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    Men's Club Bylaws

Revised March 2023

Purpose:

The purpose of the Goodwin Park Men’s Club is to promote golf at Goodwin Park Golf Course and to foster competitive golf among members.  This assures that City’s facilities are used and maintained by responsible, golf-knowledgeable people. Also, the Club’s tournament schedule and prizes provide both competition and benefits for the members and moderate support for the Golf Shop.  As a condition of membership, each member of the Club accepts certain responsibilities.  These rules provide some specific definitions and reasonable methods of disciplinary action which, when administered fairly, can serve to assure all members that they will continue to enjoy the benefits of their membership.

Eligibility:

A member may play in any tournament if they have paid their dues for the year, has a current USGA/CSGA handicap, has met all the tournament qualification requirements, and has not been disciplined in accordance with these rules.  (See Disciplinary Action below)

  1. Members with no handicap can participate in any tournament but will play with a zero handicap.
  2. A member must play in five (5) Men’s Club rounds to be eligible to play the Club Championship.
  3. To be eligible to play in the Goshdigian Cup a member must play in at least three (3) weekend tournaments.

The professional staff may from time to time, set tournament qualifications, application deadlines, and other rules that are in keeping with the stated purpose of the Goodwin Park Men’s Club.

Associated Costs:

Membership Dues - $135 annually, includes USGA GHIN Handicap, Sunday morning starting times, Men’s Club members pay resident rates ($29) on Men’s Club days, 3 meals, each major event is supplemented with membership dues, Tournament administration, end of the season awards and trophies.

*Scheduled Tournament Entry (required each week)

Non-Major Tournaments - $10 ($7 for weekly tournament, $3 for Par 3s/ Skins)

18 Major Tournaments - $14 ($10 for the major tournament, $3 for Par 3s/Skins)

36 Major Tournaments - $17 ($14 for the major tournament, $3 for Par 3s/Skins)

The $3 game will alternate between Low Gross on the Par 3s and Gross Skins (within your division). If we have a scheduled Skins game the $3 game will be Low Gross on the Par 3’s regardless of the scheduled game. This is listed on the schedule below as (P3) for Par 3s and (S) for Skins.

Optional Weekly Events

Kickers: $2 per week (optional), we pick a card out of a deck of cards and if it matches the last number in your gross score for the week you split the prize fund with all other matches. Prizes are paid out in shop credit.

Birdie Train: $5 per week (optional), Every Sunday the Golf Shop will run a Birdie Train for those interested. Individuals wishing to compete in the Birdie Train will be required to be registered to play in the Men’s Club Tournament for that day. Results will be posted on the GPGC website and bulletin boards. Format: ABCD Blind Draw Stroke Play. Best 2 of 4. Prizes: Prizes will be awarded in cash. All prizes will be hand delivered by golf shop staff to all winners. See prizes below for more information.

*All tournament entry fees will be paid in cash to the tournament registration table located outside of the golf shop. After registration, participants will receive a receipt for the event, the starter will ask for your receipts (both golf/cart and tournament registration) and confirm your entry. Participants are responsible for double checking their receipt before teeing off to be sure their entry fee was recorded correctly by the staff.

Weekly Tournament Sign-Up:

  1. Members will be sent an email invitation on the Sunday or Monday morning before the next tournament. It would be much appreciated if each member would reply to the email even if they are not planning on playing in the tournament by clicking on either the “Playing” (if playing) or “Not Playing” (if not playing).
  2. Members can also call or email the Golf Professional Staff in the Golf Shop to reserve a spot. (860) 543-8518 or rvictor@firstteect.org.
  3. The sign-up deadline is 5:00 pm on the Wednesday before the tournament.
  4. A member signing up after the deadline will be placed on the waiting list if necessary.

Pairings/ Starting Times:

  1. The Golf Shop will make starting times for all Men’s Club events. Starting times will be emailed to participants after the registration deadline and before Thursday at noon (12:00 p.m.).
  2. Members may make requests for both time of play in the morning and/ or playing partners. Be advised, these requests are not guaranteed and the golf shop will do its best to accommodate as many requests as possible.
  3.  All cancelations must be made by notifying the golf shop prior to the event.
  4. In multiple day events teams and/ or individuals will be repaired after the first round by score and will be posted on the GPGC website, on the bulletin board outside of the golf shop and emailed to the participants by Thursday prior to the second day of the event.

Play:

  1. Tournaments will be played as scheduled unless adverse weather conditions prevail as determined by the Professional Staff.
  2. In the event of adverse weather conditions: a.) A member who decided not to play must advise the Golf Shop of his decision before his starting time. b.) The Head Golf Professional will decide if disciplinary actions will be waived.  This will be done prior to the start of the tournament whenever possible.
  3. All tournaments start at the first or tenth tee, at the discretion of the Professional Staff.
  4. Match play tournaments will be played from the tees assigned to the player.
  5. Match play tournaments tied at the end of regulation play and requiring a play-off must continue to the hole assigned by the Golf Shop.
  6. All ties not requiring a play-off will be broken by matching cards, using the USGA recommended method by gross or net scores as appropriate, following the rules posted for the specific tournament.
  7. Handicaps used will be those in effect at the time of pairing, unless otherwise posted.
  8. Match play and medal play tournaments must follow the USGA rules for posting scores.
  9. Play in the A & B Flights wil be from the Blue Tees, unless the player's age and course handicap total 85 or higher. Players with an age and course handicap that totals 85 or higher may choose to play the White Tees. Players are required to select their tees before their round.
  10. Play in the C & D Flights will be from the player's choice of the White Tees or the Blue Tees. Players are required to select their tees before their round.

Flights:

  1. The following flight guidelines will be used each week based on the player's handicap (which is adjusted for the tees a player plays)
A Division 6 & below
B Division 7 – 12
C Division 13 – 18
D Division 19 & above

Tees:

  1. Play in the A & B Flights wil be from the Blue Tees, unless the player's age and course handicap total 85 or higher. Players with an age and course handicap that totals 85 or higher may choose to play the White Tees. Players are required to select their tees before their round.
  2. Play in the C & D Flights will be from the player's choice of the White Tees or the Blue Tees. Players are required to select their tees before their round.
  3. The professional staff may assign participants tees as necessary for certain tournaments, this will be listed in the tournament description.
  4. Club Championship Tee Policy:
    1. If a player over the age of 80 is in the field they will be allowed to play one tee forward of the assigned tee for their flight.
    2. Only A and B Flight competitors will be eligible to win the overall Men’s Club Championship.
    3. Competitors will be allowed to win the Gross prize in that flight regardless of the tee he plays. His net score will be adjusted based on the tee he plays in the event.
    4. He must also play the entire championship from the same teeing ground.

Disciplinary Action:

  1. A member violating rules will lose eligibility to play for the next two weekend tournaments.  A second violation will result in a member losing eligibility to play in the next additional four weekend tournaments.  A member committing a second violation will be notified in writing by the professional staff as to the action taken.
  2. A member who violates City Policy will be subject to separate action by the town, which can include loss of all playing privileges.
  3. The Golf Professional Staff and Tournament Committees will deal with written complaints.

Dress Code:

Members of the GPGC Men’s Club will be held to a slightly higher standard than regular public play. Men’s Club Leadership feel it is important to the growth of the club to present ourselves in a manner that provides a welcoming and healthy golfing environment:

  1. Men’s Club Officers will be required to at all times adhere to the following dress code.
  2. Members of the GPGC Men’s Club will be required to adhere to the following dress code during Men’s Club events. (it is recommended that all Members adhere at all times)
    1. NO Cutoffs (Jeans or Slacks) or Gym Shorts
    2. Collared or other golf shirt required

Slow Play:

  1. Each group must: a. Keep up with group ahead; b. Let a following group through, if one or more holes are open; c. Request to be allowed to play through, if following a group with one or more open holes before it.
  2. All members of a group will be responsible for a group’s play.
  3. GPGC’s posted pace of play is 4 hours.

 Scorecard:

  1. A member or group’s score will not be posted unless a complete scorecard is returned.
  2. A completed card includes: each member’s full name (First and Last), the tees each player played (designated by a B for Blue Tee, W for White Tee or R for Red Tee next to the player’s name, signatures of the scorer and attested by another player in the group, the date of play, and gross and/or net scores (as applicable).
  3. If a player’s tee is not designated on the scorecard it will be scored as the player played the Blue Tees.
  4. All Men’s Club tournament scores will be posted by the professional golf staff for all rounds played in tournaments, except for scrambles, shambles, alternate shot formats or tournaments played from the forward tees, for which there is no men’s slope or rating.

Prizes:

  1. The golf professional staff will set specific prizes for all tournaments.
  2. Gross and net prizes will be determined by the size of the tournament field.
  3. Golf Shop Credit- Golf Shop Credit must be used no later than November 30th of the year in which it was awarded or it will be forfeited. There shall be no transfer of credits from one account to another.
  4. Special orders MUST be placed on or before October 1, 2023.
Rules of Golf:

Each Men’s Club Member is responsible for knowledge and proper application of the Rules of Golf. The Professional Staff is responsible for answering any questions on the Rules of Golf and helping all members in the interpretation of the Rules of Golf. Members are also responsible for reporting all rules infractions as soon as possible to the Professional Staff for interpretation. Each member is responsible for himself and his group to play by the rules of golf. I players agree to not play by the Rules of Golf all players are DISQUALIFIED from the event and may face further penalties.

The USGA sells The Rules of Golf book on their website. www.usga.org.

The GIMME- Gimmes are NOT allowed. If a player picks his ball up before it is holed the player must replace his ball as close as possible to the original spot, finish the hole and take a TWO shot penalty. If the infraction is not corrected before the player tees off on the next hole he is DISQUALIFIED.

Handicaps:

Each player is responsible for entering their score on all non-men’s club tournament rounds into the GHIN handicap system. Failure to enter a score will result in disciplinary action. Multiple failures will result in progressively harsher sanctions. The progression of sanctions will be warning, warning plus posting a penalty score, and finally one-month revocation of tournament privileges.

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