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Description of popular events

Club Championships (Men)

A, B and C Grade. Stroke played over four rounds. Gross and Net trophies in each grade for winners. Over all Net winner receives the Tom Bond Trophy for the lowest net aggregate for the four rounds. To qualify for the Club Championships a member must have played 6 individual rounds at the Ballan Golf Club within the last 6 month period prior to the commencement of the Club Championships. Only full members and junior competition members are eligible to play. They must be financial prior to the start of the first round .The Club Champion will also be the gross champion of his grade. For Net trophy, handicaps held for the 1st round apply for all four rounds. The top four Competitors in each grade are to play together in round 4. These players must be ready to hit off at 11 am for C Grade, 11.15 am for B Grade and 11.30 am for A Grade. The Match Committee may allow a finalist(s) alternative teeing-off arrangements due to medical conditions and alike. Handicaps for the 1st round apply to all subsequent rounds. Note. The handicap shown on the Handicap Board must be put on your scorecard each round and the handicap for the Championship will be adjusted if necessary by the Match Committee. In the event of a tie a sudden death playoff is to be held on the first hole and if no result playoff will continue on the fourteenth hole. If no result on the then playoff on is to continue on the first hole etc until a result is known.

House Teams Event

Members are placed into one of four teams. The event runs over 10 Saturday’s with the results counting towards the team score. Scoring is as follows:- 1 point for playing in the competition, 5 points for the winners and 2 points for runner up of each grade, plus 1 point for each point over 30 stableford points (or the equivalent) scored by each team member.

Annual Tournament

A, B, & C grades stroke played over 36 holes. Gross and Net trophies for winners and runner-ups. In the event of a tie a sudden death playoff is to be held on the first hole and if no result playoff will continue on the fourteenth hole. If no result on the then playoff on is to continue on the first hole etc until a result is known.

F.W. Fagg Cup

Summer event. Five stroke rounds are played on Monthly Medal days. The best score on each hole is recorded and after five rounds are added up and the handicap deducted. Handicap is ½ of the player’s handicap on the final day. The winner is the lowest net score.

Jack Papworth Cup - 4BBB

4BBB stableford played in teams of two. There is a draw for partners. Best four teams go on to play in the semi-finals. Handicaps are those held on the day of play in semi finals and finals. 12:30pm hit off at latest.

Cunningham Cup

Winter Event. Six stroke rounds are played on the monthly medal days. Net scores are counted, worst two scores deleted. The winner is the player with the lowest aggregate score of the six rounds.

Hartley Cup

Winter Event. Six stroke rounds are played on monthly medal days. The best score on each hole is recorded. After six rounds they are added up and the handicap deducted. Handicap is ½ of the player’s handicap on the final day. Winner is the lowest net score.

Fairbairn Cup

Winter Event. Two stroke rounds are played. The best four net scores qualify for the semi-finals. All finals are played as handicap matchplay. 1v4 & 2v3. The winners play off in final. Handicaps of day apply.

C.R.G. Swan Memorial Cup

Summer Event. Five stroke rounds are played on the Monthly Medal days. Net scores are counted with the worst score deleted. Winner is the player with the lowest aggregate score of the four rounds.

Ballan Members’ Tournament

Two stroke rounds are played. The winner is the player with the best net aggregate score over the two rounds. A, B and C Grade trophies. GRADES AS PER EQUAL DIVISION OF ENTRIES. Handicaps held in the first round apply for both rounds

McIlvena Trophy

The 2 qualifying rounds are played as stroke rounds with the best 4 scores going through to the second round. All subsequent rounds will be played as matchplay. Strokes must be given on handicap. If at the end of the 18th hole the score is even, play continues until someone wins. Handicaps must still be given. Handicaps are those held on the day each rounds is played. Players are to arrange matches between themselves. In the case a suitable time cannot be arranged, each match must be played at 12:30 pm on the day the round must have been completed. Players must be there and ready to hit off by 12:30 pm and hit off when directed. The player forfeiting must give forfeiture of the round to the Captain or Vice Captain, prior to the round

Reg Larcombe Memorial Trophy

Wednesday Stableford only – Aggregate of the ten best points scored over the twelve months commencing the first Wednesday in November to the last Wednesday in October.

Monthly Medal & Gold Medal

Monthly Medal is a handicap stroke event using current handicaps on the day. In the event of a tie, the following monthly medal is to be used as the 18 hole playoff using the same handicaps that were used when the players tied. Eg: 4 players tie for the March medal so the April Medal scores from only those 4 players are used to determine the March winner. Those 4 are also eligible to win the April medal. Handicaps used in the March rounds should be used in April but only apply to the playoff, not the April Medal. For the Gold Medal annual event the twelve monthly medal winners play off in a stroke round to determine the Gold Medallist. If the last Monthly Medal before the Gold Medal event ends in a tie those players who tied will play for both the Gold and the tied Monthly Medals in the Gold Medal event. Handicaps are the current handicap on the day of the Gold Medal play-off. The winner is the player with the best net score on the day. In the event of a tie a playoff will be as for the conditions of the Monthly Medal above i.e. the next Monthly Medal event

Mixed Foursomes

Two player, one man and one lady, play as partners and use one ball. The partners hit off alternatively from the tee and thereafter strike the ball alternatively during the play at each hole. Scoring is done as for a stroke and the total is subject to a deduction of half the partners’ aggregate handicaps.

Count-back

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MATCH COMMITTEE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER THESE RULES AS SEEN FIT

In either a scratch or handicap stroke play competition, if a play-off of any type is not feasible, matching score cards is recommended (this is the default count-back method in Australia if a Committee’s conditions of competition don’t specify otherwise). The method for deciding matching cards in an 18-hole competition is to determine the winner on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If the tying players have the same score for the last nine, determine the winner on the basis of the last six holes, last three holes, and finally hole-by-hole from the 18th hole. 

If this method is used in a handicap stroke play competition, one-half, one-third, one-sixth, etc of the handicaps should be deducted. Fractions should not be disregarded. If this method is used in a competition with a multiple-tee start, it is recommended that the “last nine holes, last six holes, etc” is considered to be holes 10-18, 13-18, etc. If this method is used when the ENTIRE field commences its round from the same tee, the count-back holes are adjusted accordingly (e.g. if the entire field commences its round from the 10th tee, as holes 1-9 are the “back nine” in this instance, it is recommended that the “last nine holes, last six holes, etc” is considered to be holes 1-9, 3-9, etc).

Description of Major Competitions (Ladies)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MATCH COMMITTEE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER THESE AS SEEN FIT

These are the guidelines for the competition to be played this coming year. The committee may, if it deems necessary, change the conditions of certain competitions from time to time, throughout the year. Under Rule 33.1 “The Committee shall lay down the conditions under which competition is to be played”.

The minimum number of players to enable an official competition to take place is 6 members

Country and Summer members are not eligible for the following competitions (except Annual Tournaments and other open events), though they can win the trophy of the day

LADIES TROPHY EVENTS

Olympic Trophy                        Championships – 54 holes

Ballanee Cup                           Putting Aggregate

Ballark Foursomes                   Birdie Board

Emly Park Cup                         Lucie Lidgett

Miss Hicks Foursomes             G J Page Trophy

Junior Championship

The Junior Championships will be held in conjunction with the Club Championships. Juniors are eligible only to play in the Junior Championships. It is possible, however for a junior to win both Junior Championship and Club Championship. Stroke game played over four rounds. Gross and Net trophy winners. For the net, handicaps held on the 1st round will apply for all four rounds.

Sub Junior Championship

The Sub Junior Championships will be played in the morning of the Club Championships. They will be played over four rounds of nine holes. Juniors under 14 year of age are eligible to play (they must have a nine hole handicap). Handicaps held for the 1st round will apply for all four rounds.

Golfing Terminologies

Stroke -Your score at each hole is entered on the scorecard, totaled and your full handicap deducted.

The winner is the player who completes the round in the lowest number of strokes

Par – Your par for each hole is determined by your handicap and the Par/Stableford hole index. For example, if you receive a stroke on a Par 4, then your par for that hole is 5. If you have two strokes on a par 5 then your par for that hole is 7, etc.

       If you better your par, you score a win (+), if your par is equaled, you score a half (o) and if your par is exceeded, you score is a loss (-).

      At the end of the round, the halves score as a zero and the losses are subtracted from the wins, giving your overall score. For example, if you had 7 wins, 2 losses and 9 halves, your score would be +5. You can score zero or a negative amount e.g. –3. The winner is the player with the highest total Par score.

Stableford – Your par for each hole is determined as above. Points are awarded at each hole, depending on your score in relation to your par.

       For more than 1 over your par, score 0 points

       For 1 over your par, score 1 point

       For equaling your par, score 2 points

       For 1 under your par, score 3 points

       For 2 under your par, score 4 points

       For 3 under your par, score 5 points, etc.

The winner is the player with the highest number of points for the whole round, for example 44 points

American Foursomes (Pinehurst)– Both players play their tee shot, and then play a second stroke with their partner’s ball. One ball is then selected, the owner of that ball plays the third stroke, then players alternate until the ball is holed out. Handicap is 3/8 of the combined total.

Eclectic – Competitors play in a number of prescribed rounds, and the eclectic score is the lowest score obtained at each hole of these rounds.

Ambrose – Teams may be 2, 3, or 4 players. Each player plays their own ball from the tee, and the best positioned ball is taken. Other players pick up their ball and play their next shot from the same position, continuing until a ball is holed out.

Handicaps are calculated as

  • 1/8 of the aggregate for a 4 person team
  • 1/6 of the aggregate for a 3 person team
  • 1/4 of the aggregate for a 2 person team.

Foursomes – You play as the partner of another player, but use only one ball. Partners tee off alternatively from each tee, and during the play of each hole. Scoring is done as per a Stroke round. Half the aggregate handicap of you and your partner is subtracted from the total score.

Mixed Foursomes – Played the same as foursomes, except lady members use their own tees.

Canadian Foursomes – As per foursomes, except each team member hits their own ball from the tee.

They then continue with whichever ball they nominate. Handicap is 3/8 of the combined total.

4BBB (Four Ball Better Ball) – You play as a partner of another player. On each hole, the better score of you or your partner is counted. If the scores are equal, the score of the first to hole out is taken. 4BBB can be played as a Stroke, Par or Stableford event. The “Four Ball” comes from the group of four (two teams of two players) that play together. Scores should be recorded in a column for each player, so that the card can be checked at the end of the round.

LOCAL RULES

The following local rules are to be read in conjunction with the rules of golf, Ballan Golf Club score card local rules, and temporary/seasonal local rules shown on the white board inside the club:

1. Bikes, Carts and Buggies are to be kept at a minimum distance of 5 metres from the greens during normal weather conditions. During abnormal weather conditions (soggy or muddy fairways) distance is no less than 10 metres.

2. Practice putting is only permitted on the 14th and 18th greens.

3. TREES - Planted trees only, not pine, willow or other sucker saplings. If the tree is under two club lengths in height and interferes with your stance or swing, relief is allowed with a free drop at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole.

4. IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTIONS - All wooden/stone tee markers, seats, signs, bins, safety fences/barriers, man-made obstructions. Except when in a hazard relief is allowed in accordance with R&A Rule 16: The player shall lift the ball and drop it within one club length no closer to the hole.

5.    BARE PATCHES & BROADWEEDS: If a player’s ball comes to rest on fairways, greens and aprons of greens in/on a bare area of ground or in/on large broadleaf weed(s) such as Flat Weed also known as Catsear, Capeweed, Dandelions, Lambs Tongue, Crab Grass, Paspalum it is deemed to be GUR and players may seek relief in accordance with R&A Rule 16. 

6. EXPOSED ROOT RULE: Exposed tree roots by Ballan Golf Club definition applies only to roots that have surfaced away from the normal trunk of the tree. In the spirit, sportsmanship and fair play for this rule, if it is determined that your ball has come to rest on or within striking distance of an exposed root and relief is requested, the following steps shall be applied:

a. You must obtain concurrence from your marker before taking relief.

b. The allowable relief distance must be no greater than the distance required to ensure complete relief from the exposed root.

c. Exceptions to rule:

(i) Interference with the players stance is deemed not to be, of itself, interference under this rule.

(ii) In the spirit of fair play, you shall not take additional relief to improve your stance or swing away from bushes, trees etc.

(iii) This exposed root rule does not apply to roots in hazard areas, to obtain relief you must declare the ball unplayable in accordance with R&A Rule 19.

7. Balls landing in the drain on the RHS of the 12th green are deemed GUR. Relief may be obtained by dropping ball at the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole - No penalty.

8. Balls entering the Werribee River at the back of the 16th green. Relief may be obtained by dropping ball at the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole - Penalty applies.

9. Cracks on fairways. The player shall lift the ball and drop it within one club length no closer to the hole.

10. The drain running diagonally behind the 3rd Green and the cut away on the back apron of the green are GUR. Relief is allowed with a free drop at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. No penalty.

11. The pile of dirt on the left-hand side of the 18th fairway next to the Werribee River and slightly adjacent to the 18th green is to be treated as GUR.

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