Terms of Competition – Pennant

Published: May 18, 2020

Last Update: January 19, 2023

The Terms of Competition – Pennant are to be read in conjunction with the Specific Terms of competition for each Pennant.

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Definitions
General
Entry into the Pennant
The Committee
The Draw, Dates and Times of Play
Withdrawal of Club after Final Draw completed
Player Eligibility
Format of Play
Advice
Caddies
Nomination of teams
Absence of Player
Winner of the Contest
Contest Points and Individual Match Points
Section winners, finals and Pennant winner
Promotion & Relegation
Countback Procedures
Seedings for finals (and relegation) contests
Practice
Use of Equipment
Transportation
Mobile Phones
Drug Testing
Con f orming Driver Heads
Conforming Golf Balls
Consumption of Alcohol
Suspension and Postponement of Play
Pace of Play
Code of Conduct
Protests
By-Laws, Club Rules and Dress Regulations
Miscellaneous
Host Club Responsibilities
Hosting Finals Contests
APPENDIX
REFEREES
PACE OF PLAY.
ADVERSE COURSE CONDITIONS

1.Definitions

Club – a club competing in any format of Pennant under the control of Golf NSW.
Contest – the competition between two Clubs.
Finals Contest – a match between two clubs in the Finals Series of a Pennant.
Final Draw – the draw first published on the Golf NSW Website as notified to participating Clubs. If anamendment is necessary to the Final Draw, any amendment(s) will be noted on the Final Draw with the date of the change.
Golf NSW – Golf NSW Limited as the governing body for amateur golf in NSW and the ACT.
Golf NSW Golf Committee – the Golf Committee of Golf NSW established by the Board of Golf NSW.
Host Club – the Club nominated in the Final Draw to host the Contest, whether at that Club or another venue.
Match Committee of the Host Club – the Match Committee of the Host Club in charge of a Contest during a preliminary round of the Pennant competition.
Professional Golfer – one who is not an amateur golfer. Professional Golfers include members of a professional golfer’s association and players who have made application to regain amateur status.
Rules of Golf, Rules and Rule – the Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status and related Interpretations published and approved by the R&A Rules Limited current at the time of the Pennant competition including any Local Rules published by the Host Club.
Team Manager – the person appointed or nominated under Term 9 of these Terms of Competition.
Terms of Competition or Term – This document and the terms contained within.

2. General

2.1. All Finals Contests are played at neutral venues determined by the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

2.2. All Contests and Matches will be played under the Rules of Golf, the Local Rules in operation at the Host Club and in accordance with these Terms of Competition.

2.3. Where a penalty for a breach of a Term of Competition is not stated, the penalty shall be determined by the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

3. Entry into the Pennant

3.1. Clubs will be automatically included in the following year’s Pennant unless they advise the Golf NSW Golf Committee, in writing, within 30 days of the completion of the final of the Pennant in which they competed.

3.2. In the case of a change in the number of clubs participating in any given season, the Golf NSW Golf Committee reserves the right to exercise its discretion in the areas of entry into the Pennant and allocation of Clubs to a Section / Division.

3.3. Clubs which wish to enter a Pennant and have not participated in the previous season, may be requested to supply handicap information on players likely to participate, to indicate playing strength.

3.4. Clubs agree that from time to time they may be required to host a Finals Contest.

3.5. Inclusion in the Final Draw will confirm that the Club agrees with and will comply with the Terms of Competition published by the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

4. The Committee

4.1. The Pennant is governed by the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

4.2. The Golf NSW Golf Committee reserves the right to alter these Terms of Competition at any time.

4.3. The Match Committee of the Host Club(s) shall represent the Golf NSW Golf Committee and provide decisions on these Terms or the Rules of Golf during play of preliminary rounds. Please see Appendix for guidance about a Referee.

4.4. Any decision on Rules, required during play of the preliminary rounds, will be given by the Match Committee of the Host Club in accordance with the Rules of Golf.

4.5. No member of the Host Club who is playing, acting as a caddie or a Team Manager shall make or take part in such decision(s).

4.6. Where a penalty for a breach of a Term of Competition is not stated, the penalty shall be determined by the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

4.7. The playing of all Finals will be under the control of the Golf NSW Golf Committee representative(s) together with any nominee(s) of the Host Club as necessary.

Note: There is no right of appeal / protest against any decision by a Rules Official or Individual Member of the Golf NSW Golf Committee or the Host Club Match Committee.

5. The Draw, Dates and Times of Play

5.1. The Draw

5.1.1 The Draw for the Pennant competitions will be determined by the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

5.1.2 The Final Draw will be posted on the Golf NSW website at www.golfnsw.org.au Clubs will be advised of publication of the Final Draw and any amendments. If an amendment to the Final Draw is necessary, any amendment(s) will be noted on the Final Draw with the date of the change.

5.2 Dates of Play

Contests must be played on the dates and times fixed by the Golf NSW Golf Committee, however:

a. The Golf NSW Golf Committee may alter the date of a preliminary round or Finals of the Pennant at its sole and absolute discretion.
b. any proposed changes by a Host Club to the date or times shown in the Final Draw must have the prior approval of the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

Any Club failing to play on the date and at the time fixed by the Golf NSW Golf Committee will forfeit the Contest to the Club drawn against receiving Nil contest points and Nil Individual Match points.

5.3. Times of Play

a. Individual Matches must strictly adhere to designated starting times. All Individual Matches are to start at the published time, with the first Individual Match to
commence at the advertised starting time for the Contest, and each subsequent match to commence at 8-minute intervals thereafter.

b. Other than in exceptional circumstances, such as earlier weather delays, any Host Club failing to commence play within 15 minutes of the time fixed in the Final
Draw will forfeit the first match scheduled to tee off (e.g. No. 7) at this time. An additional Individual Match (e.g. in order No. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) will be forfeited for
each additional 8 minutes that the first hit off time is later than the published time.

6. Withdrawal of Club after Final Draw completed

Contests must be played on the dates and times fixed by the Golf NSW Golf Committee, however:

6.1. A Club must not withdraw, or fail to field a Team, from the Pennant after the Final Draw has been published.

6.2 In the event that a Club withdraws after the publishing of the Final Draw the following procedure will take place:

a. Should that club withdraw for only a single Contest, then all individual matches scheduled against that team in that round will be awarded to the opposition.
b. Should that club withdraw for more than one Contest, then the results of all Contests against that team in that season are disregarded and the Section is
considered to have one fewer team competing.

6.3. Any Club that withdraws from the Pennant after the Final Draw has been published may be penalised at the discretion of the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

7. Player Eligibility

7.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific Pennant for additional details.

7.2. If a player represents a Club in one season in a Pennant Competition, he/she is ineligible to represent adifferent Club in the next season in the same Pennant Competition unless he/she has been a financial member of the new Club, with playing rights, for a minimum period of 3 months prior to the date of the first round of the Pennant.

7.3. Any player who has their golf playing membership or handicap, on the date of play, suspended by Golf NSW, any Club who is a member of Golf NSW, or a District Golf Association, is not eligible to participate on that date of play.

7.4. A player may not play in the same Pennant Competition for more than one Club in any one season but may play for another club in another Pennant Competition provided they meet all eligibility criteria that apply to that Pennant Competition.

7.5. There are no additional eligibility requirements (e.g. there is no requirement for a player to have played in a minimum number of Contests to be eligible to participate in a Finals Contest).

7.6. A Club may apply to the Golf NSW Golf Committee for consideration of eligibility circumstances not otherwise covered by the Terms of Competition.

Penalty – ineligible player

The penalty for an ineligible player competing in a Contest is forfeit of the specific individual match to the opposing Club. If it is considered that a player is in breach, it is up to the affected Club to lodge a protest to Golf NSW (graeme.phillipson@golfnsw.org.au) as outlined in Term 30 of these Terms of Competition.

8. Format of Play

8.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific Pennant for additional details.

8.2. If an Individual Match in a preliminary round is tied after 18 holes, play must cease, and the IndividualMatch shall be declared tied.

8.3. If an Individual Match in a Finals Contest is tied after 18 holes, play will continue until one player wins a hole.

8.4. If the result in a Finals Contest has been decided the remaining Individual Matches shall terminate without further play and be declared tied.

8.5. The honour on the tee shall be decided by the toss of a coin between representatives of the competing Clubs. The Club that wins the toss shall have the option to take the honour at the starting tee for all Individual Matches in that Contest.

8.6. Teams will hit-off in descending order (i.e. beginning with the No. 7 players and concluding with the No. 1 players hitting off last).

8.7. Any substitute player must be available to substitute at the required time should their presence in the team (at Position No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) be required as provided for under Term 12.1 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play. If a substitute player is not ready to play as a substitute player at the appointed time in accordance with Term 12.3 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play, then Rule 5.3a of the Rules of Golf applies.

8.8. Once play has commenced, the penalty for any player playing in an incorrect team position will be disqualification (loss of the Individual Match).

9. Advice

9.1. Under Rule 24.4a of the Rules of Golf, in a team competition the Committee allows each team to name one person, who may give advice to team members while they are playing on the course.

9.2. The appointed person is to be identified to the relevant Match Committee in charge of the venue before giving advice. A nomination of this person as a Team Manager on the Team Nomination form is sufficient notice for this purpose.

9.3. The person nominated as Team Manager:
a. may also be a player, but must not give advice to other players in the team while playing, or
b. may also act as a caddie but must not give advice to other players in the team while acting as a caddie.

Penalty for breach of Term 9.3:
Loss of hole by the Team Manager or the player he/she is caddying for in (a) or (b). Any player receiving advice in breach of this Term is also subject to the General Penalty should they not prevent receiving further advice beyond the initial advice offered that penalised the Team Manager.

9.4. The person nominated as Team Manager must not change during a Contest, unless that Contest is suspended/postponed and resumes another day, or unless there are exceptional circumstances. In these circumstances, the relevant Match Committee in charge of the Contest must first be consulted.

9.5. Only a player’s caddie or the person nominated in in Term 9.1 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play may give advice. Team mates and spectators are not permitted to give advice to a player during their Individual Match.

Penalty for breach of Term 9.5:
A player accepting advice from persons other than outlined above will be subject to the General Penalty, i.e. loss of hole. Any player receiving advice in breach of this Term is also subject to the General Penalty should they not prevent receiving further advice beyond the initial advice offered that penalised the Player.

10. Caddies

10.1. There is no restriction as to who may act as a caddie.

11. Nomination of Teams

11.1. The Captain or Team Manager of each Club should advise the official representative of the Host Club the names of the players in playing order, at least twenty (20) minutes before the nominated starting time. The Team Nomination Sheet must also name the Team Manager.

11.2. The playing position of each player shall be determined by the Captain or Team Manager of each Club. Unless otherwise noted in the specific Terms of Competition for Pennant there is no requirement for players in the Team to play in the order of current GA handicaps.

11.3. If a Club is unable to submit a full Team, the opposing Captain or Team Manager and the relevant Match Committee must be notified that the Team shall consist of a certain number of players who must play in descending order (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4….). The Team will forfeit from last place to first place any positions not represented (e.g. in the following order: No. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

12. Absence of Player(s)

12.1. If after the Team Nomination Sheet has been submitted, a player fails to appear or is unfit or otherwise unable to play, a substitute player may take the place of that player, but they must play in the same team position of the player for whom they are substituting and must be ready to play and at the starting point set by the committee. If a substitute player is substituting for another player named in the team, a notation must be made on the result sheet.

12.2. A player will be considered absent, if they are not ready to start at the time that the Individual Match is due to hit-off. Rule 5.3a of the Rules of Golf applies.Note: If a Team does not arrive at a time within the Rules to play, then Term 6 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play applies.

12.3. Should a substitute player in the Individual Match be required to take the place of an absent team member, they should be ready and able to play at the time scheduled for the absent player’s match or Rule 5.3 of the Rules of Golf applies.

13. Winner of the Contest

13.1. The Club that secures the greater number of Individual Match Points is the winner of the Contest. Refer to Term 14 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play for details.

14. Contest Points and Individual Match Points

14.1. The following allocation of Contest Points and Individual Match Points will apply for all preliminary rounds:Contest PointsThe Club that secures the greater number of Individual Match Points is the winner of the Contest. Contest Points are awarded for each Contest as follows:
a. One (1) Contest Point is awarded to the winner of the Contest.
b. One half (1⁄2) Contest Point is awarded to each Club for a drawn Contest.Individual Match PointsIndividual Match Points are awarded for each Individual Match as follows:

One (1) Individual Match Point is awarded to the Club for each Individual Match win.

One half (1⁄2) Individual Match Point is awarded to each Club for each tied Individual Match.

14.2. Refer to Term 27 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play in the event of a suspension of play.

15. Section winners, finals and Pennant winner

15.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific pennant for details.

16. Promotion & Relegation

16.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific pennant for details.

17. Countback Procedures

17.1. The following Countback Procedures apply in determining the order of places on the Pennant table, the winner and last place of a Section.

17.2. The higher-placed Club is the Club which has the greatest number of Contest Points.

17.3. The last place Club will be the Club with the least number of Contest Points.

17.4. If two or more Clubs have an equal number of Contest Points, the higher-placed Club will be the Club withmore Individual Match Points.

17.5. If two or more Clubs have an equal number of Contest Points and an equal number of Individual MatchPoints as outlined above, the decision shall be reached by countback based on the overall result of theContest(s) between the tied Clubs in the preliminary round(s).

17.6. In the event the Clubs did not play against each other during the preliminary rounds or the Clubs areunable to be separated, the places will be determined by lot.

18. Seedings for finals (and relegation) contests

18.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific pennant for details.

19. Practice

19.1. Unless the Host Club or Match Committee of the day precludes practice on the course prior to the nominated starting time, visiting or home teams may practice on the course on the day of the Contest prior to play commencing. This does not preclude use of the practice areas. By arrangement with the Host Club, the Team may practice on a day prior to the day of the Contest. Team Managers are requested to emphasise this rule to members of the Team.

19.2. Following the commencement of Individual Matches, players may practice in accordance with Rule 5.5 of the Rules of Golf, however players should note that penalties may still be applied in accordance with Rule 5.6a of the Rules of Golf to any player who unreasonably delays play by such actions.

Note: A Club may have specific areas on the course where practice is not permitted prior to a Contest. This should be advised to the visiting Club in advance of the Contest.

20. Use of Equipment

20.1. In accordance with Rule 4.3a(1) of the Rules of Golf, a player may obtain distance and direction information by use of a distance-measuring device. The provisions of Rule 4.3 of the Rules of Golf apply in relation to Use of Equipment.

21. Transportation

21.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific pennant for details.

22. Mobile Phones

22.1. Mobile phones are permitted to be used only as a distance measuring device (i.e. the use of a Golf GPS app that provides distance only).

22.2. Mobile phones must be on silent and may only be used to make telephone calls in the event of an on- course emergency. A breach of this clause will be dealt with under clause 21 of the Golf NSW Hard Card.

22.3. Rule 4.3a(4) of the Rules of Golf is modified in this way: During a round, the player (or the caddie) must not listen to or watch content of any nature on a personal audio or video device.

23. Drug Testing

23.1. Refer to the Golf NSW Hard Card.

24. Conforming Driver Heads

24.1. Refer to Rule 4.1a of the Rules of Golf.

25. Conforming Golf Balls

25.1. Refer to Rule 4.2a of the Rules of Golf.

26. Consumption of Alcohol

26.1. The Consumption of alcohol by players and caddies on the course during a stipulated round is strictly prohibited.

The penalty for breach of this Term of Competition will be at the discretion of Golf NSW Golf Committee in accordance with the Golf NSW Code of Conduct.

27. Suspension and Postponement of Play

27.1. Every effort should be made to play the Contest on the scheduled day and time. If it is necessary to delay the commencement of play or suspend play because of weather conditions, play must not be suspended for the day until such time as it would not be possible for the last match to be concluded on that day or it is apparent that no further play would be possible on the day.

The decision on this matter rests with the responsible designated Match Committee of the Host Club(s) for Preliminary Rounds. The Host Club may confer with the General Manager Golf, Golf NSW (Graeme Phillipson 0416 057 965) if there is any doubt.

The decision on any suspension or postponement of play rests with the Golf NSW Golf Committee member(s) or their nominees during any Finals.

27.2. Course conditions, remaining time available and player safety should all be taken into account when considering whether to continue, suspend or cancel play for the day. Refer to Appendix for guidelines.

27.3. If the Contest has commenced and resumption of play is not possible on the designated day, the matter will be referred to the Golf NSW Golf Committee that will determine the action to be taken. The Golf NSW Golf Committee may find an alternate date with play recommencing in accordance with the Rules of Golf if play had commenced on the day and all uncompleted individual matches have completed at least 15 holes.

27.4. If it is not possible for a Contest to resume as in 27.3 or if the Contest did not start, the result of the Contest and allocation of Contest Points and Individual Match Points shall be awarded as follows:

27.4.a If a Club has secured sufficient Individual Match Points to win the Contest, then the following points will be awarded:

i. One (1) Contest Point for the winner of the Contest
ii. For completed matches – Individual Match Points to the winner of the respective match
iii. For incomplete matches – Individual Match Points will be shared between the Clubs.

27.4.b If a Club has not secured sufficient Individual Match Points to win the Contest, then the following points will be awarded:

i. Half (1⁄2) Contest Point to each Club;
ii. For completed matches – Individual Match Points to the winner of the respective match
iii. For incomplete matches – Individual Match Points will be shared between the Clubs.

The Golf NSW Golf Committee reserves the right to make a decision in equity when it is impossible to complete one or more Contests in accordance with the Rules of Golf.

27.5. If a Finals Contest has not started or where resumption of play is not possible on the designated day, the Golf NSW Golf Committee will determine the action to be taken.

28. Pace of Play

28.1. Refer Appendix – Pace of Play.

29. Code of Conduct

29.1. Refer to the Golf NSW Hard Card and the Golf NSW Code of Conduct.

30. Protests

30.1. Protests must be lodged by 5pm on the Tuesday immediately following the date of play as published in the Final Draw.

30.2. The protesting Club must notify the Golf NSW Golf Committee in writing of any protest or matter which is considered in breach of these Terms of Competition. Such written notification will be deemed to be a protest and must be made by the Club Captain or their authorised representative.

30.3. The Club lodging the protest MUST also provide a copy of the protest to the Host Club where the Contest was played and to the opposing Team’s Club Captain on the same day it is lodged with the Golf NSW Golf Committee.

30.4. The Golf NSW Golf Committee may contact the Club(s) concerned seeking a statement of facts to be supplied by a fixed date. The matter will then be considered and dealt with by the Golf NSW Golf Committee at its discretion. The Golf NSW Golf Committee may take further evidence as required.

30.5. A decision given by the Golf NSW Golf Committee or its appointed delegate(s) on any protest by any competing Club will be considered final and binding on all competing Clubs.

31. By-Laws, Club Rules and Dress Regulations

31.1. The By-laws, Club Rules and Dress Regulations of the Host Club shall apply.

31.2. It is the responsibility of the visiting Team Manager and/or Team Captain to ensure their players, caddies and officials adhere to this Term of Competition.

31.3. To ensure this Term of Competition is followed, clubs must advise their players, caddies and supportersaccordingly (i.e. Spikes, dress regulations, wide wheel buggies, smoking restrictions).

31.4. Host club officials constituting the Match Committee of the day should not permit any player attired in a manner which breaches the Club Dress Regulations to commence play.

31.5. Any player not meeting Host Club Dress Regulations will be considered absent, and the Individual Matchawarded to the opposition in accordance with Term 12 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play.

32. Miscellaneous

32.1. Sponsor’s Logos: A Sponsor’s Logo is acceptable provided it appears only once on each piece of the player’s clothing. The logo must not exceed a perimeter measurement of 220 mm as per the Rules of Amateur Status (Decision 6-2/15) – this does not include the Club logo.

32.2. Results and Ladders: All Pennant results, ladders and feature articles on Pennant can be found on the Golf NSW Website at www.golfnsw.org.au

33. Host Club Responsibilities

33.1. Refer to the Terms of Competition for each specific Pennant for additional details.

33.2. If there is member or social play ahead of the Contest, Clubs should program the member’s competitionon the day to be a Par or Stableford event to promote minimal round times.

33.3. Course presentation

33.3.1 It is expected that each Club involved in the Pennant will present its course in a condition of the high standard that the Pennant deserves.

33.3.2 The following guidelines regarding hole positions should be strongly adhered to for all Pennant contests, particularly on days of inclement weather:

The hole should be positioned at least four (4) metres from any edge of the green. If a bunker is close to the edge, or if the ground slopes away from the edge, the distance should be greater;
An area of two (2) or three (3) feet around the hole should be as level as possible. Effort should be made to ensure holes are not positioned within three (3) metres of a very severe slope or ridge or nearby a recently cut hole;
Consider the condition of nearby turf, especially taking care to avoid old plug holes;
Ensure there is a balanced selection of holes for the entire course with respect to left, right,central, front and back positions.

33.4. Match Committee

It is the responsibility of the Host Club to see that at least one or preferably two members of their Committee (constituting the Match Committee for the day unless otherwise stated) are available during play, to ensure that the Terms of Competition are adhered to, and to adjudicate on any queries that may be raised.

A participant (player, caddie or Team Manager) cannot be a member of this Match Committee.

The Match Committee is responsible for:

Ensuring that matches commence on time and remain on time;
Monitoring pace of play (and issuing penalties as required);
Adjudicating on any Rule of Golf or these Terms, where delegated to do so.

The Match Committee should ensure that they have a copy of these Terms of Competition with them.

Any decision on Rules required during play of preliminary rounds, will be given by the Match Committee of the Host Club, and any decision so given will be final.

33.5. Results

Immediately after the completion of all Contests it is the responsibility of the Host Club to:

Enter the results into the online pennant result system, and
Notify AAP (ph: 9322 8000) of the results, and
File the result sheet.

33.6 Practice Rounds – Preliminary Rounds

The availability of Practice Rounds for visiting Clubs prior to a preliminary round Contest and the setting of any associated green fees are at the discretion of the Host Club, however it would not be appropriate to charge a fee.

33.7. Entertainment and Catering – Preliminary Rounds

All visiting competitors should be honorary members of the Host Club for the day.
Any entertainment during the playing of matches is to be kept to a minimum, and such entertainment is to be agreed upon by negotiation of the Clubs in each Section prior to the day of play.

To minimise the financial impact to clubs from Pennant competition Golf NSW recommends the following be adopted in relation to post-match functions:

The provision of formal meals is not compulsory for any competition.
Beverages to be at players / caddies / officials own expense.
Club option as to whether to provide beverages post-match.
It is strongly suggested the Club Captain or General Manager contact the other Clubs (Teams) in their Section and agree on the level of entertainment prior to each season.

34. Hosting Finals Contests

34.1. All visiting competitors should be honorary members of the Host Club for the day.

34.2. For Finals Contests, food and beverage on the day is to be discussed by the participating clubs and theHost Club and the cost is to be borne by the participating clubs.

34.3. For the Final, Golf NSW will arrange drinks and savouries for the Presentation.

APPENDIX

36. Referees

A Match Committee of the Host Club may appoint referees to assist with the running of the Pennant. A referee is an official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules of Golf.

In match play, a referee’s duties and authority depend on his or her assigned role:

When assigned to an Individual Match for the Entire Round:
- As the referee is with the Individual Match throughout the round, he/she is responsible for acting on any breach of the Rules that he/she sees or is told about (see Rule 20-1b(1) of the Rules of Golf and the definition of “referee”).
When assigned to Multiple Matches or to Certain Holes or Sections of the Course:
- As the referee is not assigned to accompany the Individual Match throughout the round, he/she should avoid becoming involved in an Individual Match unless:
  i. A player in a match asks for help with the Rules or requests a ruling (see Rule 20.1b(2) of the Rules of Golf).
  ii. A player or players in a match may be in breach of Rule 1.2b (Code of Conduct), Rule 1.3b(1) (Two or More Players Deliberately Agreeing to Ignore any Rule or Penalty they Know Applies), Rule 5.6a (Unreasonable Delay of Play) or Rule 5.6b (Prompt Pace of Play) of the Rules of Golf.
  iii. A player arrives late to his or her first tee (see Rule 5.3 of the Rules of Golf).
  iv. A player’s search for a ball reaches three minutes (see Rule 5.6a of the Rules of Golf and definition of “Lost”.

When making a ruling at the request of a player, the referee should always confirm that the request for the ruling was made in time (see Rules 20.1b(2) and 20.1b(3) of the Rules of Golf).

37. Pace of Play

Each match must maintain its position on the course with respect to the match preceding it and maintain the time requirement specified on the Pace of Play Time Chart issued to players at the course. If a Time Chart is not issued, the following time schedule for the completion of each hole applies:

Par 3 Holes – 12 Minutes
Par 4 Holes – 14 Minutes
Par 5 Holes – 16 Minutes

In exceptional circumstances (such as extreme weather/playing conditions), the Committee has the authority to extend this time requirement.

The first match to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, the group is behind the cumulative time prescribed by the above time schedule. Any following match will be considered out of position if it (a) is taking more than the allotted time to play and (b) reaches the tee of a par-3 hole and the preceding group has cleared the next tee; reaches the tee of a par-4 hole and the putting green is clear; or reaches the tee of a par-5 hole when the preceding group is on the putting green. Both (a) and (b) must apply for a group to be out of position.

Pace of Play Penalties – Match Play

An out of position match may be monitored and timed. Any time a match is being monitored and timed they will be notified of such timing by a Committee Representative or Referee.

The following are the penalties, in sequence, for any player in a match being timed who takes more than the allotted time (see below) to play a stroke after timing of the player’s stroke begins:

1st offence – warning
2nd offence – loss of hole
3rd offence – loss of hole
Subsequent offence – disqualification.

Timing

When a match is being monitored and timed each player is expected to play any stroke within 40 seconds after timing of the player’s stroke begins. The first player to tee off, play the second shot, chip or putt is allowed an additional 10 seconds.

Other than on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke will begin when they have had a reasonable opportunity to reach their ball, it is their turn to play and they can play without interference or distraction. Time spent determining distances will count as part of the time taken for the next stroke.

On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to lift, clean and replace their ball and make certain improvements allowed on the putting green in accordance with Rule 13.1c of the Rules of Golf. Time spent looking at the line of play from beyond the hole and/or behind the ball will count as part of the time taken for the next stroke.

Repeated infringements of the pace of play guidelines in the season will be referred to the Golf NSW Golf Committee for further consideration and may see a player subject to further action including suspension from further representation of their Club for the season.

Club Officials who would like more information on timing players are invited to contact Andrew Robb at Golf NSW Email: andrew.robb@golfnsw.org.au

Note 1: The Committee reserves the right, at any time, to monitor or time a group/match when the Committee deems it necessary.
Players should also be aware that the Committee may assess a “bad time” to a player in a match that is out of position if the player makes no effort to help his match get back in position.
An example of this would be a player who unduly delays play between shots.

Note 2: If the match in question regains its proper position, any previous breach of these guidelines will be carried over for the remainder of that stipulated round in the event that the match requires additional monitoring.

ADVERSE COURSE CONDITIONS

As per Term 27 of the Standard Terms of Competition for Pennant Play, it is imperative matches be completed and a result obtained on the day. The following are guidelines in deciding if the course is playable:

Provided a minimum of 9 holes are available for play, in accordance with the Rules of Golf, then play should proceed. The matches are still to be played over 18 holes, however a hole or holes can be played more than once;
It is acceptable that a composite course be used;
Preferred lies can be in place, even throughout the General Area;
Bunkers can be out of play, in which case the Committee should define the affected bunkers as part of theGeneral Area and as ground under repair.