Rules of Play
A member of the Executive Board is present at each tournament, serves as the Head Tournament Official, and chairs the Tournament Committee.
Knowledge of and adherence to the rules are essential to good sportsmanship and good competition. All events will be played in accordance with the most recent Rules of Golf and Decisions adopted by the USGA. The WGAWP Tournament Committee has established local rules and conditions of competition for all WGAWP sanctioned competitions. These local rules and conditions can be found on the WGAWP website under the tournament tab, listed as WGAWP Hard Card, and are posted at the registration table for all WGAWP events. Any supplemental local rules and special instructions are also posted at the registration table. All disputes will be settled by the Tournament Committee whose decision shall be final.
SLOW PLAY POLICY: Rule 6-7 of the USGA Rules of Golf -- The Player must play without undue delay, penalty for breach of rule in Match Play – Loss of Hole, in stroke play – Two Strokes. For repeated offense -- Disqualification. When a player or group is considered out of position, they will be warned to close the gap. If they continue to be out of position, they will be monitored and timed before the penalty is applied. For all individual stroke play tournaments with tee times, the WGAWP posts Pace of Play for the event and monitors start and end times for the group. The end of round is established when the flag is replaced back in the hole on #18. Groups that exceed the established pace by more than 15 minutes and are more than 15 minutes behind the group in front of them, are issued Slow Play warning letters. Any member who receives two slow play warning letters within a 24 month time frame is placed in the Slow Play Restriction List which places her at the end of the field in all Tee Time Tournaments and disqualifies her from A Open Days. The “Slow Play Restriction” is lifted after 24 months of not receiving a Slow Play warning letter.
All members are to report to the Tournament Administrator at least 15 minutes before the assigned starting time. Time of Starting Note under Rule 6-3 is in effect at all WGAWP events.
If a member is UNAVOIDABLY DETAINED for her assigned starting time, she must make good faith efforts to notify the Host Pro Shop or the Tournament Administrator.
Members are eligible to compete in all tournaments except those tournaments with a defined handicap restriction (see Tournament Descriptions). However, no player will receive more than the equivalent strokes of a 28.4 index. Further, in events where handicaps are allocated by hole, in no case will a player receive more than one stroke on a Par 3.
Score cards MUST NOT BE ALTERED, i.e., handicap index or partners, without prior approval of the Tournament Administrator.
All scorecards are the property of the Association. Players must return a signed and attested scorecard immediately upon completion of their round.
In individual stroke play events, all putts must be holed out. For partner/team events, putts must be holed for players whose score is being used for the event.
Members are strongly encouraged to complete all scheduled rounds of a tournament. A player may elect to withdraw from the competition if she becomes ill or injured during play or in the interest of pace of play and courtesy to her fellow competitor(s) after recording excessive scores on one or more holes determines she is out of the competition. A member who decides to withdraw must announce it to her fellow competitor(s) and immediately stop play. If needed, she acts as a non-playing marker. Withdrawals from tournaments are recorded and monitored. Members who elect withdrawal on multiple occasions may be ruled ineligible for subsequent events at the discretion of the Executive Board.
A player may win only one prize in each event.
When two or more players are tied for an Award and a sudden death playoff is necessary, any player unavailable for the playoff forfeits her claim to the Award.
Unless a playoff is specified in the rules competition, in the event of a tie, places in the field are determined by a match of cards following the WGAWP Tie Break Procedure. Non winners in a match of cards for a last place prize are awarded a consolation prize.
The competition shall be deemed to have closed when the trophy has been presented to the winner or in the absence of a prize ceremony, when all scores have been approved by the Committee.