Competitions
Tournament Committee Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them
TOP TEN
T
he NCGA receives dozens of phone calls every year from tournament committees looking for help with situations that could have been
prevented.Here are the top 10 mistakes tournament committees make in the administration of their events, and how you can avoid doing the same.
Mistake 1 The Committee does not establish the method of breaking a tie prior to the start of the event.
Resolution No matter what method the Committee chooses, the losing player will always be upset with the decision. It is important to provide players information on how ties will be broken prior to the start of the event, and the Committee may refer to the Rules of Golf for guidance on establishing a procedure for breaking ties.
Mistake 2 The Committee does not create an adequate scoring area.
Resolution A scoring area that is not defined leaves players wondering when a score card has been returned. The Committee should designate a “scoring area” where competitors are to return their score cards (e.g., in a tent, a trailer, the golf shop, by the scoreboard, etc.). The players are considered to have returned their score cards when they have left the scoring area. The Committee may require players to return their score card by placing it in a box. In this case it is considered returned when it is dropped into the box, even if the player has not left the scoring area. After a score card has been officially returned, no alterations may be made.
Mistake 3 The Committee does not distribute local rules or conditions of competition to the players.
Resolution When special situations exist on the golf course, it is up to the Committee to explain to the players how to proceed properly under the Rules of Golf. A Committee that relies on the information that is provided on the back of a club’s score card has
Mistake 4 The Committee does not properly mark the course. Resolution The player should always know on what part of the golf course his or her ball lies, whether it be in a water hazard, through the green or out of bounds. Without proper marking of the course, players cannot consistently play under the Rules of Golf and may not be proceeding the same as others in the event.
Mistake 5 The Committee does not communicate with the staff at the course.
Resolution It is important to communicate with the course prior to any event. Everyone should know their role and responsibilities to avoid confusion during the tournament.
Mistake 6 The Committee does not check the course prior to the start of the event.
Resolution There should be no surprises on the golf course for the Committee. Someone on the Committee should preview the course both prior to the event and the round, ensuring the tee markers and hole locations are in the correct spot and that there is nothing out of the ordinary on the course such as ground under repair or missing tee markers.
done its players a disservice. The Committee should use the Appendix in the Rules of Golf for direction.
Mistake 7 The Committee establishes non-sanctioned local rules. Resolution It is one thing to not establish any special local rules, but adopting local rules that do not follow the Rules of Golf as prescribed in the Appendix will result in your group playing a game other than golf. Not playing by the Rules of Golf affects not only a player’s score but also his or her handicap.
Mistake 8 The Committee accepts late entries or entries that don’t meet the eligibility requirement.
Resolution This seems like the nice thing to do, but it is not in the best interest of an event and the other participants to waive the rules prior to starting the tournament. The Committee should consider the worst-case scenario, such as the ineligible player winning the event.
Mistake 9 The Committee allows a player that has been disqualified to continue to play in the event.
Resolution This player could easily have a direct impact on the outcome of the event. It is possible that the player is playing strokes from similar places as those still competing in the event. Once again, the Committee should consider the worst-case scenario where a player receives advice from a player not in the tournament, and goes on to win.
Mistake 10 The Committee fails to apply the Rules of Golf correctly. Resolution In most cases, this is the Committee choosing not to be the “bad guy.” However, making one person happy is not going to make the rest of the players happy. It is the Committee’s responsibiity to apply the Rules of Golf uniformly to protect the entire field.
By Ryan Gregg Director of Rules and Competitions Email:
rgregg@ncga.org
SUMMER 2014 /
NCGA.ORG / 63
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76