Four-Player Progressive Best Ball Tournament Rules

Description: In Best Ball, each team member plays his/her own ball throughout the round. Each player is allotted 80% of his/her individual handicap to determine the number of strokes received on each hole. The team score for this event is a determined by a progressive number of team members' net scores as described below. Pressure really builds coming down the home stretch!

U.S.G.A. rules apply unless otherwise stated herein.

Rules for this tourney

• Men play from the BLUE (or equivalent) tees. Women play from the RED (or equivalent) tees.

• Team score is determined as follows:

  • First six holes: The low net score of all team members on each hole
  • Second six holes: The two (2) low net scores of all team members on each hole
  • Last six holes: The three (3) low net scores of all team members on each hole

• Play the ball as it lies with the exception that a ball sitting IN a weather crack (i.e. more than 1/3 of the ball below the level of the ground) may be lifted and placed at the nearest point of relief (like within two or three inches) no closer to the hole.

  If the weather or course conditions are suspect, the head pro or other golf course official should be consulted regarding other exceptions such as improving lies or lift-clean-and-place.

• All members of each team shall hole out all putts. Each individual score and the team net score should be recorded on the scorecard. In the interest of speeding up play, if one team member is headed for a large number and hopelessly out of contention for the team score, he/she can pick up and record his/her individual score in accordance with the equitable stroke control guidelines. Be careful not to include the pickup score in the team net.

• No Shows:

  • If one team member fails to show, the remaining players will be allowed to compete at 90% handicap.
  • If two or more team members fail to show, the remaining players will be allowed to compete at full handicap.

    In the case of 2 players: double the higher of the two net scores for the last six holes.

    In the case of a single player: double the net score for the middle six holes; triple the net score for the last six holes; re-assess your friends.

• Late Arrivals/Early Departures: Late arrivals may join the round in progress and play the remaining holes. If a team member has to leave prior to the completion of the round, then only the holes he/she played will count towards the team score. In either case, all team members play the entire round at the handicap percentage, as described in the No Show section, that corresponds to the total number of teammates that participated at some point in the round. Team net scores shall also be posted per the No Show section as applicable.

• Ties: Ties will be broken as follows:
  1. Low net team score for the last 9 holes
  2. Low net team score for the last 6 holes
  3. Low net team score for the last 3 holes
  4. Low net team score for the last hole
  5. Coin flip

General rules for all tournies

• In the case of bad weather, check with the golf course. If the course is open, we will play.
• If a player's ball is in the woods, the player has two options: 1) Play the ball as it lies; or 2) treat the woods like a lateral hazard and drop within two club lengths of the point where the ball was thought to have crossed into the woods with a ONE STROKE PENALTY.
• If a player's ball is lost in the woods or elsewhere, there is also the option to replay the previous shot with ONE STROKE PENALTY. This is often impractical during public play, so players have the further option of dropping another ball as near as possible to the place where the original ball is thought to be lost, keeping the same lie, and adding ONE STROKE PENALTY.
• All tournaments are flighted to allow individuals/teams to compete with those of near-equal ability.
• Prizes for each tourney are based upon the number of entrants.
• Play temporary greens as if they were real (i.e. hole out all putts).
• If any group can not finish the tournament due to weather or darkness, all scores and prizes for their respective flights will be determined by the last hole completed by all individuals/teams in each flight.
• Keep up with the group in front of you!

Handicapping for this tourney

Course Handicaps
================

1. Calculate the Course Handicap for each participant as follows:
    
                                   (USGA slope rating for tees being played)
   (Current USGA handicap index) X -----------------------------------------
                                                      113

   Round this result to the nearest whole number with .50 or more rounding up,
   .49 or less rounding down.

   Example: A player with a 7.8 index playing from the blue tees, which have
            a slope rating of 126, would have a calculated Course Handicap of:
            
                  7.8 X 126/113 = 8.697  or  9  

2. Handicap Allowances

   Multiply the Course Handicap of each participant by .8, then round to
   the nearest whole stroke with .50 or more rounding up, .49 or less
   rounding down.

                   
3. Make tee rating adjustments as necessary if participants are playing from
   different tees.
   
   Case 1 - Blue (or White) tees rated higher than Red tees:
   
            Subtract Red rating from Blue rating and add the result to the
            Course Handicaps of all participants playing from the Blue tees.

            Round this result to the nearest whole number with .50 or more rounding up,
            .49 or less rounding down.
   
     Example: Blue rating 70.6, Red rating 68.1.
   
            70.6 - 68.1 = 2.5 or 3
            
            Add 3 strokes to the Course Handicaps of all Blue tee players.

   Case 2 - Red tees rated higher than Blue (or White) tees:
   
            Subtract Blue rating from Red rating and add the result to the
            Course Handicaps of all participants playing from the Red tees.

            Round this result to the nearest whole number with .50 or more rounding up,
            .49 or less rounding down.
   
     Example: Blue rating 71.4, Red rating 72.2.
   
            72.2 - 71.4 = 0.8 or 1
            
            Add 1 stroke to the Course Handicaps of all Red tee players.

Tournament Handicaps
====================

   Each participant receives strokes on holes with rated handicaps equal to
   or less than their resulting Tournament Handicap. Those with Tournament
   Handicaps of 19 or more shall receive additional strokes on holes with
   rated handicaps equal to or less than the number of strokes that their
   Tournament Handicap exceeds 18.
   
   Examples: A player with a Tournament Handicap of 6 receives strokes on
             holes with handicap ratings of 1 through 6.
             
             A player with a Tournament Handicap of 21 receives strokes on
             all 18 holes plus an additonal stroke for holes with handicap
             ratings of 1 through 3.