Blackledge Country Club

MEN’S GOLF ASSOCIATION – Policies, Rules & procedures

Policies, Rules and Procedures

Tournament Sign Up Procedures <> Posting Scores <> Playing by the Rules <> Tee Assignment Procedures 

Tournament Sign-up Procedures

All members must honor and abide by the following –

  • You enter a tournament and reserve a starting time by entering your name on the sign-up sheet, or by calling the Golf Shop. In any case, you can sign up starting on the 14th day before the event. Sign-ups through our online system will be allowed starting on the 13th day before the event.  The sign-up sheet is maintained on paper at the Golf Shop counter until play is finished teeing off on the 14th day prior. You may NOT call for a tee time before 10:00 a.m. on weekends; you MAY sign up in person on weekends any time the Golf Shop is open.
  • Under no circumstances may you erase someone’s name, or enter someone’s name, or change a player’s tee time on the sign-up sheet without that person’s express permission.
  • You will be notified when any event requires advance payment and/or a different sign-up method.
  • Check in at the pro shop at least 30 minutes before your scheduled tee time. Try to arrive one hour before a “shotgun” start.
  • If you do not check in by 10 minutes before your starting time, you may be considered a no-show and subject to being fined, and your spot may be filled by another available player. You will then be able to play only if there is an opening in a later group.
  • Don’t sign up for an early time unless you can arrive, check in, and be on the first tee ready to play at your scheduled time. The entire day’s play will NOT be held up to wait for your arrival.
  • If something happens and you cannot keep your tee time, call the Golf Shop and let them know so they can try to fill the time. If your time gets filled you will not be fined.
  • Upon the completion of your round, you must submit a signed and attested scorecard. 

Posting Scores

For all BMGA Tournaments your score will posted for you by the Pro Shop Staff!

(This is new for 2019!)

For all other rounds outside of BMGA that you play it is your individual responsibility to post your own score. 

Handicap Matters

PLAYING OTHER COURSES – Remember when playing at another course to convert your USGA Handicap Index to the course handicap available at the Golf Shop.

NINE HOLE SCORES – USGA rules governing the GHIN handicap system require all nine-hole scores to be entered into the handicap computer. Follow the instructions on the handicap computer to enter your nine-hole score. (FYI – This rule requires all nine-hole scores to be entered, even when there is an intervening 18 holes or more of golf played between nine-hole rounds.) 

DETERMINING YOUR MOST LIKELY SCORE (for handicap posting purposes only) – When you start a hole but pick up before it is finished, you must record a hole score for handicap purposes. The score you need to post is called “your most likely score”. Your most likely score is the sum of the strokes you took before picking up (including penalty strokes) plus your estimate of the number of strokes you would require to finish the hole from the point you picked up (based on your most likely performance). Post your most likely score up to but do not exceed your Equitable Stroke Control limit.

SHOULD YOU POST A SCORE DURING CONNECTICUT’S INACTIVE HANDICAP SEASON? Some state and regional golf associations set active and inactive seasons for clubs to follow in their area.  If a round is played on a course that is observing an inactive season, that score is unacceptable for posting for handicap purposes.  However, if a member of a golf club, which is observing an inactive season, plays at a course observing an active season, that score shall be posted to the scoring record.  For example, if a member of a golf club in Michigan plays golf in Florida in January, the scores from Florida are acceptable, and shall be returned to the club in Michigan. The player has a few options when posting the score. First, the player might be able to post as a guest if the two clubs use the same computation service. Second, the player might be able to post the score using the IGN network, if the state associations are signed up on the IGN network, and the score will be routed back to his home golf club. Third, the player can keep a copy of the score and the ratings and post when he returns to his home course no later than the start of his active season.

Playing by the Rules

  • Alternate to Stroke and Distance rule for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds

Please refer to this video and the text provided by the USGA.   Especially see paragraph b. “Fairway Reference” – the closest ‘fairway’ not nearer the hole might, in some cases, be the tee.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html

There is also a PDF version of this information found on the website. 

  • Questions or disagreement about a Rule?

RULE 20.1c(3): Playing Two Balls When Uncertain What to Do.

  • A player who is uncertain about the right procedure while playing a hole may complete the hole with two balls without penalty
  • The player must decide and announce that they are playing two balls after the uncertain situation arises and before making another stroke
  • The player must report the facts of the situation to the Pro Shop before returning the scorecard, even if the player scores the same with both balls.  The Pro Shop will determine which ‘ball’ (score) is correct
  •   If the player made a stroke before deciding to play a second ball, this Rule does not apply at all and the score that counts is the score with the ball played before the player decided to play the second ball.
  • A second ball played under this Rule is not the same as a provisional ball under Rule 18.3
  • Range Finder Reminder

If your device (laser rangefinder, smartphone, GPS rangefinder, etc) measures other conditions such as Slope or Wind Speed, those features must be turned off or disabled.  If you cannot turn off those features, then your device is not legal.  This is the USGA rule for competitive rounds which BMGA events are considered. 

  • Rules Reviews

Below are some YouTube Videos that cover some common rules you may encounter playing in a BMGA Tournament.  Take some time to give them a look. 

From the USGA – 12 short videos (ignore the background music)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnU5qUEfww3f5x5gRldQB9yWr5YdBwWwV&  feature=shared

7 Most Important Rules of Golf

7 Confusing Golf Rules

8 Rules Golfers break without realizing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAioXOIqMFws 

Event Tee Assignment Procedures

BMGA Event Tee assignment Procedures (*) 

The Standard assignment for BMGA Events is the Blue Tees.  There are GHIN Index and Age Exceptions to the Standard Tee Assignment as defined below.   Read the Exceptions and Options carefully.   If/when you have an option of tee selection, you must communicate your choice to the Pro Shop Staff (Kevin or John).  Your choice may be changed ONE TIME during the season and once that choice is made, you must play from your selected tees for the remainder of the season.   In other words, you may NOT change your tee selection from week to week except in those cases when your index changes and therefore, your eligibility changes.  

Exceptions:  

  • A member will have the option to play from the Black (Championship) Tees  
  • If a member’s GHIN Index is equal to or over 14.0 the pro shop will assign you to the Gold Tees.  You will have the option to play from the Blue Tees  
  • If the member’s Index falls below 14.0 they will be expected to play from the Blue Tees.  The pro shop should notice this, however, please bring it to their attention if your tee assignment is not changed on the scorecard.   
  • The ‘Rule of 70’ – If the sum of a member’s age plus their GHIN Index is equal to or above 70, that member will have the option to play from the Gold Tees.   
  • If a member chooses this option and the sum of the member’s age plus GHIN Index falls below 70, they will be expected to play from the Blue Tees 
  • Because the pro shop staff cannot track your age and the resulting sum of your GHIN Index, please communicate to them if you are eligible for this exception.  The pro shop will assign a member with an Index lower than 14.0 to the Blue Tees and > 14.0 to the Gold Tees 
  • ** New** The ‘Rule of 80’ – If a member is > 70 years old and the sum of their age plus their GHIN Index is equal to or above 80, that member will have the option to play from the Silver (Forward) Tees.   
  • If a member chooses this option and the sum of the member’s age plus GHIN Index falls below 80, they will be expected to play from the Gold or Blue Tees unless that member had chosen to play from the Silver Tees prior to 2024
  • Because the pro shop staff cannot track your age and the resulting sum of your GHIN Index, please communicate to them if you are eligible for this exception.  The pro shop will assign a member with an Index lower than 14.0 to the Blue Tees and > 14.0 to the Gold Tees 

** New** Female Member Tee Assignment (due to differences in the GHIN index calculation) –  

  • If a member’s GHIN Index is equal to or over 9.0 the pro shop will assign you to the Gold Tees.  You will have the option to play from the Blue Tees  
  • If the member’s Index falls below 9.0 they will be expected to play from the Blue Tees.  The pro shop should notice this, however, please bring it to their attention if your tee assignment is not changed on the scorecard.   
  • The ‘Rule of 65’ – If the sum of a member’s age plus their GHIN Index is equal to or above 65, that member will have the option to play from the Silver (Forward) Tees.   
  • If a member chooses this option and the sum of the member’s age plus GHIN Index falls below 65, they will be expected to play from the Gold or Blue Tees 
  • Because the pro shop staff cannot track your age and the resulting sum of your GHIN Index, please communicate to them if you are eligible for this exception.  The pro shop will assign a member with an Index lower than 9.0 to the Blue Tees and > 9.0 to the Gold Tees 

(*) The Club Championship Divisions are played from tees as assigned by the Pro Shop and based on GHIN Index.  There are no Exceptions to the Tee assignment for the Division you fall into.    The Senior Championship is played from tees based on age group.   Players from age 60 – 69 play from the Gold Tees and players 70 and older play from the Silver Tees.