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Rules and Regulations - ESPN National Golf Challenge
Event Overview
The ESPN National Golf Challenge will crown the best two-person teams in America during the National Finals event to be held in Las Vegas. The event is open to male and female golfers with USGA approved handicaps. Teams will consist of two amateur players participating in either the Gross, Net, or Senior Net divisions. No individual player may use a handicap higher than 24. Golf courses nationwide will be designated as "Local Qualifying Sites" for the ESPN National Golf Challenge.
Local Qualifying Sites will be located geographically throughout the United States and qualifying will take place during the months of January through July 15, 2010. The Regional Finals will be held in late August and/or early September, and the National Finals will be held October 21 - 23, 2010 in Las Vegas, NV.
The National Finals will be fillmed and produced as a special DVD for all participants.
Rules of Play
1. Format:
a. The format for play is Four-Ball stroke Play (NET Better Ball of twosome) in three divisions, Gross, Net and Senior Net, using USGA handicap guidelines. Local Qualifying Sites may use their discretion as it regards allowing local players to participate in both Gross and Net divisions with their single entry fee.
b. The top scoring Gross, Net, and/or Senior teams at each site may qualify to advance to the Regional Qualifying in their area. Up to a maximum of (8) teams may advance based on the following schedule of participation:
- Local Qualifying Host Site is allocated 2 regional teams to be determined from Gross*, Net, and/or Senior Net for participating in the event.
- Sites with a minimum of (12) teams, (24 Players) - Three teams advance
- Sites with a minimum of (20) teams, (40 Players) - Four teams advance
- Sites with a minimum of (30) teams, (60 players) - Five teams advance
- Sites with a minimum of (40) teams, (80 Players) - Six teams advance
- Sites with a minimum of (50) teams, (100 Players) - Seven teams advance
- Sites with a minimum of (60) teams, (120 Players) - Eight teams advance
Sites may advance their additional teams as either Gross, Net or Senior teams at the sole discretion of the site. If the winning team(s) are unable to participate for any reason, the runner-up(s) at the local qualifying site may advance.
If a Local Qualifying Site hosts more than one event, the combined total of teams advancing may exceed the maximum.
* If no obvious “Gross” team is participating, Local Qualifying Sites may substitute an additional Net or Senior team to fulfill the two-team requirement.
2. Play ball as it lies:
a. Unless modified in writing by specific Local Rules, there will be no preferred or improved lies in any part of the competition.
3. One-ball Rule:
a. The one-ball rule (limitation on changing type and model of golf ball during play is NOT in effect for the competition).
4. Gross/Net Participants will play from the Men's Tees. (Approximately 6,000 to 6,900 yards)
5. Senior and Female Participants will play from a Forward Tee (Approximately 5,400 to 6,200 yards) - approximately 10% less than the Men's tees.
Conditions of Competition
1. General
a. Governance: The ESPN National Golf Challenge will be conducted in accordance with the Rules of Golf as approved by the United States Golf Association (USGA) effective January 1, 2010.
b. The Host Professional: The event will be conducted under the direction of the host Golf Professional at each facility. The host professional will be responsible for all interpretations and rulings on the conduct of the event and such rulings shall be final.
c. Scoring: Each qualifying team shall be issued an official scorecard for the event and shall return same to Scorer upon completion of their round. Each player must enter an actual or estimated score on each hole as per USGA guidelines. Scoring will be based on low NET score by either player on each hole. All scores must be attested by a fellow competitor team and/or the Golf Professional Staff at the qualifying facility. (All players are required to post their scores promptly as tournament rounds for handicap purposes). The top scoring teams, based on participation at each site, may be eligible to advance to the Regional Qualifying Site in their area and compete as either a Gross, Net, or Senior Net Team. Regional events will be held in late August and a minimum of three (3) teams from each Regional Site (one team from each division) may be eligible to advance to the National Finals in Las Vegas.
d. Handicaps: The maximum allowable course handicap is 24 for each player in the NET Divisions. Gross Division participants will use no handicap. Each participant will be required to have a valid verifiable USGA (or other recognized handicap, issued by a regional or state handicap organization and following USGA guidelines). Official handicaps for the event will be determined using the player's lowest current Index and the slope rating of the course being played as outlined in the USGA Handicap Manual, Section 10-4. All participants in Local events will receive 100% of adjusted course handicaps. Strokes will be allocated based on tees played (men will receive strokes as they are allocated from the men's tees and women as allocated from the forward tees).
In the Regional and the National Finals events, Net Division participants shall compete with:
75% of THE LOWER OF
a) their current Index at review,
b) the Index used in the Local Qualifier, or
c) the index assigned by the ESPN National Golf Challenge Handicap Committee.
The ESPN National Golf Challenge reserves the right to adjust a participants handicap at any time.
e. Tie-breaker: In the event that a Local divisional event ends in a tie, the teams tying for the last advancing spot shall commence a "sudden death" play-off beginning at the first tee with strokes being allocated as in the original round (if tie is in the NET division). The team or teams with a higher score shall be eliminated on a hole-by-hole basis and the winner shall be the team with the lowest score on the hole or holes. If a “sudden death” playoff is not possible (as determined by the Local Host Site Tournament Director), the Local event may use a “score card” playoff to determine the winner. The “score card” playoff should commence on the number 1 handicap hole and continue on the scorecard from that hole until a winner is determined.
In the event that a Regional Finals divisional event ends in a tie, all teams tying for the last advancing spot may be invited to advance to the National Finals, subject to validation by the ESPN National Golf Challenge.
f. Inclement Weather: In the event that a Regional Finals Tournament suffers from such inclement weather, or conditions that would reasonably prohibit the completion of at least 5 contiguous holes of play by a division, winning teams will be determined by a Chip-off or Putt-off at the discretion of the Regional Host Tournament Director.
Should the inclement weather or conditions prohibit completion of a Chip-off or Putt-off, the winning teams will be drawn by lot. Two winning teams from each affected division will be selected from team scorecards drawn from attending teams. Divisions should be drawn individually in front of attending participants. An additional draw will then be held for Third Place for the Trophy awards only.
Regional Finals Tournament Directors are requested to call the National Tournament Director for discussion of the conditions when the appropriate decision is necessary.
g. Disqualification: Participants found violating USGA rules, tournament rules, falsifying or neglecting handicaps or otherwise engaging in conduct inconsistent with the tournament standards or spirit of fair play may be disqualified without claim or recourse of any type.
h. Substitution: Each team is allowed to substitute one player at each level of the competition. A team member or the Local Qualifying Site Tournament Director must notify the ESPN National Golf Challenge committee if a substitution is necessary for the Regional or National Finals. One member of the original team must continue to participate at each event. Substitute players are required to meet all USGA handicap and National Golf Challenge guidelines.
2. Amateur Status:
a. Amateurs Only: The ESPN National Golf Challenge is open ONLY to amateur golfers as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Golf Courses
1. Set-Up
a. Length: Qualifying golf courses for the ESPN National Golf Challenge will naturally vary in difficulty and length. The host Golf Professional will make the final decisions regarding golf course set-up at each qualifying facility. It is anticipated that Gross/Net contestants will play a golf course of approximately 6,600 yards and that Senior and female contestants will play from approximately 5,900 yards, but these lengths are guidelines only and will vary from site to site. Please check with your local qualifying site for additional information regarding course set-up and length.
Miscellaneous Rules
1. Entry Fees:
a. Initial Entry: The suggested entry fee is $60 per player (Host Sites will remit $49 per player to ESPN). Each player's entry fee includes a participation gift for playing in the event. Players will also be responsible for payment of the appropriate green fee and cart fee (if applicable) at the qualifying sites. Additional entry fees of $358 per team ($179 per player) will be required for those teams qualifying for the Regional Tournaments unless otherwise indicated by the Local Qualifying Host Site. Entry fees for the Regional Tournaments are non-refundable and include all greens/cart fees, range balls, tournament management and hosting at the Regional Site. All players in the Regional event will also receive participation gifts at registration. For 2010, no additional entry fee is required for the National Finals.
b. Refunds: Refunds will not be made after the start of Local Qualifying play. In the event that a qualifying round is interrupted by weather or other conditions beyond the control of the contestants, the Host Professional shall determine if the round shall be resumed where interrupted or from the start. That decision shall be final.
2. Team Composition
a. Teams: Teams in the ESPN National Golf Challenge may be formed by any combination of male and female participants (two men, one man and one woman, two women).
b. Eligibility: Net/Senior Net division players employed by ESPN may participate in the ESPN National Golf Challenge at the Local level only, but are ineligible to advance to the Regional Finals or National Finals.
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