RULES, SCORING, HANDICAPS, FLIGHTS & RAIN

A. CURRENT RULES: 

 

** New local rule for 2023 (See LOCAL RULES below):

A player may use his club head only to move his ball within 6 inches of it's resting place anywhere in the general area. The ball must not be moved to a different area of the course. In other words, from the rough to fairway or from fringe to green. The ball may not be picked up or cleaned. The rationale for this rule is that many players do this despite the official rules prohibiting it. Thus, we make a more level playing field for all members.

  1) For official 2023 RCGA rules, click on USGA/R&A Full Rule Book.
There does not seem to be much change from the 2019 version that effects our amateur play so we are leaving in references to 2019 rules.

  2) For 2019 abridged edition click PLAYER'S EDITION.

 NEW RULES from JAN.1, 2019

Here are 3 VIDEO links for the New Rules: 1) for a synopsis of the 2019 changes see RULES. 2) for more detail on rules click on this USGA video link. 3) also for PGA Tour videos of the new rules click here.
4) With the new rule allowing putting with the flag in, some will wonder whether flag-in or flag-out confers any advantage. Here are a couple of links where they did testing to see which is best:
Pin-in vs pin-out!, and Another test! For a different opinion see this article. Some of these new 2019 Rules briefly stated are: 1) Competitors shall be allowed up to three (3) minutes to search for a ball (Rule 18); 2) Must drop from knee height (Rule 14); 3) If you double hit a ball, count only one stroke (Rule 10.1a); 4) Loose impediments can be removed everywhere, but if in doing so a ball moves, then it must be replaced with a one (1) stroke penalty (Rule 15.1b); 5) Ball on green moved accidentally by player (Rule 13), no penalty; 6) No penalty if ball hits flagstick (Rule 13); 7) Recommended to make a stroke in less than 40 secs. (Rule 5.6b(1)); 8) Club damaged by player during play cannot be replaced (Rule 4.1b); 9) There is no free relief from a 'boundary object' (ie. OB stake) and ball must be played as it lies, or you can proceed under stroke and distance (Rule 18.1) or declare it unplayable (Rule 19.1); 10) If you play a ball from a penalty area the same rules apply as in the general area. You can take a practice swing in the penalty area and touch grasses and ground without penalty, provided you don't improve the lie of the ball or improve your stance or intended swing. 11) If you play a WRONG BALL anywhere in the course (including in a penalty area) there is a 2 stroke penalty. All strokes made with a wrong ball do not count but the player must correct his mistake and go back to the original spot and play a ball.
For PACE OF PLAY suggestions in Rule 5.6(b) see Player's Edition in Para. A.2) above. B.

LOCAL RULES - for all courses on the Tour:

All play will be governed by RCGA Rules with exceptions of local rules below.

The London Senior Tour has introduced these local rules because of
conditions at some of our courses and the lack of marking of penalty
areas (formerly called lateral and water hazards in the old rules of golf)

and for speeding up the pace of play.
 

1) New Rule 2023 - A player may use his club head only to move his ball within 6 inches of it's resting place anywhere in the general area. The ball may not be picked up or cleaned. The rationale for this rule is that many players do this despite the official rules prohibiting it. Thus, we make a more level playing field for all members.
 

2) All bunker shots will allow “Lift, Rake and Place” to cover those "concrete"
bunker situations and facilitate removal of stones near the ball.

3) If one's ball is on an exposed tree root you may move it 30 cm (12 inches)
to get away from root or roots and provide a safe lie.
You cannot get relief from the tree itself, this rule is strictly for the safety
of the player when striking the ball and is not intended to provide for a clear
swing of the club.

4) If you hit a ball out of bounds, you may a) re-tee for stroke and distance penalty
or b) place a ball on the fairway laterally from the point where the ball went
out of bounds for a TWO STROKE penalty.

5) If you hit a ball in a marked or seemingly unmarked penalty area, any “fescue” or any areas where you cannot find your ball, but not out of bounds, you may deem the ball as being in a red staked penalty area. You should use reasonable judgement (and consult with your tee group) as to where a red staked line would reasonably be placed. Drop a ball outside the deemed penalty area in the general area, two club lengths from where the ball crossed the deemed red stake line no closer to the pin from where the ball entered the deemed penalty area, for a one stroke penalty. For example, if a ball were hit into fescue or into the woods, you would deem the edge of the fescue or the edge of the woods as the edge of the penalty area. In the not unusual case where a ball is lost in the fairway, first or second cuts of rough, one would drop a ball for a one stroke penalty where you and your tee group estimate the ball to be lost and in the same part of the course where the ball was lost. Generally, no free upgrades from rough to fairway.

 

(This is put in place to speed up the pace of play and ensure that everyone is playing by the same rules without the questions concerning the status of the penalty area. In effect, any ball lost and not out of bounds and in the "general area" (formerly "through the green") will be treated in the same manner as having entered a marked penalty area and subject to the lateral penalty procedures of Rule 17.1).

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6) Also to speed up play competitors are encouraged to play "ready golf" and to putt the ball continuously until it is holed out rather than marking short putts.

 

 Also see:     VIDEO first then click on this description
 

B. SCORING:

In order to expedite the marking of scorecards, each foursome should mark
their scores on ONE scorecard. The first player shown in each foursome in
the draw should be responsible for picking up the scorecard at the front desk
when paying for green fees. One competitor in the foursome should then
be chosen as the MARKER of the scorecard. The remaining members
in the foursome should maintain their own scorecards in order to verify the
marker's scorecard entries. This main scorecard should be legible and it is
recommended that it be checked by all competitors before 
submitting it to the Committee at the end of the round. It is the responsibility of all players to ensure that their scorecard is returned to the pro shop after the round. There is no requirement for the marker to tally the scores as the computer software does this automatically. On the other hand, a tally by the marker will assist in verification where an entered hole score is confusing (is that a 3 or an 8?).

All scores are entered into our Tournament Manager software which tallies
each players score and produces results reports for stroke play and skins.
The tournament ranking is by gross score within each flight. The software
breaks ties using the RCGA retrogression formula (ie. first low back 9 holes, then low
back 6, low back 3, best score on #18 etc.) until the tie is broken.

Note:  We aim to post tournament RESULTS and SKINS winners for each
event on the Tour website within 24 hours of the completion of the round.
Winners will receive their prizes at the following event. 

C. HANDICAPS:

We have purchased a software program will generate handicaps for all players as events are held during the season. Scores will be entered after each event and handicaps will
be calculated and posted on our website according to the format described
below. All handicaps are based on tournament performance only.

Since a number of NEW players do not have a Golf Association of Ontario 
(GAO) or Golf Canada (GC) approved handicap factor (index), the
Committee has accepted a competitors' self-assessed handicap without
question for the first event. After that a player's handicap will be added
to our Handicap System above and his handicap will be based on his scores
on this Tour only. 

All players will be placed in an appropriate flight for all events based on 
their handicaps generated by our own Handicap System software.

Calculation of Handicaps

We have revised our handicapping system to make the handicaps
more responsive to recent improved performance or conversely,
recent declines in performance.

Our handicap software takes the tournament scores and produces
a handicap for each player which is updated after each event. This
handicap is then transferred to our Tournament Manager (TM) software. 

We  adhere somewhat closely with a pre-2020 RCGA/USGA style handicap but with
changes appropriate to our situation. HS can produce custom handicaps
based on our own criteria as follows:

a) Course ratings and slope ratings are applied to all tournament scores;
b) A multiplier of 1.0 is applied to the calculated handicaps which is similar
    to latest official handicapping by the RCGA;
c) The minimum number of scores required is 1;
d) All scores are included in the calculation up to 4 available scores;
e) From 4 to 8 scores, the best 4 scores are used;
f) Oldest scores in excess of 8 scores are discarded from the calculation.
g) The maximum handicap is limited to 36.

D. FLIGHTS

Due to the size of the Tour, the Committee has decided to set up each
event with eight (8) flights. This will allow players of similar handicaps
to compete against each other on a more equal basis. There will be
between five (5) prizes per flight depending on the number
of players in each flight. Also SKINS will be paid out for each flight. Both Prizes and Skins will be paid out at the following event.

The flights will be adjusted for each tournament to maintain an equal
number of players in each flight. Therefore, players may not only find
themselves shifting between flights as the their index is re-calculated
after each event, but they may also shift between flights depending
on the number of players who show up to any particular event.

If there are more than 3-4 last minute withdrawals from any event on
the preceding Saturday or Sunday, or prior to entering scores after an
event, the Committee reserves the right to re-balance the number of
players in each flight to try and ensure an equal numbers of players
in each flight.

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E. RAIN POLICY

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All players are expected to show up at an event even if raining. Then the Committee will make a decision whether to postpone until the weather passes or cancel it entirely and try to re-schedule to another date.