Note:
The policies detailed below are
in effect unless otherwise specified on the event home page for
a particular tournament. Policies for certain special events,
including season-ending championships and Fall Series
tournaments, will vary slightly when compared to the information
below (e.g., some have a cancellation deadline that is slightly
earlier than indicated in the general "Schedule Changes and
Withdrawals" policy found below). It is important to the review
the tournament home page for all events in which you plan
participate before registering.
Caddies are permitted in the Beginner Division and 9-Hole
Club Division ONLY. There are no restrictions as to who
may serve as a caddie. Caddies may carry clubs, provide advice
about playing shots, and assist with club selection. Caddies may
serve more than one player, but each player is limited to only
one caddie. Caddies should assist with the oversight of scoring
and help to improve pace of play during the round. On-course
swing instruction by caddies should be kept to a minimum.
Motorized carts are prohibited in ALL Divisions. Penalty for
breach of these conditions is two strokes
for each hole at which any breach occurred with a maximum
penalty per round of four strokes. Players may walk and carry
their own bags or they may use a non-motorized pull cart where
permitted. Pull carts MUST be provided by the players using them
(no rentals permitted). These carts must be in good condition
and they must stay away from the surface of all greens. Any
player in violation of the rules for pull carts will lose the
privilege of using one. Tournament-approved shuttles may exist
at certain sites.
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All members are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct at all
functions. Violations of the Code of Conduct include:
abusive language, club throwing, cheating, disrespect of
volunteers or officials, abuse of the golf course (divots not
replaced, bunkers not raked, ball marks not repaired, and the
like), discarded trash not placed in proper receptacles,
vandalism, smoking or chewing tobacco products, use of drugs or
alcohol, not adhering to the dress code, leaving the course
during a competitive round without the permission of an AJG
official, or any other conduct not becoming of an AJG member.
Violations of the Code of Conduct are subject to the following:
a two-stroke penalty, disqualification, or suspension for a
period of time as deemed by the Tournament Committee. All
violations will be reviewed by the AJG Tournament Committee.
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Most correspondence from the Atlanta Junior
Golf office is sent to members via email. If you have spam blocker software on any
of the email addresses you provided during membership
registration, be sure to add the following addresses to your list of
trusted senders:
atlantajuniorgolf@bluegolf.com & info@atlantajuniorgolf.org
Should the primary email address listed in your
Players Club account change or become inactive, please log-in to
update your contact information. You may also call our office to
process this important change.
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All play is governed by the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf and its
Decisions and, where applicable, by Local Rules, Conditions, and
Definitions, subject to changes or amendments by the AJG
Tournament Committee (2008-09 Rules of Play Card).
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DNS refers to those players who fail to appear for their assigned
tee time without notifying the AJG office. NC refers to those
players who fail to return their score cards to the AJG
Tournament Committee before leaving the golf course. In the
event of either offense, a player will lose half of the points
he/she earned in his/her most successful event (at the
conclusion of the Summer Series). If either offense occurs a
second time, the remaining points will be deducted from the
players most successful event and the player will be removed,
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The Double Par Rule applies to the Beginner Divisions only.
After playing a number of shots on a single hole that is equal
to double the par of the same hole, the player must lift the
golf ball and place it, without penalty, at the front of the
putting green if the ball is not already at rest on the putting
green (e.g., a player's sixth shot on the first hole (a par
three) comes to rest in a bunker behind the green; he/she must
lift the golf ball and place it without penalty at the front of
the putting green; the next stroke played will be the player's
seventh).
Note 1: This procedure is an Atlanta Junior Golf local
rule for the specified divisions only and does NOT reflect
the proper application of The Rules of Golf.
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Proper attire is required at all
AJG tournaments, events, seminars, and/or functions. Required Dress: (1)
hats/visors must be worn properly with the brim facing forward, (2) boys
MUST remove a hat/visor when indoors, (3) collared shirts must be worn
and tucked in at all times, (4) girls may wear shirts without collars, if
the shirt is part of a coordinated outfit and if it has sleeves, (5)
girls short length must be at or beyond the extended fingertips with arms
hanging at sides. Prohibited Dress: (1) shoes with metal or
traditionally designed spikes (penalty for wearing spikes is disqualification),
(2) tank tops, T-shirts, short shorts, denim of any kind, (3)
earrings on boys and body piercings, (4) headphones, cell phones and
pagers. Any violation of this rule results in either disqualification or the
junior not being allowed to participate until he/she has met the above
regulations.
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Events are normally held on days when most club facilities are
closed. Driving ranges are only occasionally available to
players and sometimes at a fee. Do not attempt to utilize
a closed driving range. Doing so will be considered a breach of
the Code of Conduct.
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The decision to cancel an event is made by the
Tournament Director in conjunction with the golf professional
and/or the superintendent of the golf course. You may call the
office or the golf course to check on the status of an event,
but please know that an event can be cancelled at any time of
the day. All efforts are made to complete the number of
holes required for a stipulated round (9 holes for all 18-Hole
Divisions and 5 holes for all 9-Hole Divisions). An event that is
shortened because of inclement weather is considered "complete"
only when all players in a specific age group have satisfied the
minimum requirements for a stipulated round detailed above.If an event is canceled due to inclement
weather (some or all players in an age group are unable to
complete a stipulated round), that specific event WILL NOT be made up. Refunds
or credits
WILL NOT be given for any tournaments or events that are
shortened/canceled because of inclement weather. EXCEPTION: If a
Summer Series event is cancelled because of inclement weather,
your registration may be transferred to another similarly-priced
Summer Series event (subject to availability). No credits or
refunds will be given to players who are unable to transfer a
cancelled registration to another event. You must
contact the AJG office to process this request.
If a canceled event occurs at the conclusion of the season
(e.g., it is the last event of the Summer Series), the
requirement of a minimum of five events (in order to qualify for
season-ending championships) will be waived for individual
players, on a case-by-case basis. Because Player of the Year
points are based on an average of points earned, no “make-up” points will be issued for a player who does
not participate in the minimum of five events. Please note,
however, that the divisor of five (events played) will not be
reduced for players in these circumstances.
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The maximum 10 strokes per hole rule applies to the Beginner
Divisions and the 9-Hole Club Divisions only. The maximum number
of strokes a player is allowed on a single hole is ten (10). If
a player has played his/her tenth stroke during the play of a
hole and the ball has not been holed out, the ball must be
lifted and the player must then proceed to the next hole without
undue delay as soon as the rest of
the group has completed play of the hole. The player's score
for the hole must be recorded as ten (10).
Note 1: This procedure is an Atlanta Junior Golf local
rule for the specified divisions only and does NOT reflect
the proper application of The Rules of Golf.
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Rule 6-7 of the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf states: "The player
must play without undue delay." The penalty for breach of Rule
6-7 is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play.
The penalty for a repeated offense is disqualification. (Refer
to the AJG
Pace of Play Policy for further clarification.)
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Rule 6 in the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf Book does not cover
those responsibilities that are common sense. Remember, you're
playing golf when the heat index is often very high. Be sure to
have enough liquid (water, etc.) in your bag to last for at
least nine holes at which time you're able to refill. Water
coolers on the golf courses are constantly checked and refilled,
but you may be passing by when they are either empty or gone.
Also, it is often a good idea to apply sunscreen before and
during every round.
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Player of the Year (POY) points are awarded to juniors based
on their finish in each event of the Summer Series. Players
finishing in first through nineteenth place within each
respective age group will receive points as follows:
|
1. 100
2. 90
3. 80
4. 70
5. 60 |
6. 50
7. 40
8. 30
9. 20
10. 10 |
11. 9
12. 8
13. 7
14. 6
15. 5 |
16. 4
17. 3
18. 2
19. 1
|
Player of the Year (POY) points are accumulated throughout
the Summer Series based on performance in each daily event.
These points are then used to calculate a POY points average. A
player's POY points average is calculated by considering the
average points earned while participating in five Summer Series tournaments. The total points
earned during the junior's best five Summer Series events are
divided by five (total points earned/five) to determine the player’s POY
points average.
Should a junior participate in fewer than five events, his/her
point total will still be divided by five. It is important to
note that participation in a minimum of five events is required
in order to be eligible to qualify for season-ending
championships. If a
player participates in more than five events, his/her best five
events (based on points earned) will be used to determine the POY
points average.
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All players and spectators should check-in at the on-site registration table
at each event at least 30-40 minutes before the player's designated
tee time.
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Atlanta Junior Golf firmly
believes that knowledge of The Rules of Golf is important for
anyone who wishes to play and enjoy the game; most especially junior golfers
who wish to compete at any level.
All Atlanta Junior Golf members are required to complete
and pass an online
Rules Quiz before selecting any tournaments. Online
resources are provided to help guide juniors through the quiz.
This test is designed to establish introductory knowledge of
the Rules and basics of etiquette for juniors and can be
completed before or after attending
the Orientation or Rules Seminar (for those required to attend
- see below).
First year members are required to
attend an
Orientation
Session during their first year of participation with
Atlanta Junior Golf which will briefly outline organizational policies and procedures,
as well as some etiquette and
basic Rules information. Parents are encouraged, but not required,
to attend this informative 60 minute session.
Second year members are required to
attend one
Rules Seminar
during their second year of participation with
Atlanta Junior Golf which will provide more in-depth coverage of
The
Rules of Golf. This seminar lasts approximately 90 minutes.
A junior golfer who fails to attend a
mandatory Orientation Session or Rules Seminar will be
prohibited from participating in Summer Series events, without
refund of his/her membership fee.
Junior golfers who have attended BOTH
an Orientation Session (during year one) and a Rules Seminar
(during year two) are only required to take an online Rules of
Golf Quiz before they are allowed to register for golf
tournaments each year. Third-year members (and beyond) are not required to
physically attend any seminar, but are welcome to do so if they desire. While
attendance at additional Rules Seminars is not mandatory, it is
certainly encouraged, as The Rules of Golf are complex and
change frequently.
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You may WD from an Atlanta Junior Golf event at any time prior to
your tee time in the respective event. However, to receive a
partial refund you must WD from the event (either online or by
contacting our office) by 12:00 noon the day before the event.
For WDs that meet the above criteria, you will be refunded your
entry fee less a $10 administrative charge and will have the
opportunity to reschedule another event (subject to
availability) using the online registration system.
If you need to WD from an event after the deadline stated above,
you MUST contact the AJG office (by phone or email) to inform our staff
that you will not be participating in the tournament. If we
receive notification of your WD after 12:00 noon the day before
an event, your entry fee will NOT be refunded. You may, however,
register for another event and pay the associated entry fee
using the online registration system, if you choose to do so.
Failure to notify our office of a WD before your tee time will
result in a deduction of points as specified in the DNS/NC policy listed above.
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Rule 6-6 (a & b) of the
2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf provides: "After each hole the marker should check
the score with the competitor and record it. On completion of the round the
marker must sign the card and hand it to the competitor. If more than one marker
records the scores, each must sign for the part for which he is responsible.
After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each
hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that
the marker has signed the card, countersign the card himself and return it" to
the scorer's table. To avoid the possibility of being disqualified, remain in
the scoring area until your card has been checked and the scorer dismisses you.
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Spectators must adhere to the Dress Code (see above) to be permitted on the golf
course. SPECTATORS WEARING DENIM ATTIRE OR T-SHIRTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED
ON THE COURSE! When courses prohibit
spectators, play may be viewed only from the 1st and 10th tees and the 9th and
18th greens (spectators are not allowed on the golf course at any time during
play). At courses where spectating is permitted, spectators are required to
follow the Spectator Code of Conduct policy that is available at each site.
All spectators are required to check-in with the Staff at EVERY
event to sign a spectator contract before proceeding onto the course. This contract represents your receipt and
understanding of our Spectator Code of Conduct and also gives
our Staff the authority to remove any spectator who is not abiding by
the policy (no warnings will be issued).
Spectators may use cell phones at courses where permitted, but MUST
NOT interrupt play or distract players. Phones must be in silent mode and
used away from play at all times.
For more information, please review our
Spectator Code of Conduct.
This policy is subject to change at any time.
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Spectator carts are permitted for permanently disabled spectators only.
Proof of a
permanent handicap decal must be provided and be approved by the Executive
Director at least 48 hours prior to the event for which the cart
is being requested. Recent surgery, broken limbs, or old age
does NOT constitute
permanent disability. The designated cart must be for the decal holder ONLY.
No passengers are permitted unless the specified decal holder is unable to drive
the cart themselves. This must also be pre-approved by the Executive Director.
Click here to download the request form then print, complete
and fax it to the office along with proof of permanent
disability (car decal, etc.)
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For an event that is full, the top five (5) players on the
waiting list for each division are deemed to be on "Stand-By
Status." Players will be contacted via email shortly after
12:00 noon the day preceding an event with notification that
they are on Stand-By Status.
After being placed on Stand-By Status you have the OPTION
to arrive at the course at least one-half hour prior to the
first tee time for your age group to wait for an open spot.
Always be sure to check-in with the Tournament Staff upon
arrival. Those players on Stand-By Status who decide to go to
the course to stand-by will fill open spots on a first-come,
first-served basis (the status on the waiting list is irrelevant once
having arrived on-site).
There is NO guarantee that any Stand-By Status player will
play. If there are no open spots available, stand-by players
MUST leave the site immediately after the last tee time for
their age group. Players who have not been contacted via email and notified of their Stand-By Status by the office may
NOT go to the golf course and will not be allowed to play if
they do so.
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Tee times are available online by logging into your Player's
Club account
and viewing the tournaments you are scheduled to play. Tee
times are typically available ten days before your event. You
will receive an email from our office detailing your tee time as
soon as it is available.
Rule 6-3a of the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf provides: "The
player must start at the time established by the Committee." The
penalty for breach of Rule 6-3a is disqualification. However, it
is a condition of the competition that, if players arrive at
their starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after
their starting time, in the absence of circumstances which
warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in
Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is two
strokes at the first hole in stroke play or loss of hole in
match play instead of disqualification.
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Where applicable, ties for awarded positions will be decided by
a hole-by-hole playoff and/or by a match of cards (see 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf, pg. 123-124).
In the event a winner cannot be decided, a sudden-death putt-off
will be held immediately
following the conclusion of play to resolve any ties for awarded
positions.
All ties for awarded (medal) positions at Summer Series events are
resolved by a match of cards. All ties for points will be
averaged except when hole-by-hole playoffs are conducted for
awarded positions.
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Summer Series tournament selection opens each year in mid-March. Juniors will be notified via email when
they are cleared to register for events. Those players with the
most seniority (determined by the year the junior first joined)
will have the opportunity to select courses first. Do not
attempt to register for tournaments until you have been directed
to do so by the Atlanta Junior Golf staff.
Siblings may register for tournaments on the same date during
the tournament selection process. Once any sibling (typically
the most senior) has been cleared to select events, all
remaining siblings may add tournaments to their schedules. For
the initial registration period (mid-March through mid-May),
juniors in all divisions are
limited to a maximum of six tournaments. Just before the Summer
Series begins, all remaining tee times in events will be
available for players on a first come, first served basis. There is no maximum number of events in
which a player may participate. As long as the junior registers
in his/her age group, he/she may play in as many tournaments as
space allows.
In order to be eligible to qualify for season ending-championships (Club Championship,
9-Hole Classic and
Grand Championship) juniors in all
age divisions must participate in at least five events
within their age group.
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WL for each age group at each event are
maintained to offer the greatest number of playing opportunities
to as many juniors as possible. If you select an event that is
full during tournament selection, you will be placed on the WL
for that event. When a spot in the event becomes
available in your division (because another player cancels or withdraws), that spot is
then filled by the player whose name appears
first on the WL within your division. Priority on all WL is determined by the date
and time at which a player is added to the WL (within each
division, the first player
on the list is the first to fill an open spot). Your presence on
a WL communicates to our office that you would like to
participate in that particular event, even if already scheduled
to play another tournament on the same day. If you are the
first player on a WL for an event and a spot becomes available,
you will be automatically added to the tournament (this will
occur even if you are already scheduled to play another event on
the same day). You will be
contacted by our office via email if this occurs before 12:00
noon the day preceding the event. Should a spot become available
after 12:00 noon the day before an event, we will contact you by
phone before adding you to the field. Once added to the field, you must follow the directions above
(Schedule Changes) if you are no longer able to play. Please
note that normal cancellation fees do apply. If you are no
longer interested in participating in an event for which you
appear on the WL but have not been added to the field, you must
remove yourself from the WL to avoid paying a cancellation fee
if added. You may log-in to your Players Club account or call the office
to remove yourself from a WL (watch your schedule carefully).
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The walk-around rule applies to the Beginner
Divisions and the 9-Hole Club Divisions only. A player having difficulty crossing a water hazard should
follow this procedure: after the first ball enters the water
hazard, water hazard relief must be taken under penalty of one
stroke in accordance with Rule 26-1. After the second ball
enters the water hazard, water hazard relief must again be taken
under penalty of one stroke in accordance with Rule 26-1. After
correctly taking relief for the second time under the Rules, the
player may choose to lift the ball, adding an additional penalty
of one stroke, and walk around the water hazard and drop the
ball at the nearest point on the other side of the water hazard
that enables the player to play his/her next shot without having
to negotiate the hazard.
Note 1: This procedure is an Atlanta Junior Golf local
rule for the specified divisions only and does NOT reflect
the proper application of The Rules of Golf.
Note 2: The walk-around rule is available as an option to
the player so long as the junior is not delaying play. A
player may choose to continue until he/she has negotiated
the hazard, however, if his/her group is out of position and
behind on time, the player must utilize this procedure if a
second ball enters the same water hazard during play of a
particular hole.
Note 3: A player may opt to walk around after the first
ball enters the water hazard, but will be assessed the same
number of penalty strokes as if he/she played two shots into
the water hazard (e.g., if a player's first shot on a
par-three enters a water hazard, and he/she decides to
utilize the walk-around rule without playing a second shot,
he/she will still be playing his/her sixth shot from the
opposite side of the hazard).
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All junior golfers must make a good faith
effort to choose the correct division when registering for
membership each year. Before choosing a division, you must
ensure that your current estimated stroke average falls within
the guidelines provided on the
Divisions and Fees page.
Once you have registered to participate in a particular
division, you are required to remain in the same division for
the duration of the Summer Series (see Note 1 for exception). At
the conclusion of the Summer Series, a player may choose to
participate in a different division during the Fall Series.
Tournament scores are reviewed regularly by
the Atlanta Junior Golf staff during the Summer Series. Any
player who returns two (2) scores that fall more than five (5)
strokes above or below the guidelines provided on the
Divisions and Fees page will be subject to a review by the
staff (see Note 2 for an overview of the review process).
Note 1: If, after playing three
events or fewer, a player discovers that he/she has chosen the
wrong division (scores are considerably too high or low), he/she
may then request a transfer to the appropriate division by
contacting the Atlanta Junior Golf office. This request will be
granted only once during the Summer Series.If this request is granted by the Atlanta
Junior Golf staff, future participation in the Summer Series is
bound by the following provisions: (1) Points earned in the
original division will not transfer to the new division, (2) no
refunds will be given for events that have already been played,
(3) when transferring from one division to another, event entry
fees for future events in the old division may be
applied/transferred to future event entry fees in the new
division, (4) contestants are responsible for paying any
remaining balance that results from transferring event entry
fees from one division to another, (5) no refunds or credits will
be given to offset any remaining balance that results from
transferring event entry fees from one division to another.
Note 2: Contestants who made a good faith
effort to choose the correct division during the membership
registration process will be allowed to remain in their original
division for the duration of the Summer Series. These players
typically fit in the division they chose while initially
registering but, as a result of practice, improved their game
significantly before or during the Summer Series began. If, as a result of
the review process, a junior golfer prefers to transfer to their
appropriate division, the provisions found in Note 1 above
apply.
Those who did not make a good faith effort
to choose the correct division (or intentionally registered for
the wrong division in order to easily earn points in a less
competitive division), will be required to compete for the
duration of season in a new division that better suits their
skill level (the correct division will be determined on a
case-by-case basis by the AJG staff in this instance).
Please
contact
the Atlanta Junior Golf office if, at any time,
you have questions about choosing the appropriate skill/age
division.
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