The Grapevine Cup

What is the Grapevine Cup?

The Grapevine Cup is an optional Season-long competition in which GGA Members who elect to participate can accumulate Grapevine Cup Points in each Cup eligible GGA Tournament they play in during that Tournament Year through the GGA Championship. Each Cup Participant's Net Score for a Cup eligible GGA Tournament is compared to all other Net Scores of Grapevine Cup Participants playing in that Tournament to determine Cup Point distribution. After the conclusion of the GGA Championship, the Top 32 Grapevine Cup Point earners are eligible to pay a $26.00 Entry Fee to compete in the Grapevine Cup Finals and are eligible to compete for cash prizes.

How does it work?

Have you found yourself finishing in good position in a number of tournaments throughout the year and wished we had an event that rewarded the players who played great all year? Then this is the right event for you.

The Grapevine Cup competition is an optional season long event. To participate, GGA Members must pay a separate, one time, annual $31 entry fee any time prior to the GGA Championship. Whenever a Member signs up, only those Cup Tournaments and Net Scores posted after sign up will give him the opportunity to earn Cup Points. Please note, initial sign up and entry for the Cup must occur by the normal cutoff date for any monthly tournament in order to have that tournament count. A GGA member is only required to sign up one time and pay his $31 entry fee to be considered a Cup Participant.

At the conclusion of each Cup Tournament, all Cup participants will earn Cup points based on their Net score as compared to the Net scores of all other Cup Participants competing in that particular Tournament. After each Cup Tournament, Cup Points earned in that Cup Tournament and Year-To-Date Cup Points Standings will be posted on our GGA web site along with other Tournament results. By utilizing Net scores throughout the season as well as in the Grapevine Cup Finals, it allows us the opportunity to compete fairly across all flights.

At the conclusion of the GGA Championship, the top 32 Cup Point earners from the entire season will be announced and those players will have an opportunity to compete in the Grapevine Cup Finals (2 day Cup Tournament). There will be a $26 entry fee to compete in the Grapevine Cup Finals. Similar to the Fed Ex Cup on the PGA Tour, the top Cup Point earners who choose to play in and complete the 36-hole Cup Finals will be the Cup Participants who are eligible to win the Grapevine Cup and earn the cash prizes for the Top 16 Cup Point Finishers.

Sign up for the Grapevine Cup must occur by the normal cutoff date for any monthly tournament in order to have that tournament count, including the remaining tournaments through the GGA Championship. Previous tournaments played prior to signing up for the Grapevine Cup will not count.

You cannot win the Grapevine Cup or prize money if you do not play in the Cup Finals or are disqualified or withdraw from the Cup Finals.

Which tournaments are included?

With the exception of the A.J. Harper Memorial Tournament; Match Play Tournaments; and the GrapeFest Golf Classic, the other Tournaments listed on the GGA Tournament Schedule for the Tournament Year are Cup eligible GGA tournaments.

Remember that Senior Tournaments are a completely different "tour" of their own; and no Net Scores in a Senior Tournament have an impact on Grapevine Cup standings and/or calculations. How many places earn Cup Points in each Cup Tournament?

The 80 lowest Net Score Cup participants will earn points based upon their Net finish against other Cup participants. We will utilize 100% of each Cup participant's handicap for the purposes of calculating Net finishes.

How many Cup Points are earned for each Cup Tournament?

Regular monthly Cup Tournaments and GGA Away Tournament

GGA Championship

*The below Cup points are awarded to those competing in BOTH DAYS of the GGA Championship. The Saturday event will be counted as a normal monthly Cup Tournament (thus, you have the opportunity to win Cup Points twice should you place both days of the GGA Championship). Please see "Cup Tournaments" above for points earned based upon your Saturday-only results.

Grapevine Cup Finals

How will I know my position on a monthly basis in the Cup standings?

At the conclusion of each Cup Tournament, a complete list of Year-To-Date Cup Points earnings for each Cup-participating player will be produced and posted to the GGA website. At the conclusion of the GGA Championship, a final list of Cup Points by participating player will be produced showing the final standings for Grapevine Cup points. The 32 highest Cup Point earners will be eligible to play in the Grapevine Cup finals.

Does this mean we are changing the number of places we award prizes to in each regular tournament throughout the season?

As we have done in the past, we will continue to pay the top 3 places in each flight for Gross and Net for each GGA Tournament. All GGA Members participating in a monthly tournament are eligible for these payouts. Separate from this, only Cup Participants may earn Cup Points in each Cup Tournament.

Why are we using Net scores rather than Gross scores?

Since Cup Participants will be competing against all other Cup Participants in each Cup Tournament, we have a desire to create an equal opportunity for every Cup Participant in the year long Cup Competition to earn a spot in the Cup Finals. Using Net scores to determine order of finish in each Cup Tournament compares everyone's performance throughout the year to par and the course index to create this equal opportunity.

How many events must I compete in throughout the year to qualify?

You may compete is as many or few Cup Tournaments as you wish while competing for the Grapevine Cup. Participation is purely optional. Once a player declares he wishes to compete for the Cup and pays his $31 entry fee, he can play in as many Cup Tournaments as he wishes. However, in order to win the Grapevine Cup and qualify for the Cup Finals cash payouts, a Cup Participant must play in and complete all 36 holes of the Grapevine Cup Finals. Keep in mind, that the more tournaments played the better chance you have to earn Cup Points and be one of the top 32 Cup point earners to make it into The Cup Finals and compete for the Grapevine Cup.

What format will the Grapevine Cup Finals be?

The Grapevine Cup Finals will be a 2-day, individual stroke play event using Net scores to determine the Grapevine Cup Champion. Each of the Top 32 Cup Points Earners who choose to compete in the Cup Finals will pay a $26.00 Entry Fee and will become the Cup Participants who are eligible to win the Grapevine Cup and the cash payouts from the Cup Finals. Cup Finals Participant will play with their Handicap calculated through the GGA Championship; will bring their Year-To-Date cumulative Grapevine Cup Points with them; and must complete all 36 holes of the Cup Finals to be eligible for the Cup Championship and payouts.

At the conclusion of the Cup Finals, the Cup Participant whose total of year to date Cup Points and Cup Points won in the Cup Final will be declared the Grapevine Cup Champion and win the 1st place prize. The Cup Participant whose total Cup Points (using the same formula as 1st place) is the second highest will win the 2nd place prize. This formula and process will be repeated until the top 16 Cup Point earners are identified and awarded their prizes.

How will ties be addressed?

Any and all ties for positions during the Grapevine Cup Tournaments and through the Cup Finals will be addressed and settled using the same tie breaker steps used by our Handicap Chairman in GGA Monthly Tournaments.

When will the Grapevine Cup Finals be played?

The second Saturday and Sunday in October with the first tee time starting at 10:00am both days. The dates of the Grapevine Cup Finals will be listed on the GGA Tournament Schedule for each year.

How much money is available in the Grapevine Cup?

All prizes awarded after the conclusion of the Grapevine Cup Finals will be cash. The total cash pot available will depend on the number of entrants. To be eligible, members must pay a $31 entry fee prior to the GGA Championship as described above. The 32 highest Cup Point earners, as computed through the GGA Championship as described above, will pay a $26 entry fee to compete in the Grapevine Cup Finals. All of these funds will be the Grapevine Cup Finals prize fund. If for example, 100 players sign up for the Grapevine Cup and pay the $31 entry fee, the prize fund begins with $3,000. In addition, the 32 top Cup Point earners who sign up to play in the Grapevine Cup Finals pay an additional $26 creating an additional $800. The total prize fund would be $3,800.

How many players from each flight will be in the Grapevine Cup Finals?

There is no set number from any flight. Because every Cup Participant competes for Cup Points against all other Cup Participants during the Tournament Year using Net Scores, it is very likely all Flights will be represented in the Cup Finals. After the GGA Championship is completed, invitations will be extended to the Top Cup Point Earners for the year. These invitations to participate in the Grapevine Cup Finals, beginning with the highest Point Earner through the GGA Championship, will be extended down the list of Point Earners until the 32-Person field is filled. Those Cup Participants accepting these invitations will become eligible for the Grapevine Cup Championship and the Cup Finals cash payouts.

Which tee box will everyone play from in the Grapevine Cup Final event?

Based on a Cup Finalist's handicap, A and B flight Cup Finalists will play from the blue tees and C and D finalists will play from the white tees. Determination of the Flights will be based on the average of the handicap indexes used to determine the Flights for the regular monthly Cup Tournaments.

If I make a hole-in-one during the Grapevine Cup Finals will I be eligible for the hole-in-one prize fund?

Because the Grapevine Cup Finals is defined as an extra GGA event, you will not be eligible to win the hole in one prize money in the Cup Finals. Per the GGA by laws (please see GGA website www.grapevinega.com), extra events are the GGA Away Tournament; all Match Play Tournaments; the Grapevine Cup Finals; and the GrapeFest Golf Classic; and play in these tournaments is not eligible for the GGA Hole-In-One prize money.

Will my scores in the Grapevine Cup Finals count as scores for my GGA handicap?

Yes, scores posted in the Grapevine Cup Finals will be recorded and posted to the GGA website. Those scores will then be used in the normal handicap determination process.

How will "unexpected happenings" be addressed?

The GGA Officers and Board will review and make decisions on all "unexpected happenings" and situations not covered in this document and their decision will be final. Should such a situation occur, please contact a GGA Officer and/or your Flight Representative immediately to discuss the situation.

We look forward to your participation in the Grapevine Cup!