gender. Requests for a mid-season tee adjustment may be approved by the Board on an exception basis.
The typical yardage for each tee is listed below.
Tee | 18 Hole Yardage |
---|---|
Middle | 6,000 – 6,600 |
Senior | 5,100 – 6,100 |
Forward | 4,700 – 5,400 |
Since there are no standard colors for tees, the color of markers associated NIHGA will use for each tee is provided in the outing flyer and handicap report. Members shall not rely of course staff to tell them which color of tee to use. Penalties for playing from the wrong tee include disqualification of scores and non-participation in individual and team competitions for that outing.
NIHGA Handicaps
The NIHGA Handicapper calculates and publishes NIHGA handicaps prior to each outing using scores and tee selections from NIHGA stroke play outings only. No scores from match play tournaments or non-league play are used in calculating NIHGA handicaps. Handicaps are used to determine the member’s net score for stroke play outings, to prepare personalized scorecards for match play outings, to determine team flight assignments for scramble format outings, and to determine the maximum score a player takes on any given hole.
New members with an established handicap index through a golf club or internet provider will immediately receive a NIHGA handicap. New members without an established handicap index will receive a NIHGA handicap after completing three NIHGA stroke play outings. Until then, he/she will compete with a handicap of zero.
All active, inactive and returning members retain their NIHGA stroke play scores for a period of two seasons. These scores continue to be part of the NIHGA handicap calculation if they are among the last 6 scores on record. If an inactive or returning member has not submitted three stroke play outing scores in the past two years, they must re-establish their handicap as if they were a new member.
Outings and Tournaments
All stroke play, match play, and scramble tournaments are 18-hole outings. All scheduled events shall be played unless cancelled by the NIHGA Board of Directors or the host course.
Stroke Play Outings
The Board of Directors approves the stroke play schedule before the season starts. Team Captains take turns hosting each stroke play outing. NIHGA handicaps, tee times, and a tournament flyer are provided to each member and posted to the NIHGA website in advance of each outing. All stroke play outings are flighted and individuals compete for low gross and low net scores within their flight. They also compete for long drive for their tee selection and closest to the pin on par 3 holes. To qualify for the long drive competition, the ball must come to rest in the fairway. To qualify for closest to the pin, the ball must come to rest on the green. In addition to tournament contests, anyone getting a hole-in-one at an NIHGA outing will receive a prize. Guests may play in the stroke play outings but are ineligible for individual and team competitions and prizes.
NIHGA teams compete for points based on the aggregate score of the five lowest net scores from their team. Teams receive 8, 6, and 4 points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively. In the case of ties, the teams shall split the total points earned. For example, if two teams tie for 1st place, they split the total points earned for 1st and 2nd place teams (14 points) and receive 7 points each.
Team points from each outing are accumulated throughout the year and the team with the most points at the end of the stroke play season wins the Stroke Play Championship. In the event of a tie, the tying teams will share the title and split the prize money.
See Appendix A and the website event page for additional information specific to the outing.
Within each tee time group, the scores of all players in the group will be recorded on one scorecard. After completion of play and before leaving the course, scorecards shall be totaled and the players of the group shall agree to the scores. Members are not required to sign scorecards, but members playing together are collectively responsible for enforcing the rules and ensuring scores are accurately recorded and totaled. Members shall email the scorecard to the handicapper before they leave the golf course. The group playing in the last tee time shall collect all contest markers (closest to pin and long drive) and email photos of the contest cards to the handicapper.
The handicapper determines winners and publishes results for each outing. Team Captains issue prizes to winners at their earliest convenience.
Match Play Tournament
NIHGA hosts one Four-Ball Match Play event at the end of the stroke play season in which 2-person teams compete in head-to-head matches. Only those NIHGA members who have official NIHGA handicaps and have competed in three or more stroke play outings will be eligible for the match play tournament. No guests are permitted to play.
See Appendix B and the website event page for additional information specific to the outing.
Players shall use the same tee they selected at the beginning of the season during match play tournaments. The results of each match shall be emailed to the tournament coordinator. No scorecard needs to be turned in. Winners for each round shall be posted to the NIHGA website.
Scramble Tournament
An end-of-year Scramble tournament and luncheon is the last outing of the season. The scramble teams ordinarily consist of four players. On an exception basis, teams of three players are permitted. Scramble foursomes may be comprised of members from multiple NHIGA teams. The scramble tournament uses a shotgun start and is flighted based on the average of the team members’ handicaps. Guests may play in this tournament and are eligible for individual and team contests. A best effort is made to approximate the handicap of each guest who does not have an official USGA handicap index so their foursome is placed in the most appropriate flight.
See Appendix C and the website event page for additional information specific to the outing.
NIHGA members will use the same tee that they selected at the beginning of the season. Guests will play from the NIHGA tee closest to what tee they played from to establish their handicap for the tournament. Teams will compete for low gross score within their flight. Individual contests are also held for Long Drives and Closest to the Pin. Prizes are issued to the winners immediately after the tournament. Scorecards shall be turned into the course staff as soon as the foursome completes their round. Winners will be announced at the luncheon. A report showing all scramble teams and winners shall be posted to NIHGA website.
Tee Times
For stroke play and scramble tournaments, members sign up themselves and guests for tee times using SignUpGenius. A minimum of two NIHGA members must play in each tee time. After the SignUp cutoff date, the team captain organizing the event may make final adjustments to the tee sheet to fill gaps or complete foursomes. The final tee sheet serves a contract with the course, and members who have signed up are expected to play. Cancellations or changes to the tee sheet should be minimal. If a member must cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, he/she must notify the course and the Outing Coordinator of the cancellation as soon as possible. No-shows and/or members canceling with less than 24 hours’ notice may be charged for the round.
Pace of Play
With golf courses in our area busier than ever, they cannot tolerate slow play. Not only is it bad for business, slow play frustrates golfers who have to constantly wait on the group in front of them. One slow group causes every group after them to play slow. Out of respect for the course and other NIHGA members, players are required to complete their round of golf within the golf course’s designated pace of play timeframe or as fast as the group in front of them allows (whichever time is longer).
This is easily achievable by practicing “ready golf” and the tips listed in the online Maintaining Pace of Play article. In addition, NIHGA has adopted league-specific rules to accelerate play including “ready golf”, picking up when you reach your maximum score, taking mandatory gimmes up to 18”, and creating a drop area on the other side of a “forced carry” area.
If it is obvious the group in front of you falls behind by more than a hole and is preventing your group from maintaining the course’s required pace of play by 10 minutes or more, feel free to call the clubhouse and request that a course marshal investigate and resolve the backup. Do NOT attempt to resolve the issue yourself. The slow pace of play may be caused by groups well in front of the group directly in front of you. Be patient and continue to play in a courteous manner until the delay is resolved. If you are playing at the required pace of play but still waiting for the group in front of you, do NOT ask for the marshal’s assistance because they will not require the group in front of you to play faster than their pace of play. Again, be patient and play in a courteous manner. If your group has fewer than four players, plan on having to wait as your group will likely play faster than any foursome. We do not allow threesomes and twosomes to “play through” because this causes even more delays for the folks with later tee times.
In addition, members shall willingly abide by ALL course marshal warnings and direction without argument. If a course marshal directs members to pick up and move to the next hole, they shall take the maximum score for that hole in stroke play and scramble outings or “halve” the hole in match play.
Annual Awards
The Board of Directors presents the following awards at the end-of-year luncheon.
Stroke Play Champions
Awarded to the team with the most stroke play points at the end of the season. Members of the team who have played in a minimum of five stroke play outings will receive a prize for their contribution to the team award.
Match Play Champions
Awarded to participating members of the winning team(s) of the Match Play tournament.
Director’s Cup
Awarded to the member who has the lowest average gross score in his/her six best stroke play outings. First-year members are not eligible for this award. Ties are broken by averaging additional lowest gross/net scores until the tie is broken. In the process of considering additional scores, if one or more of the tied players has no additional scores to average, they are no longer in contention for the award. Members must complete in at least six rounds in the season to be eligible for this award.
Gregg Chicca Cup
This award is named in honor of Greg Chicca, a member who distinguished himself through his long-term leadership and dedication to the league. The Greg Chicca Cup is awarded to the member who has the lowest average net score in his/her three best stroke play outings. The winner of the Director’s Cup and first-year members are not eligible for this award. Ties are broken using the same methodology as the Director’s Cup tiebreaker. Members must complete in at least six rounds in the season to be eligible for this award.
Rookie of the Year
Awarded to the first-year member who has the lowest average net score in his/her three best stroke play outings. A minimum of five first-year members is required to issue this award. Ties are broken using the same methodology as the Director’s Cup tiebreaker. Members must complete at least six rounds in the season to be eligible for this award.