Article 6

Section 1. Jurisdiction

The Rules of Golf as approved by the United States Golf Association (USGA) shall be applied except in those circumstances where local GGA Rules prevail.

The USGA 14 club limit is in effect for all GGA tournaments.
All putts must be holed, no exceptions.
The ball will be played down (no preferred lies).

The GGA Officers and Advisory Board will, from time to time, be empowered to suggest and adopt new rules as they become necessary. The addition, deletion or modification of rules will require a majority vote of the GGA Officers and Advisory Board. Following is a list of the Local GGA Rules:

All "Out of Bounds" at the Grapevine Golf Course will be played as if the ball was lost in a penalty area.
"A" and "B" flights will play from the Blue Tees, and the "C" and "D" flights will play from the White Tees in all GGA tournaments, with the exception of the GGA Senior tournaments where all flights will play from the White Tees.
Free relief will be given from all staked or fenced trees and shrubs at the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole, if the stake, support, or fence interferes with the players intended stance or swing path. Free relief will NOT be given from a tree with a fence around the trunk of the tree unless the fence solely interferes with the players intended stance or swing path.
In the case of a lost ball, the player, after taking a penalty of one stroke, may play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was most likely lost. The player shall seek the concurrence of his playing companions as to the spot from which the original ball was most likely lost.
On #9 of the Mockingbird and Pecan Courses, if a player hits their tee ball into the water, one of the options available to them will be to proceed to the drop area located in front of the red tee box, take a drop and a one stroke penalty, and proceed from there. All of the normal options for a penalty area are still available to the player should they choose to use them.
On #7 of the Pecan Course, there are penalty areas down the left and right sides of fairway. All of the normal options for taking relief from a penalty area are available to the player, including going to the designated drop area.
On #2 of the Bluebonnet Course, there is an environmental sensitive no play zone penalty area down the right side of fairway. Entering the environmentally sensitive area will result in an additional two stroke penalty. If your ball is visible and can be reached with a club or ball retriever, without stepping into the environmentally sensitive area, you may rake it out. All of the normal options for taking relief from the no play zone penalty area down the right side and the penalty area down the left side of the fairway are available to the player, including going to the designated drop area.
On #4 of the Bluebonnet Course, there is an out of bounds fence to the left of the hole and an environmentally sensitive no play zone penalty area in front of the tee box and down the right side of the hole. A player who hits his ball left out of bounds or in the environmentally sensitive no play zone penalty area must proceed to the drop area located in front of the red tee box take a drop and a one stroke penalty, and proceed from there. Entering the environmentally sensitive area will result in an additional two stroke penalty. If your ball is visible and can be reached with a club or ball retriever, without stepping into the environmentally sensitive area, you may rake it out; take a one stroke penalty; and then you must proceed to the drop area to play your next shot.
On #3 and #4 of the Pecan Course, if a ball strikes a telephone or electric-power line or poles that support the wires, the player MUST disregard that stroke and play another ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was played (no penalty stroke).
On #3 and #4 of the Pecan Course, the right side is played as a penalty area from the berm where golf course maintenance stops cutting the grass going up the side of the dam. You may look for your ball (no more than 3 minutes), the odds of finding it are very slim, drop a ball where it crossed into the penalty area and take a 1 stroke penalty and proceed.
Parts of the golf course are unmaintained natural unkept native areas. The edge between the maintained golf course and unmaintained natural areas is often unmarked. If unmarked, consider it a penalty area and consider the edge between the unmaintained natural area and the maintained area as the penalty area line.

Section 3. Pace of Play Guidelines and Penalties

Pace of play is important to our association, and we continually strive for an average round time of 4 hours. To achieve this, players should aim to complete their round in 4 hours. This target is especially achievable for early tee times and is essential to maintaining our overall pace of play standard of 4 hour.

The GGA Pace of Play expectation is:

a) Be in position with the group in front of you.

b) Complete your 18 holes in 4 hours or less.

To monitor and evaluate the Pace of Play expectation:

a) Each group's scorecard will show their start time off the first tee.

b) When each group reaches the 10^th tee, their 9 holes completion time will be recorded.

c) When each group completes their 18 holes, the finish time will be recorded.

Every attempt will be made by the GGA to have Marshals on the course during each tournament giving feedback to each group as to their position to the group in front of them, and if possible, their time and/or Pace of Play to that point on the course. Even if there are no Marshals on the course, each group is responsible for maintaining their proper position on the course with the group in front of them (not behind them).

Your group is "In Position with the group in front of you" when:

a) On a Par 3 Your group arrives at the tee box as the group in front of you is replacing the flag and walking off the green.

b) On a Par 4 Your group arrives at the tee box as the group in front of you is driving away after hitting their approach shots to the green (2^nd shots).

c) On a Par 5 Your group arrives at the tee box as the group in front of you is driving away after hitting their lay-up or approach shots to the green (2^nd shots).

Should your group arrive at a tee box later than any of the situations described above, your group is out of position with the group in front of you. SPEED UP YOUR PACE OF PLAY until you are back in a position as described above; then maintain your position to the group in front of you for the remainder of your round.

a) Should your group fall behind, the Marshal will give your group a warning to catch up within the next 2 holes. On the next warning by the Marshal, the entire group will be PENALIZED ONE STROKE and given another 2 holes to catch up. If slow play continues, the entire group will be moved up one hole by the Marshal and accessed a double par for the hole they are playing.

A Volunteer Ambassador or GGA Advisory Board member will be near the 10^th tee box (1^st check-point) to record turn time completion of the first 9 holes and let each group know how they are doing in relation to the group in front of them. The first 9 holes turn time is recorded when the entire group reaches the 10th tee box.

Should a group take more than 2 hours 10 minutes to complete their first 9 holes and are 16 minutes or more behind the group in front of them, each player in the group will be assessed a ONE STROKE PENALTY to be added to their score on the just-completed 9 holes.

A Volunteer Ambassador or GGA Advisory Board member will be near the 10^th tee box or 18^th Green (2^nd check-point) to record turn time completion of the last 9 holes and let each group know how they did in relation to the group that finished in front of them.

Should a group take more than 2 hours 5 minutes to complete their last 9 holes and are 16 minutes or more behind the group in front of them, each player in the group will be assessed a ONE STROKE PENALTY to be added to their just completed last 9 holes.

The "16 minute" out of position gap time is based on a 4 hour 18-hole time being an average of 13 minutes per hole. Par 3s should take about 10 minutes, Par 4s about 13 minutes and Par 5s about 15 minutes. Thus, a 16-minute finishing time gap would put the group at least a hole behind the group in front of them and considered out of position on the golf course.

Should a majority of the players in a group being penalized communicate that a single player in the group was the sole cause for the group's unsatisfactory Pace of Play the penalty stroke(s) will be given only to that player.

In the interest of speed and fairness to all players, any Pace of Play penalty stroke assessment will be made by the Tournament Committee prior to the end of the day in which the infraction took place.

Any Pace of Play penalty stroke assessment will be communicated directly to the GGA Handicap Chairman for tournament results calculations and to the recipient of the penalty strokes and will be disclosed to all GGA members.

Assessed penalty strokes will be added to a player's score for determination of the player's standing/final results in the respective tournament in which they were assessed, but will not be added when entering the player's score into the GHIN Handicap system.

GGA tournaments played under "Cart Path Only" guidelines or under a process other than scheduled tee times may have any or all of these guidelines waived by the Tournament Committee.

Section 4. Hole-in-One

When a member, or multiple members in the same GGA Tournament makes a Hole-in-One that is attested by members of the group, that member or members will be paid $1000 cash. Included are the regular monthly GGA and Senior Tournaments; the GGA Away Tournament; GGA Senior Away Tournament; Grapevine Cup Finals; and Byron Nelson Cup Finals. All Flights will play from the same PAR 3 tees. On each of the nine holes, the hardest handicap PAR 3 will be played from the designated C and D Flight Tees and the easiest handicap PAR 3 will be played from the designated A and B Flight Tees. The Prize Money will be paid without regard to any other circumstances other than making a Hole-in-One. Not included are the Spring Match Play; Summer Match Play; and Lakeside Cup Match Play Tournaments and any Hole-In-Ones made during those tournaments are not eligible for Hole-in-One payout.

Section 5. GGA Handicap Information

a) GGA Handicaps are calculated using the USGA GHIN World Handicap System (WHS). You must have an active Grapevine Golf Course GHIN handicap to play GGA tournaments.

b) GGA Course Handicaps will be limited to a maximum of 36.

c) It is recommended that you enter your scores in the GHIN system hole-by-hole, if hole-by-hole scoring is not used, the gross score must be adjusted manually for a maximum score of net double bogey for each hole played. *Net double bogey calculation: Par of the hole + 2 strokes + any handicap strokes that the player receives on that hole.

d) All new members without an established GHIN handicap will play their first round with a "0" handicap, unless they have provided the GGA Handicap Chairman with a verifiable handicap that is deemed acceptable by the Handicap Chairman at least one week prior to their first GGA tournament played. This handicap will be considered as provisional (i.e., the minimum net score posted in any GGA tournament will be 70) until the new member has three (3) GGA tournament scores posted. Provisional Handicaps will be based on the verifiable handicap provided or the lowest handicap differential of the GGA scores posted, whichever is lower.

Section 6. Tiebreaker Method

a) In the case of ties, the USGA recommended tiebreaker method of matching scorecards will be used to determine the winner on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If still tied, use the best score for the last six, last three holes, and finally the 18^th hole. The last nine holes, last six holes, etc. is considered to be holes 10-18, 13-18, etc. on the scorecard. If still tied, the scorecard playoff will start on 18 and go backwards hole by hole until a winner is determined. If still tied, a coin toss will be used to determine the winner. For Net results, one-half (for the last 9 holes), one-third (last six holes), one-sixth (last 3 holes), one-eighteenth (hole by hole) of the handicap will be deducted. Fractions of one-half stroke or more should count as a full stroke; any lesser fractions should be disregarded.

b) In the case of a two-day tournament, the first tiebreaker method used to determine the winner will be on the basis of the best total score for the second day and then the last nine holes of the second day.

c) In the case of a Match Play tiebreaker, check in the pro shop to see if it's possible to continue playing until someone wins a hole and the match, otherwise a scorecard playoff will start on #18 and go backwards until a winner is determined. The pro shop staff will determine the course to continue play on based on first availability (it may not be from your original 18 hole rotation and any handicap strokes will be applied per the course selected). If the match continues and no one wins a hole before it's too dark to play or weather stops play, a scorecard playoff will determine the winner.

d) In the case of a GGA Championship or Senior Championship tie for A Flight 1st Place Gross, check in the pro shop to see if it's possible to have a sudden death playoff, if it's not possible to have a playoff, a scorecard playoff will determine the winner as described in a) above. The pro shop staff will determine the course to continue play on based on first availability (it may not be from the original 18-hole course rotation. If the playoff continues and no one wins a hole before it's too dark to play or weather stops play, a scorecard playoff will determine the winner as described in a) above.

Section 7. GGA Championship, GGA Senior Championship, A. J. Harper and Match Play Tournament Qualifications

a) GGA Championship - To qualify to play the GGA Championship, a member must have played, during the current season, in at least (4) four GGA tournaments prior to the first day of the September GGA Championship, not counting GGA Senior tournaments.

b) GGA Senior Championship - To qualify to play the GGA Senior Championship, a member must have played, during the current season, in at least (4) four GGA Senior tournaments prior to the first day of the September Senior Championship. A member must be 55 years of age or older to be eligible to play in a GGA Senior tournament.

c) A. J. Harper Tournament - To qualify to play in the A. J. Harper Tournament, a member must have played, during the current season, in at least (4) four GGA tournaments prior to the A. J. Harper Tournament.

d) Match Play Tournaments - Spring Match Play and Summer Match Play tournaments are open to GGA members with a minimum of four (4) GGA tournaments scores on record.

e) Away Tournaments - are open to GGA members with a minimum of three (3) GGA tournament scores on record, including the prior season.

f) A member who fails to meet the qualifications, as outlined above, may request an exemption due to medical/surgery recovery time resulting in missing more than 8 weeks of golf. All requests shall be reviewed by the GGA Advisory Board and approved/denied based on the specific circumstances of each request. The decision of the Board shall be final.

Section 8. Incomplete Tournaments

In situations where an 18-hole tournament cannot be completed due to darkness, inclement weather or another force majeure and all players/groups have completed at least the same 9 holes for the tournament.

If one or more groups cannot complete all 18 holes during an Individual Stroke Play tournament, but all of the players from some Flight(s) finished all 18 holes, then:

The results for the Flight(s) that all players in the Flight finished 18 holes will be calculated as an 18-hole tournament.
The results for the Flight(s) that all players did not finish 18 holes will be calculated for all players in the Flight(s) based on the number of holes completed by all players in the Flights(s). (For example, if the last group in a Flight completed 16 holes, the results will be for a 16-hole tournament for all players in the Flight(s)).
Skins for the entire field will be based on the holes completed by the entire field. (In the example above, skins will be determined for 16 holes for all players in all Flights)
Grapevine/Nelson Cup points will be awarded based on each Player"s net score for holes completed by the all Players in the field (i.e. based on 16 holes in the example above).

If one or more groups cannot complete all 18 holes during a Team event with multi-Flight teams, then:

The Team and Individual results of the tournament will be based on the number of holes completed by all players in the field. (For example, if the last group completed 16 holes, the results will be for a 16-hole tournament.
Skins for the entire field will be based on the holes completed by the entire field. (In the example above, skins will be determined for 16 holes for all players in all Flights)
Grapevine/Nelson Cup points will be awarded based on each Player"s net score for holes completed by all Players in the field (i.e. based on 16 holes in the example above).

Section 9. Lift Clean and Place Procedure

When the Grapevine Golf Course Staff informs the GGA that it is "Cart Paths Only" for a tournament or should the GGA Officers declare "Lift, Clean and Place" for a tournament the following Lift, Clean and Place procedures will be used:

When a player"s ball lies in a part of the general area, but not in a penalty area or no play zone, the ball may be lifted cleaned and replaced without penalty. The player must mark the spot before lifting the ball (per Rule 14.1) and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (per Rule 14.2).

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a (Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play).