Policies

NATIONAL GOLF ASSOCIATION
HOOTERS CAROLINA WINTER SERIES

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

1. FEES AND FORMAT

1.1 Membership Fee……………………………...$700.00

1.2 Member Entry Fee……………………………$600.00 and $700.00*

1.3 Non-member Entry Fee…………………..$800.00 and $900.00*
1.4 Amateur Entry Fee..........................$600.00 and $700.00*
1.5 *February Barefoot Resort Swing (Members/Amateurs $700.00, Nonmembers $900.00)
1.6 *February Barefoot Resort Swing ($650 will Count Towards the Purse)

1.7 All events will be 54-hole stroke play events with a 36-hole cut.

 

2. REGISTRATION

2.1 Registration closes at 5:00 pm eastern standard time the Friday before tournament week
2.2 Tournament fees must be submitted prior to deadline date

2.3 Non-members will be taken from an alternate list to fill the fields once the member deadline has passed

2.4 All registration must be done through the tour office. Tour staff will not accept any payment on site.

 

3. WITHDRAWAL POLICY

3.1 Players have until 5:00 pm est. the THURSDAY before tournament week to withdraw from an event

3.2 Players withdrawing after the 5:00 pm est. deadline will forfeit entry fee (unless they have a Medical withdrawal as explained in 3.3)

3.3 Medical withdrawals must submit a physician certification stating illness or injury. All documentation must be faxed to the tour office 843-399-5125 within 24 hours of withdrawing from the event. Voice messages and emails will not be accepted.

3.4 Once a player has started their round, no refund of entry fees will be given

3.5 All Nationwide or PGA Tour exemptions will be granted a full refund. It is the player’s responsibility to call BEFORE your tee time to withdraw. YOU MUST CALL THE TOUR OFFICE. Refunds will be remitted from the Tour Office upon player’s request.  
*Credits unclaimed within 12 months of withdrawal will be forfeited. NOTE: After hours messages on the Tour Office Voice Mail will not be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS!

 

4. PAIRINGS

4.1 Pairings will be completed and emailed out to the players no later than the Sunday before the tournament. It is the player’s responsibility to have an email on file with the tour office.

4.2 Pairings for the first two events will be done on a random basis. Thereafter, pairings will be done based on earnings.

4.3 Pairings will be posted on the Hooters Tour website at www.ngahooterstour.com and at the host facility pro shop.

 

5. PRIZE PURSE DISTRIBUTION AND PLAYOFFS/TIES

5.1 The low 33% and ties will make the 36-hole cut from each tournament. Each player making the cut will receive a check.

5.2 Positions created by ties will be paid $600.00 each by deducting an equal amount of money from all positions.

5.3 The only ties which will be broken by a playoff are those to decide first place. All other ties will remain as ties and the purse for those positions will be divided equally. A sudden death playoff will immediately follow play on a hole or holes chosen by the tournament committee.

5.4 All players must have proper tax documentation on file with the tour office before a check will be issued.

5.5 Players have the option of picking their checks up at the next tournament site or have it mailed from the office within seven to ten days. An address list will be posted in the scoring tent after each final round.
5.6 Players Must Endorse Checks otherwise our bank will not accept them.

 

6. DRESS CODE

Players are required to wear slacks. Collared, mock and turtleneck shirts required. Soft spikes mandatory. NO SHORTS OR JEANS.

 

7. ELECTRONIC DEVICES

7.2 A mobile phone may ONLY be used to call in rulings to the Tour Director or Pro Shop. The numbers will be listed on the Local Rules Sheet. Any other use of a cell phone during the stipulated round will result in disciplinary action and possible DISQUALIFICATION. (Use is defined as the phone being on at any time during the competition)

 

8. CART POLICY

8.1 All players will utilize a golf cart. NO WALKING

8.2 Only 2 carts per pairing. NO EXCEPTIONS

8.3 Caddies and spectators will not be permitted to have use of their own carts.

8.4 Groups with two or more caddies must resolve the two cart per pairing policy between themselves

 

9. CADDIES

9.1 Caddies must adhere to the same policies as the players

9.2 Players are responsible for the appearance and conduct of their caddies.

 

10. DISCIPLINE, PENALTIES AND APPEALS
Any player and/or his caddy that shall be deemed guilty of conduct unbecoming a Golf Professional while participating on the NGA Hooters Tour or activities related thereto shall be subject to fine or suspension from tournament play. The NGA Hooters Tour Tournament Committee is authorized to impose penalties from a minimum fine of$200 to a maximum fine of $500 for the first offense, and suspension from tournament play for the second offense, for any of the following violations:
10.1. a. Alcohol abuse at any Tour function b. Alcohol consumption during play
10.2. a. Club throwing/club breaking b. Profanity c. Littering or damage to course or property
10.3. Gambling in clubhouse
10.4. Any type of jeans or shorts (see Player Attire)
10.5. Violation of Golf Cart Regulations or Golf Cart Etiquette
10.6. Other conduct deemed by the Tournament Committee to be unbecoming a golf professional
10.7. Public Attacks
10.8. Players observing conduct unbecoming a Golf Professional by a fellow competitor, not necessarily within his grouping, should report the action to a tournament official. If the official can verify the action through other witnesses, penalties may be imposed without physically seeing the action. A player may appeal disciplinary action taken by the Tournament Committee in accordance with the provisions above. Such appeal shall be in writing and may include defenses of mitigating circumstances, including written statements of witnesses. Appeals will be reviewed by at least two members of the Tour Staff and the President and Vice President of the Hooters Tour. Such an appeal must be in writing and must be received by the Tournament Committee within two (2) days after notice of such disciplinary action is given to the player.
Fines are due and payable prior to the next tournament unless a written appeal has been made. Should the appeal be denied, the fine will be deemed payable prior to start of next round played. The player will be ineligible for any NGA Hooters Tour competition thereafter until such fine is paid. Make fines payable to Wounded Warriors Project.
NOTE: If any discipline problem or action is deemed to be extremely offensive or has caused irreparable harm to the NGA/Hooters Tour, its staff and/or players, the individual(s) involved can and will be banned from the NGA/Hooters Tour indefinitely.

 

11. EIGHTY – SIX (86) RULE
Any player posting a score of 86 or higher in the first round of competition will be withdrawn from that event without refund.

 

12. SCORING

All players are advised to verify their scores before leaving the defined scoring area. It is the player’s responsibility to have possession of his score card. Signatures are also the responsibility of the player. Breach of these stipulations can result in disqualification. Unusual circumstances may be appealed to the Tournament Director.

 

13. REDUCTION OF ROUNDS
The goal of the NGA Hooters Tour is to complete three-round, 54-hole events. The tournament committee and players will make their best effort to complete each round and tournament as scheduled. After exhausting all feasible options, the tournament committee may suspend or cancel a round (Rule 33-2d) in the event unplayable conditions occur. Play will resume when conditions improve, even if the round cannot be completed that day. a.) Play may resume the following day, to include completion of the next scheduled round if daylight permits. b.) When daylight does not permit, the suspended round may be completed the next available day. Thus, one round might be completed over a two to three day period. A minimum of 36 holes must be completed for an event to be considered official. If a tournament is canceled after the completion of one round and no purse is paid, the player will be refunded their entry fee minus the charge of the course fee for the round that has been played.

  

14. SUSPENSION OF PLAY DUE TO DANGEROUS SITUATION
When play is suspended for a dangerous situation, if the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they shall not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If they are in the process of playing a hole, they shall discontinue play immediately and shall not thereafter resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play.
Penalty for breach of this rule is DISQUALIFICATION
All practice areas shall be closed during suspension for a dangerous situation until the Committee has declared them open for use.
Signals for Suspending and Resuming Play
• Suspend Play: Several short intermittent blasts from a horn or siren
• Resume Play: Two (2) intermittent blasts from a horn or siren
• Suspension Due to Immediate Danger (Lightning, Tornado, etc.): One (1) continuous blast from a horn or siren

 

15. PACE OF PLAY

 

Slow Play

Rule 6-7 states, in part: "The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid down by the Committee." The following pace of play guidelines and slow play penalties and fines, except during match play competitions, have been adopted.

 

15.1. Definition of "Out of Position"

The first group to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, the group exceeds the time allotted per hole, as detailed on the applicable course's Local Rules Addendum.

The second and third groups, and additional groups as determined by the Rules Committee when play is in pairs, to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they (a) exceed the allotted time to play and (b) reach any place where there is an open par-3 or par-4 hole, or when the preceding group is on the putting green of a par-5 hole when the group in question is on the teeing ground.

Any subsequent group will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they reach any place where there is an open par-3 or par-4 hole, or the preceding group is on the putting green of a par-5 hole when the group in question is on the teeing ground.

 

15.2. Monitoring Groups

It is the responsibility of each player to be aware of his group’s position on the golf course. Rules Officials ARE NOT required to warn groups prior to being timed. A group will be subject to being timed until back in position with the group ahead or back on TIME PAR.

 

15.3.  Fines and Penalties - Penalty Phase

Any player in a group out of position will be subject to being timed. Any player who exceeds the allotted time to play a stroke will be fined $100 on his second bad time of the year and is then considered to be in the Penalty Phase of the Pace of Play Policy for the remainder of the season. Players in the Penalty Phase exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke will be fined and penalized as follows.

 

15.4. Summary of Fines and Penalties during a Round

First Offense:

One timing exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke -- one stroke penalty and a $100 fine.

Second Offense:

One more timing (a total of two) exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke -- two stroke penalty and $200 fine.

Subsequent Offense:

One more timing (a total of three) exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke -- disqualification and $300 fine.

 

If a group, out of position and/or over time par, is given a set number of holes to regain its position; fails to do so within the allotted time, the group will be timed and each player in the group will be fined $20. If the group regains their position within the allotted time and then subsequently falls out of position, they will immediately be timed, but will not be subject to fine.

 

When a group is timed, it will be cataloged by the Tour Director. Each player in the group will receive a strike for that round. Once a player accumulates a total of seven strikes for the year, he will be deemed to be in violation of the Pace of Play Policy, and will be fined for that violation and any additional violations under this condition, as follows:

 

Seventh Strike:                         $200                Tenth Strike:                 $500

Eighth Strike:                            $300                Eleven Strikes or more: $600

Ninth Strike:                            $400

 

   *All fines should be made payable to the WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT.

 

15.5. Timing

The timing of a player's stroke will begin when it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction. Any time spent determining yardages will count as time taken for the next stroke.

 

On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to mark, lift, clean and replace his ball, repair his ball mark and other ball marks on his line of putt and remove loose impediments on his line of putt.

 

A player will have 40 seconds to play a stroke when being timed.

 

NOTE:   An extra 10 seconds will be allowed for:

   A. the first player to play a stroke on a par-3 hole

   B. the first player to play a second stroke on a par-4 or par-5 hole (when attempting to reach the putting green)

   C. the first player to play a third stroke on a par-5 hole

   D. the first player to play on or around the putting green

 

NOTE: In the administration of the Pace of Play Guidelines, a member of the Rules Committee shall not tolerate abuse, oral or otherwise, by a player. Such abuse constitutes conduct unbecoming a professional.

 

If it is clearly visible to a NGA HOOTERS TOUR OFFICIAL that a player or players are repeatedly exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke, that player or players pace of play may be monitored even though the player or player's group is not out of position. A player being monitored under these conditions will be fined $50 if he exceeds 50 seconds to play a stroke three times during the play of a hole, or four times over two consecutive holes. Bad times received under this part of the policy are not applied elsewhere.

 

15.6. Appeals

Any appeal of a penalty and fine must be referred to the Tour Director immediately upon completion of the player in question's round. The Tour Director's decision shall be final.

 

16. PRACTICE ROUNDS
Practice rounds are generally held the day before each event at the host golf course. Players will be responsible for their own practice rounds. You must contact the host course to set up practice rounds. 

17. DRUG POLICY
Any player currently on suspension by one of the World Federation of Tours including The PGA and Nationwide Tours for violation of their Anti-Doping policy will not be allowed to participate in an NGA/Hooters Tour event until his suspension has ended.

18. 2011 GROOVE POLICY
       ALL CLUBS 45 DEGREES AND HIGHER MUST CONFORM TO THE NEW USGA STANDARDS-PAGE 135-138 USGA RULES
 

19. MISCELLANEOUS

19.1 Top 20 members on the 2011 Carolina Winter Series money list will earn full exempt status on the 2012 Pro Series.

19.2 Players have until November 1, 2011  to receive a refund of their membership fee

19.3 Make checks payable to NGA/Hooters Tour

18.4 There will be a 3% NON-REFUNDABLE admin charge on all credit card payments