Eligibility
Membership
Membership of the Golf Club must be paid by the 30th of March in the calendar year. If payment has not been received by this date, the player will be marked as resigned on the Golf Ireland on 31st of March. In doing so they will no longer have an official handicap under the World Handicap System and will not be able to play in a competition or submit general play scores at another club. They will also be ineligible to represent the Club in any Inter Club Competition.
If the payment is not received by the 15th of April in the calendar year, restrictions will be applied to stop members entering internal club competitions and by the 30th of April they will be removed from the Club Computer.
Junior Members must be accompanied by an adult if they wish to enter any Club Competition not specifically organised for Junior Members.
Junior Competitions
Entry into Junior Competitions will be restricted to members who hold Junior Membership of the Golf Club. Membership Categories of existing members will be updated on 31st of March.
60 Plus Competitions
Entry into 60 Plus Competitions will be restricted to members who are aged 60 or over on the day of the competition.
Senior Competitions
Entry into ‘Seniors’ Competitions will be restricted to members who are aged 50 or over on the day of the competition.
Super Senior Competitions
Entry into ‘Super Seniors’ Competitions will be restricted to members who are aged 60 or over on the day of the competition.
Captains Day & Presidents Day
Members must have eight competitions on their scoring record in 2023 to be eligible to win one of the main prizes * on both Captains Day and Presidents Day. General Play score will not be accepted.
The only exception will be for a valid medical reason BUT members must notify Match & Handicap at least one week in advance to be granted this exemption.
* Includes the section prizes
Entry Requirements
Entry Fee
Members must place the £5 entry fee into the relevant slot in the cabinet using the envelopes provided: writing the competition name, date, and their name on the front of the envelope. If the Committee is not able to match a payment to a player or the payment is not received before the competition is being closed, the player will be disqualified from the competition.
Match Play / Winter League
Members must place the entry fee into the relevant slot in the cabinet using the envelopes provided: writing the competition name, date, and their name on the front of the envelope. If the Committee is not able to link a payment to a player or the payment is not received before the entries are closed, the player not being entered into competition. Entry into the Match Play competitions are also subject to payment of the Golf Club Membership fee.
Competition Sign In
Members are required to sign into the round via the Touch Screen or the Electronic Scoring System [HowDidiDo] before proceeding to their first tee.
Score Cards
Electronic Score Cards
Although members can continue to use the HowDidiDo app to return competition scores we will not accept them if a physical score card is not returned. For General Play rounds members can use the HowDidiDo and Golf Ireland app
Physical Score Cards
The player’s score is kept on his or her scorecard by the marker.
Marker’s Responsibility:
After each hole during the round, the marker should confirm with the player the number of strokes on that hole (including strokes made and penalty strokes) and enter that gross score on the scorecard. When the round has ended the marker must sign the hole scores on the scorecard.
Player’s Responsibility:
During the round, the player should keep track of his or her scores for each hole. When the round has ended, the player should
- Carefully check the hole scores entered by the marker and raise any issues with the Committee.
- Must make sure that the marker signs the scorecard,
- Must not change a hole score entered by the marker except with the marker’s agreement or the Committee’s approval, and
- Must sign the scorecard and promptly return it to the cabinet in the members room, after which the player must not change the scorecard.
- If the player breaches any of these requirements in Rule 3.3b, the player is disqualified.
When a Score Card is Returned:
Under the Rules of Golf, the Committee has defined that a score card has been returned once it has been placed into the Cabinet in the members room.
Competition Formats
Weekly Summer Competitions
| Competition | Played Over | Format | Holes | Tees | Entry Fee |
| Sunday Competition | Sunday to Tuesday | Stableford / Max Score | 18 | White | £5 |
| 60 Plus League | Wednesday to Friday | Stableford | 18 | Blue | £5 |
| Midweek Competition | Wednesday to Friday | Stableford | 18 | White | £5 |
| Main Competition Day | Saturday | See Schedule | 18 | White | As published |
Weekly Winter Competitions
| Competition | Played Over | Format | Holes | Tees | Entry Fee |
| Sunday Competition | Sunday to Tuesday | Stableford / Max Score | 18 | Winter | £5 |
| 60 Plus League | Monday to Friday | Stableford | 14 | Winter | £5 |
| Midweek Competition | Wednesday to Friday | Stableford | 18 | Winter | £5 |
| Main Competition Day | Saturday | See Schedule | 9 | Winter | £5 |
The Competition name will have a suffix to identify when the format of the competition is NOT Stableford
- Stroke: when it is a Stroke Play Competition
- Max: when it is a Maximum Score Competition and the maximum score on each hole is par plus five
- vPar: when it is a Par / Bogey Competition with the fixed score set as par.
Stableford Competitions
The Cup or Shield is awarded to the member with the highest Stableford points subject to meeting all entry requirements.
Sunday Trophy / 60 Plus Trophy / Winter Sunday, Midweek and 60 Plus
The winner will be the player with the highest total points for 2/3 of the weeks played.
External Qualifying Competitions
The member with the highest Stableford points will progress to the relevant competition final subject to meeting all entry requirements.
36 Hole Seniors: May
Winner will have the highest two Stableford scores submitted in a competition played from the WHITE tee boxes during May from members aged 50 or over. In the event of a tie the better second round will be used.
36 Hole Super Seniors: May
Winner will have the highest two Stableford scores submitted in a competition played from the BLUE tee boxes during May from members aged 60 or over. In the event of a tie the better second round will be used.
36 Hole Club Champion
The twenty-four members with the lowest nett scores from two of the three rounds qualifying rounds will play to become the Club Champion. Qualifiers will be asked to play in a 36-hole competition to determine the winner who has the lowest nett score over the two rounds.
Davidson Cup
The member with the lowest nett score from four of the six Davidson Cup rounds wins the trophy. These will be setup as Maximum Score.
Walker Cups
The Walker Cups will be awarded to the lowest nett score in each section/division. This competition will be setup as a Stroke Play with no maximum score.
Edgar Scratch Cup
The Edgar Scratch Cup will be awarded to the lowest gross score on the day of the competition subject to meeting all entry requirements. This competition will be setup as a Stroke Play with no maximum score.
Season Championship – Sam Heslip Memorial
The top twenty-five members and ties on the season long Order of Merit after the previous Midweek competition will compete for the ‘Season Championship’. The qualifier with the lowest nett score will win the trophy.
Sunday Stroke Competition
The member with the lowest nett score from four of the six competitions rounds wins the trophy
Scratch Series
Order of Merit point will be allocated for placing in all the Saturday Stroke competitions based on gross scores for the round plus Captains & Presidents Day.
Campbell McCleave
This will be played as better ball competition with the top eight Stableford points and ties qualifying for a Four Ball Match Play competition. The draw for the Match Play will be seeded and Match Play rules will apply for each match.
Tom Brown Four Man Team Stableford
In addition to the Stableford competition each fourball is given an addition score card to record their team’s points as follows below. The winners are the team with the highest Stableford points
Holes 1-6: 2 best scores are recorded on the additional score
Holes 7-12: 3 best scores are recorded on the additional score
Holes 13-18: All 4 scores are recorded on the additional score
Yellow Ball
In addition to the Stableford competition each fourball is given an addition score card to record their team’s points and a yellow ball; with members taking in sequence to play with the yellow ball and record their score for that hole on the additional score card. Once the yellow ball is lost the team cannot score any more points. The winners are the team with the highest Stableford points.
If playing as a fourball members will play with the yellow ball at
Player 1 – Holes 1, 5, 9, 13 and 17
Player 2 Holes 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18
Player 3 Holes 3, 7, 11 and 15
Player 4 Holes 4, 8, 12, and 16
Club Masters
In addition to the competitions identified on the competition schedule the winners of the following competitions will compete for the Club Masters Trophy: Davidson Cup; Matchplay Singles; Scratch Matchplay Cup; Order of Merit; 36 Hole Club Champion; May Day Trophy; Sunday Trophy; 5 Day Members Trophy and the 60 Plus Members Trophy. The qualifier with the best Stableford score will win the trophy.
Order of Merit / Golfer of the Year
Order of Merit points are awarded for each identified Saturday competition for the top forty ‘best’ scores across all sections/divisions. Additional points will be awarded for the for placing in the top three of the 18-hole Stableford competitions. The member with the highest point total at the end of the season wins ‘Golfer of the Year’
Competition Prizes
Resolving Ties
Matching scorecards [Score Card Count back] is to determine the winner based on the best score for the last round.
If the tying players have the same score for the last round or if the competition consisted of a single round, the winner will be determined based on the score for the last nine holes, last six holes, last three holes and finally the 18th hole. If there is still a tie, then the last six holes, three holes and final hole of the first nine holes will be considered in turn.
If the round is less than 18 holes, the number of holes used in matching scores may be adjusted.
If the round is played over nine holes, the winner will be determined based on the score for the last six holes, last three holes and if there is still a tie then a joint prize will be awarded.
Sunday and Midweek Competitions
The Committee will allocate a fixed percentage of the competition entry fees to the prize fund including for the 2s competition.
If a player scores a hole in one, they will be awarded half of the 2s prize fund with the remaining being divided between all other players with a two on their score card.
The prize fund for the competition will be awarded to winners in one section until there are enough entries to award three prizes in two sections. Under normal circumstances this is when there are 32 or more entries.
When prizes are being awarded to two sections the Committee will split the sections as evenly as possible.
Saturday Competitions
The Committee will inform all players when this is subject to change.
If a player scores a hole in one, they will be awarded half of the 2s prize fund with the remaining being divided between all other players with a two on their score card.
| Summer Stableford | Summer Maximum | Summer Stroke | Summer vPar | Winter |
| Overall Winner | Best Nett | Best Gross | Overall Winner | Two Divisions |
| Sections x 3 | Sections x 3 | Sections x 3 | Sections x 3 | Sections x 2 |
| First | First | First | First | First |
| Second | Second | Second | Second | Second |
| Third | Third | Third | Third | Third |
| Best Gross | Best Gross | Best Gross | ||
| 2s | 2s | 2s | 2s | 2s |
Men’s Match Play Rules
Entries
Members must place the entry fee into the relevant slot in the cabinet using the envelopes provided: writing the competition name, date, and their name on the front of the envelope. If the Committee is not able to link a payment to a player or the payment is not received before the entries are closed, the player not being entered into competition. Entry into the Match Play competitions are also subject to payment of the Golf Club Membership fee.
Draw
The Match Play draws will be made randomly.
All rounds are to be completed on or before the notified date. Any match played after the notified date, without prior agreement from a member of the Match and Handicap Committee, will be considered null and void and result in disqualification from the competition.
Responsibility for arranging a match lies with all players named. The players must make at least two attempts to arrange the match.
Matches should be arranged by agreement. Responsibility for arranging a match lies with all players named. The players must make at least two attempts to arrange the match by agreement. If players are unable to agree a convenient date to play it is assumed that the match will take place at 5.00pm on the last available playing date for that round. If a player or players do not present themselves at the first tee by 5.00pm on that date such persons will be disqualified from the competition.
Format
All matches are to be played from the white competition tees. The Honour is determined by the draw; with the player or side drawn top of the draw having it on the first tee.
Players must check and declare their current playing handicap to their opponent:
- Individual = Course Handicap x 100%
- Four-ball = Course Handicap x 90%
- Foursomes = 50% of Combined Course Handicaps
In the singles competition shots are given based on the playing handicaps. In four-ball competitions shots are given based on the lowest playing handicap. In the men’s foursome’s competition each pair adds up their course handicaps then divide this total by two. Shots are then given based on the lowest of the two playing handicaps.
After 18 holes and the match is all square, you start at the first hole and the higher handicap(s) will have the same number of shots as if they are just starting the match.
All local rules in force for Saturday competitions will apply to each match. Please check the club notice boards for details.
When the Result of the Competition Is Final
Match Play
The result of a match is final when the winners name is recorded on the draw sheet in the members room by one of the players in the match.
Stroke Play
The result of a competition is final when the Committee have closed the competition and awarded the prize vouchers to the members competition count.
Match Play Dispute
Question: I was playing a match play competition. My opponent and I disputed a rule. We could not agree and decided to continue playing the match and ask the Committee for a ruling when we finished. Is this the correct procedure?
Answer: Yes; The players should continue the match without delay (providing that there is no representative of the committee available within a reasonable time). You should then contact the Competition Organiser as soon as possible
The Committee can only consider a claim if the player making the claim notifies his opponent: –
(i) that he is making a claim (see below)
(ii) of the facts of the situation
(iii) that he wants a ruling
In order to make a claim the player must say “I am making a claim” or “that is not allowed it is a penalty”. Statements such as “I’m sure that not allowed” or “I don’t think that you can do that” do not by themselves constitute a valid claim.
The claim must be made before any player in the match plays from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole, before all players have left the putting green.
A later claim cannot be considered by the Committee, unless it is based on facts unknown to the player making the claim, and that he has been given wrong information e.g. when a player has declared a handicap higher than that to which he is entitled and this effects the number of strokes given or received. In this instance the player will be disqualified.
Saturday Tee Times
Members scheduled to play in the Saturday Competition must if unable to compete withdraw their names from the timesheet preferably before 5:30pm on the preceding Friday evening. Members not doing so will be fined the cost of the competition.
This fine will automatically be deducted from the members prize account. In the event a member has no funds, or insufficient funds in their account, the net amount due must be paid before they will be eligible to compete in club competitions.
Any member who believes they have good and sufficient reason for failing to remove their name from the start sheet may appeal to the Match & Handicap Committee who may, at their discretion, reverse the fine.
Failure to remove your name for three consecutive weeks will mean you will lose your permanent tee time for which the Match & Handicap Committee will require a written request to seek tee time reinstatement.
Members who move from their slot three out of five consecutive weeks without valid reason will be required to forego their permanent tee time and fill the vacant slots when they become available.