Stonebridge Ranch Country Club
The Hills Course, Senior Men’s Golf Association (SMGA)
Conditions of the Competition During the COVID Pandemic

All SMGA play is governed by the current Official Guide to the Rules of Golf.  The following Conditions of the Competition and Local Rules, together with any additions or amendments published by the SMGA at the golf course, will apply to all SMGA tournaments.

Overview:

  1. All SMGA events are designed to be as non-contact as possible during the COVID pandemic, each member must follow the social distancing rules established by the Club.
  2. Each Tee Group must select a player to enter the hole-by-hole scores into Golf Genius during play.
  3. Your score, as displayed on Golf Genius, is your official tournament score and assuring that your score for each hole is correctly entered into Golf Genius is your responsibility.  It is highly recommended that you verify each hole’s score on Golf Genius before leaving the course.  The Golf Genius App provides numerous ways for you to personally check your score.  However, if you choose not to check independently or to validate your scores with the one member entering the scores, you run the risk of submitting an incorrect score card.  If you submit a score lower than your actual score the penalty is DQ, if you enter a score higher than your actual score the higher score stands (Rule 3.3b).
  4. Paper scorecards may be provided as a courtesy; however, their use is not required.
  5. All ties are decided by scorecard playoff using the count-back method (Last 9, 6, 3, 1 holes, strokes fall as they lie on the card) & then Last to First.

 

We have six local rules briefly described below.  For the full text of any Local Rule referenced below, please refer to the SMGA Bylaws.

  1. Maximum Score on any hole is Net Double Bogey, if you can’t do better, pick up and enter Net Double Bogey. (Yes, it’s legal, see Rule 22)
  2. Hole 24 dropping zone [Relief from the left penalty area, drop at the 150 yd marker, one stroke penalty.  This is only for hole 24 and only if the ball is in the penalty area, there are no other dropping zones]
  3. Abnormal Conditions in Bunkers (exposed liners and washed out sand treated as Ground Under Repair)
  4. Alternative to stroke and distance penalty for ball lost or out of bounds [if ball is lost or out of bounds, drop in fairway within 2 club lengths from the edge, two stroke penalty]
  5. Preferred lies [Lift Clean & Place, used when the entire course is cart path only.  Within one grip length, and only if in closely mown area.]

 

Helpful Hints:

  1. Reminder, all SMGA play is in accordance with the full rules of golf.
  2. Because the maximum score on any hole is net double bogey, it legal to pick up and enter net double bogey as the score for that hole.  For example, if your next stroke is for net double bogey, just pick up, you do not need to line it up and make it.
  3. There are NO “gimmee” putts, but max double bogey to pick up is even better than gimmee putts!
  4. There are:
    1. No dropping zones on par 3’s
    2. No self-declared ground under repair
    3. No winter rules, or waived rules, etc.
  5. Play the course as you find it and play your ball as it lies.

 

September 21, 2020