2025 Club Championship – Opening Round

Tournament Rules

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Eligibility

Entries are open to Fir State Golf Club members who have an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index issued by the USGA.  No GHIN Requirement for Ladies Field Day players

AGE: Player’s date of birth is required on all entry forms for competitors using the preferred tee box. Players competing as Senior competitors must have reached their sixty-fifth (65) birthday by September 21, 2025. Players using the preferred tee box for Super Senior (75+) must have reached their seventy-fifth (75) birthday by September 21, 2025.  Players competing as Junior competitors must have NOT reached their eighteenth birthday by September 21, 2025.

Field Limit

Field will be limited to the first 32 entrants. Entries will be accepted according to the time of receipt of entry and entry fee. FSGC reserves the right to modify the field limit to accommodate additional competitors.

Entries: Form, Fee and Closing Date

All players must have an entry application submitted either by: (1) on the FSGC website (firstategolfclub.com) with a credit card, or (2) by mail with a completed paper application form and check or credit card authorization form. Entry fee of $30 must be paid by every player. Payment will be processed at the time of entry. A full refund will be issued to players who are placed on a waiting list and do not make the starting field.

Entry applications, along with the appropriate fee, must be completed or received by FSGC by 3:00 p.m. on Saturday 6, 2025. Late entry applications may be accepted and used to fill spots; contact Team Captain after deadline close for waitlist inclusion.

Refund Policy

Refunds due to cancellation before the close of entry are subject to a $10 service charge. After the close of entry, no refund will be issued except for cancellation of tournament by FSGC or closure of golf course.

Carts

Players are encouraged to ride in a golf cart. Cart fees are optional and are due at check-in.

Tee Box for Club Championship

• Club Championship play from the White Tees
  • • Riverbend White Tees @ 5,990 yds.
• Sr. Club Championship (65+) play from the White Tees @ 5,990 yds
  • • Super Seniors (75+) play from the preferred Green Tees @ 5,655 yds
• Ladies Club Championship play from the Green Tees @ 5,514 yds.
• Beginners Field Day play from the Green Tees @ 5,514 yds.

Handicapping

GHIN Requirement: All competitors are required to have a verifiable USGA Index, Players will receive 100% of their playing handicap for net scoring. The maximum allowable playing handicap per player is 36; a player above this will be reduced to meet this requirement. Players without a verifiable GHIN will be assigned a GHIN = Flight A GHIN Average – 1 . No GHIN Requirement for Ladies Field Day players.

Tee Pairings

Tee pairings and starting tee times will be posted on this webpage on Friday, September 20th, 6:00 pm, check back at that time for your pairing.  Printed Tee Pairings will be available at the Pro Shop, day of the tournament at 7:30 am.

 

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Competition

Skins Competition

All players are entered into the Giant Skins Competition; the skins pot is valued at $10/player. Net Skins will be awarded each hole won (birdies scored as double), closet to pins on par 3’s, front 9 low net, back 9 low net, and overall low net.

Championship Competition (Saturday & Sunday) – Net Competition

Opening and Final round competition will be Net Stroke Competition.  Scores will be tallied and prizes awarded for Divisional Champions.

Beginners Field Day Competition (Sunday)

Beginners Field Day participants will participate in a separate Skins Game competition from the Championship Divisions. The Field Day Skins pot will be valued at $30/player.

Awards

• • Championship Division – Low Gross, Low Net, Low Net Runner-up
  • Sr. Championship Division – Low Gross, Low Net, Low Net Runner-up
  • Ladies Championship Division – Low Gross, Low Net
  • Beginners Field Day – Skins awards only.

Side Competitions

Side Competitions (cash only) will be organized and managed the day of play for Skins, Animals, and Calcutta.  Players desiring to maintain “Amateur” status, check with Tournament officials before participating.

 

Start of Tournament

Tournament Welcome, review of playing rules, review of course rules, and questions from the field meeting at 8:00 am.

Time of Starting

If the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances which warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 5.3a, the penalty for failure to start on time (including starting early) is loss of two strokes in stroke play. The penalty for lateness or starting early beyond five minutes is disqualification.

 

Tournament Play Rules apply

The Rules of the United States Golf Association govern play. Complete text of Rules may be found in the current Rules of Golf. Unless otherwise indicated, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule or Condition: Stroke Play = Two Strokes.

Balls may be lifted, cleaned and placed within 1 club length of its original location, outside of marked Hazards. Balls inside Hazards must be played as they lie.

Balls within casual water and grounds under repair, may be lifted cleaned and placed within 1 club length of such area, but in no instance shall a player improve his lie by moving a ball from a Hazard.

When a player’s ball has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds, the player may proceed as follows rather than proceeding under stroke and distance:

1. Ball Reference Point: The point where the original ball is estimated to have:
   • Come to rest on the course, or
   • Last crossed the edge of the course boundary to go out of bounds.
2. Fairway Reference Point: The point of fairway of the hole being played that is nearest to the ball reference point, but is not nearer the hole than the ball reference point.

For purposes of this Local Rule, “fairway” means any part of the general area cut to fairway height or less.

If a ball is estimated to be lost on the course or last crossed the edge of the course boundary short of the fairway, the fairway reference point may be a grass path or a teeing ground for the hole being played cut to fairway height or less.

Size of Relief Area Based on Reference Points: Anywhere between:

• A line from the hole through the ball reference point (and within two club-lengths to the outside of that line), and
• A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (and within two club-lengths to the fairway side of that line).

But with these limits:

Limits on Location of Relief Area:

• Must be in the general area, and
• Must not be nearer the hole than the ball reference point.

Once the player puts a ball in play under this Local Rule:

• The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played
• This is true even if the ball is found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).

But the player may not use this option to take relief for the original ball when:

•  That ball is known or virtually certain to have come to rest in a penalty area, or
•  The player has played another ball provisionally under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 18.3).

A player may use this option to take relief for a provisional ball that has not been found or is known or virtually certain to be out of bounds.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a

**In the event that there is confusion at any time. Please proceed under the provisions for “playing 2 balls” keeping both holed out scores and bring the matter to the Tournament Committee at the end of the round.

Tournament Pace – of – Play Requirements

Each group will be required to finish their round in 4 hours and 30 minutes with the following provisions:

OUT OF POSITION DEFINITION
Your group is considered to be OUT OF POSITION when both of the following conditions are present:

Your group is more than 15 minutes behind the group in front of your group (timed from flag in to flag in)…AND

Your group is playing slower than an average of 15 minutes per hole. The time is computed from the time the first player in the group teed off on the first hole. The subsequent holes are timed from flagstick in to flagstick in.

TIMING CRITERIA:
When a group is out of position, they are subject to timing. Players must play each shot in no more than 40 seconds from the time the shot, played by your fellow competitor before you, comes to rest. On the putting green, timing will begin after a reasonable amount of time is allowed (for the first player to putt) to mark, lift, clean and replace the ball, repair his/her ball mark, and, on the line of putt, repair other ball marks and remove loose impediments. On the teeing ground, timing will begin after a reasonable amount of time is allowed (for the first player to play) club selection and updating scorecard etc. Undue delay may also occur between strokes and will be considered by the committee in the resolution of any appeals or in timing play or a match, e.g., stopping for the beverage cart, leaving the course to pickup beverages at the clubhouse or stopping at the turn.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 6-7:

First offense – Warning
Second offense – One stroke;
Third offense – Two strokes.
For subsequent offense – Disqualification

 

Tournament Maximum Double Par Stroke Rule

Par 3’s Max six (6) Strokes, Par 4’s Max eight (8) strokes, Par 5’s Max ten (10) strokes. If your next stroke results in double par on any hole, please pick up and move to the next hole to tee-off.

 

On Course Discrepancies

First try to resolve the issue within the group, if the players cannot solve the issue. Play two balls and report discrepancies to a tournament rules committee member immediately after the round. Have fun, show integrity and respect to your playing partner and everyone on the golf course.

 

Score Cards

• Exchange scorecard with another playing member of your group.
• Please do not Total Scores, the computer will perform that task, only enter scores made on each hole only.
• The official scorecard requires both signatures to be official.
• Captains are responsible for turning in scorecards immediately after the round.

To break all ties, the Committee will use the hole ranking on the score card for the tournament, if the hole ranking cannot break the ties, then divide the prize awarded by the total number of ties.