The Nine-Hole Ladies Golf-Around League

POLICIES and GUIDELINES

Revision: July 18, 2013

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES Contents:

League Membership ................................................................................................. 1 GAR Board ................................................................................................................ 2 Meetings .................................................................................................................. 2
Organizational Meeting ................................................................................................................................. 2 Board Meetings ............................................................................................................................................... 2 General Meetings............................................................................................................................................ 3

Golf-Around Events .................................................................................................. 3

GAR Event Preparation Responsibilities ...................................................................................................... 3 GAR Event Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................ 6
9-Hole Golf Tournament................................................................................................................................ 7 Golf Awards ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Luncheon ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 Split-The-Pot .................................................................................................................................................. 9

Post-GAR Event Responsibilities ................................................................................................................... 9

Amendments ...........................................................................................................10

Revision: July 18, 2013

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

This document shall be used in conjunction with the current Bylaws of The Nine-Hole Ladies Golf-Around League, also known as GAR League or GAR.

League Membership
Any ladies golf group in Central Florida is eligible for membership based on capacity. The number of active member groups in the GAR League varies. When an opening is available, the President of the GAR League may appoint a committee to interview and present information about the GAR League to interested ladies golf groups for potential membership. This committee will research a groups size, golf course location, luncheon facility, and membership interest in the GAR League to base their recommendation on how the potential group would fit within the existing League membership. There needs to be a balance between too few member groups and too many. If there are too few, the participation level may be low and consequently create a financial burden to host GAR events. Too many member groups may cause an issue with capacity, forcing groups to put limits on the number of participants that they may send to GAR events. The GAR League Secretary shall keep a list of any interested ladies golf groups and their contact information so that they may be contacted when an opening becomes available. Each active member group shall host one GAR event per season. The GAR season is defined by the current GAR Event Season Schedule which will include the GAR event date for each active member group. The season typically includes only one GAR event per month and excludes December and the summer months due to the potential for low participation. When the League is actively seeking additional member groups, they may invite representatives to play at a GAR event as a guest of the GAR League. The GAR Board should determine whether the GAR League Treasury can support funding the fees for these guests. A non-refundable initiation fee of $5.00 will be charged to a new member group upon activation or re-activation into the GAR League that will be deposited to the League Treasury. Each active member group has an assigned month in which to host their GAR event. An active member group may request to swap their assigned month in a future season, if another group is in agreement. If a member group resigns from the GAR League, priority will be given to the remaining active member groups to exchange their assigned month. When a new member group is accepted to the GAR League, they will be assigned the open/available month.

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GAR Board

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

The GAR Board consists of the GARs four elected officers along with two Delegates from each active member group. Delegates are chosen by their respective group and are not subject to election or approval from the Board. Officers may be nominated by any current Board member and may include any interested party from any of the active member groups. There is no prerequisite that she be a current Delegate or Officer.

Meetings
The Secretary will record minutes for all meetings and provide copies to all GAR Board members. She may distribute minutes and all other documents and forms using electronic means, such as email. Minutes of the General meetings are read (but not distributed) to all participants at the General meeting. Organizational Meeting The annual Organizational meeting is crucial for the GAR League in order to plan the upcoming GAR season. Revisions, additions or changes to the Bylaws, Policies & Guidelines, or updates to forms and any other pertinent business are addressed at this meeting. The goal is to establish a stable set of rules and regulations that will be in effect for the entire upcoming GAR season. Each active member group must have representation present at this meeting, so that their group is spoken for when votes are taken. A well-planned season should result in few, if any, changes between GAR events. The President shall organize and schedule the Organizational meeting. It should be scheduled no less than one month prior to the first GAR event of the new season. The meeting may consist of a round of golf at the GAR Presidents course (with no awards presented), lunch and a formal meeting. The President will announce the date, time, and cost. The GAR Treasury is not responsible for funding the meeting on behalf of the GAR Board. The President will establish an agenda for the meeting. Board members should submit topics in advance to the President to be included in the agenda. Board Meetings A Board meeting shall be held at every GAR event before or following play and before the General meeting. The guideline for the Board meeting format is: Call to order Secretarys report to include meeting minutes for previous Board and General meetings Treasurers report to include financial statement and previous GAR event Host Accounting summary, if applicable Old business New business Revision: July 18, 2013 Page 2

 Invitation to the next GAR event from the Delegate for the Host group Adjourn The Secretarys report is to be distributed via email to all Board members prior to the meeting for review and to allow time for any corrections or updates. The Secretary will provide printed copies of the updated meeting minutes at the Board meeting. To save time, the meeting minutes are not required to be read at the Board meeting, just approved as printed or with any noted changes. General Meetings A General meeting shall be held at each GAR event, with the purpose of communicating news and updates, to all participants. The guideline for the General meeting format is: The Host groups Delegate(s) welcomes all participants and introduces the GAR President. The GAR President makes initial remarks and announcements. The GAR Secretary reads the minutes of the previous GAR General meeting. The GAR Treasurer reads the current Treasurers report. The GAR President conducts a roll call. A Delegate for the next Host group announces information about the next GAR event. The Golfers Prayer is read by a volunteer from the Host group. The GAR President adjourns the General meeting The Host group takes over the activities for the remainder of the GAR event.

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Golf-Around Events
As per the Bylaws, each GAR event is required to include, but is not limited to, a nine-hole golf tournament, golf awards, a luncheon, and a Split-the-Pot raffle. The Host group may include a light breakfast if they wish. All GAR events should follow a consistent activity structure, with variations by the Host group limited to areas such as theme, decorations, sequence of activities, and food options. There may be no deviation in the areas of golf awards, amounts, raffle ticket prices, or number of flights. GAR events shall not include door prizes, baskets, donations, giveaways, or other items that may be provided by outside companies for promotional purposes. It is acceptable to give away table decorations and/or table favors. GAR Event Preparation Responsibilities Delegates are responsible for coordinating all preparations of their GAR event, with the cooperation of their golf club personnel and other members of their ladies group, following the policies outlined in the GAR Bylaws and GAR Policies & Guidelines.

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GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Delegates should collaborate with their golf club personnel and their luncheon provider for dates, times, and prices to schedule their Host groups GAR event. The total price for the event is to include a $4.00 entry fee for prizes, a golf fee and luncheon cost (including tax and gratuity). Additional costs, such as room rental may be added to the total price. The total price is recommended to be between $25.00 and $40.00 and should be rounded up to the nearest $0.50. Guests of member groups may attend but are not eligible for golf awards; therefore their total price will not include the $4.00 entry fee for prizes. Host delegates will create the GAR Event Registration Forms (both To Post and Return Copy) and provide them to the Senior Delegate of each active member group along with a self-addressed postage paid envelope. These forms may either be distributed by mail or at a Board meeting two months prior to their required return date. A return date deadline is typically two weeks prior to the GAR event, which provides the Host group sufficient time to organize flights, pairings, scorecards, create decorations, etc. based on the total participants. Delegates will also announce details of their upcoming event at the General meeting immediately prior to their GAR event to encourage ladies to attend. Delegates from each active member group will receive copies of the GAR Event Registration Form from the Host group two months prior to the GAR event, to post for participants to sign-up. Delegates should promote enthusiasm within their group and encourage involvement in each GAR event. Each member group may use their discretion for how they determine their individuals eligibility to participate in each GAR event. Delegates are responsible for monitoring the To Post GAR Event Registration Form for participant sign-ups and collecting payment for each GAR event. Delegates are responsible for obtaining the participants current handicap index, and creating the Return Copy of the GAR Event Registration Form with the requested information. Delegates are responsible for returning the completed form and submitting the total payment with one check to the Host group by the noted deadline. The Return Copy of the GAR Event Registration Form may be submitted electronically to the Host group delegate in addition to remitting a physical copy. Delegates are responsible for notifying the Host group delegates of any challenges or assistance needed for any of their groups participants in a GAR event. The Delegate may request a pairing for the person in need of assistance within their own group. It is of utmost importance that Delegates are responsible for all communications between their participants and the Host group. Participants are not to contact the Host group directly and vice versa. Delegates are responsible for conveying to their players that it is each participants responsibility to know and play by USGA rules at all GAR events. Host delegates will receive the Return Copy of the GAR Event Registration Form and a single payment from each participating member group. The Host delegate and/or their group Treasurer will be responsible for payment to their golf club and their luncheon provider. Any cancellations, substitutions, or additions must be coordinated with the Host Delegates. The Host group may accept or decline substitutions or additions based on capacity or the

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stage of preparation. Refunds are not provided for cancellations made after the entry deadline, except in cases of emergencies, such as a death of an immediate family member, and at the discretion of the Host group. The Host group is responsible for converting all participants 9-hole handicap index to the Hosts course handicap. The course handicap will be used to divide the full playing field into four flights. Participants with the same course handicap should compete within the same flight. The maximum course handicap to be used is 28. If a players course handicap is greater, 28 will be used. There is no minimum handicap. The Host group is responsible for creating the playing group assignments. The foursomes may include participants within the same flight or they may be mixed. However, players within a flight should play the same side or course, to ensure an equal competition. The foursomes should include a mix of member groups and where possible, include a player from the Host group to accompany the visiting players and help as a course guide. From the returned GAR Event Registration Forms, master lists may be created to assist with organizing the activities of the GAR event. The Host group may choose their own methods for organizing their GAR event, however, based on the experiences of many delegates, here are some suggestions: A list of all participants to support the golf tournament requirements (creation of four flights, cart assignments, pairings, tournament scorecards, and scoring tally sheets). An alphabetical list of participants to support the bag-drop volunteers. A list of Groups with their participants to support the check-in process. The Host group is responsible for creating tournament scorecards with the following elements: Name of up to two players on one scorecard Area to record gross score for each hole per player Area to record the number of putts for each hole per player Indication of the number of handicap strokes that the player is entitled to receive on each hole (preferably using dots). *Note: the handicap strokes per hole will only be used in case of suspended play. Area to record the sum total of the gross score per player Notation of the players' 9-hole course handicap Area to record the sum total of the net score per player (gross minus course handicap) Area for the scorer's signature Area for the attester's (players) signature

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

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GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Sample Scorecard
Host Group Name
Tee Time:
NAME 1

05/30/2013 9:00 AM
2

Starting Hole:
3

Hole 1
9

Individual Stroke Play

GROSS 9-HCP NET

Player A Putts

14

Player B Putts
PAR
Red Tees Ladies Handicap

17

4 286 15

4 278 11

5 471 1

3 115 13

4 288 5

4 315 9

5 405 7

3 88 17

4 320 3

36
2631

Date:

Scorer:

Attest:

Delegates should solicit help to support the activities of their GAR event. The suggestions below are based on the experiences of many delegates; however, each Host group may choose their own methods for organizing and assigning volunteers for their GAR event: Volunteers to help golf club personnel (to organize four flights, pairings, scorecards, tallying and verifying scorecards). Volunteers to help with bag-drop. Volunteers to greet and check-in participants. Volunteers for the Split-The-Pot raffle. Volunteers to decorate. Volunteers to coordinate breakfast items, if applicable. Volunteers to provide water for each player. Volunteers to coordinate and setup room(s) and equipment. Volunteer to read the Golfers Prayer at the luncheon.

GAR Event Responsibilities Host delegates are responsible for coordinating all activities on the day of their GAR event, with the cooperation of their golf club personnel and other volunteers from their group, following the policies outlined in the GAR League Bylaws. For the day of the GAR event, times and sequence may vary based on the schedule established by the Host group. Listed below is a sample schedule of a GAR event:

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GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Sample Schedule 7:30 am 8:00 am Host group volunteers arrive to setup Check-in begins Guests arrive, drop off golf bags, check-in at registration table, mingle and socialize with friends, enjoy light breakfast treats, if applicable Board Meeting Officers & Delegates meet in a separate room Pre-Golf Announcements Host golf professional makes pre-golf announcements Carts advance to starting hole Shotgun start of 9-hole golf round Complete 9-hole golf round Turn in scorecards General Meeting For all participants Luncheon Golf Awards are announced Split-The-Pot raffle Table decoration give-away (if applicable) Adjourn

8:15 am 8:45 am 9:00 am Approx. 11:30 12:15 pm Approx. 12:15 pm Approx. 12:30 pm Approx. 1:30 pm Approx. 1:45 pm Approx. 2:00 pm

9-Hole Golf Tournament Prior to the start of the 9-Hole Golf Tournament, the Host golf professional will gather all players together for announcements, as outlined in the GAR Event Announcement Guidelines. Tournaments should use a shotgun start (each group tees off simultaneously from different holes) so that everyone starts and finishes at about the same time. Players are to participate based on their cart assignments as generated by the Host group. Golfers should play ready golf to keep a good pace of play. Tournament scorecards are to be distributed prior to play. Players should review the cards to verify their handicap, keeping in mind that it is a conversion of their handicap index to the Hosts course handicap. Playing guests are not eligible for golf awards so they should be noted as NH (no handicap) on the scorecard. Tournament scorecards are to be exchanged within the foursome for score-keeping. Players should keep their own scores separately using blank course scorecards, which can be used to compare scoring at the end of the round. Tournament scorecards will be used to record, verify, and attest to players scores based on the rules outlined in the GAR Bylaws. Scorers may sum the gross scores and number of putts to provide totals, but it is not a requirement. Revision: July 18, 2013 Page 7

If a player wishes to pick-up on any hole, she should announce to her group that she is withdrawing from the golf awards, but may continue to play. The scorer should note WD for withdrawn, on the scorecard for that player. Questions on rules and procedures must be presented to the GAR Rules Committee (consisting of the GAR Officers, the Host group Delegates and the Host groups golf professional) prior to the golf awards announcement on the day of the GAR event; afterwards is too late. Players should not sign or turn in their scorecard until all disputes are resolved. Rulings made by the GAR Rules Committee are final. The Host group will provide a scoring committee which will be responsible for tallying the scores, verifying the accuracy of the totals and posting the scores for each player. Once all scores are posted, the scoring committee will determine winners for each of the four flights based on the posted scores and the golf award policy (below) of the GAR League. Any player that has voluntarily withdrawn or who has been disqualified will not be eligible for golf awards. If there are any issues or questions regarding the award process, the GAR Rules Committee should be contacted for clarification and their decision will be final.

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Golf Awards 1. Golf prizes are to be determined for each flight in the following sequence and awarded in the following amounts: Golf Award Low Gross First Low Net Low Putts Second Low Net Third Low Net Total per Flight Pay Out $20.00 $15.00 $10.00 $ 8.00 $ 7.00 $60.00

2. Only one award is to be issued to a golfer. If eligible for more than one award, the highest value prize will be awarded. For example, if a player has the lowest gross score and the lowest net score within her flight, she is awarded $20 for Low Gross and the player with the next lowest net score within the flight will be awarded $15 for First Low Net, and so on. 3. All ties receive the full amount of the award. For example, if two players within the same flight had the same gross score and were the lowest in the flight, then both players will receive $20.00, for a total $40.00 pay out for Low Gross. 4. A cash award of $50.00 will be paid to any player making a Hole-In-One with the monies paid from the GAR treasury. Revision: July 18, 2013 Page 8

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

5. The Host groups golf professional should announce the winners for each flight, beginning with the fourth flight (flight D). The announcement should include the winners first and last name, their member group, the golf award, score, and amount. 6. All winners should receive their award as credit to be used at the Host groups facilities in which the award was earned, typically as a pro shop credit. The award should be valid for no less than one year from the date of the award. Awards may be in the form of a certificate, gift card, or whatever means the Host group may offer. Luncheon Each GAR event will include a luncheon for all participants. There may be circumstances where a participant may attend the luncheon but not play golf. For those participants, their price will include the luncheon cost only (no entry or golf fee). The luncheon may be served before or after golf based on the schedule determined by the Host group. The General meeting will be part of the luncheon, but may take place before or after food is served, based on the schedule determined by the Host group. Split-The-Pot The Host group will conduct a Split-The-Pot raffle as a revenue generator to recoup the expense for hosting the GAR event. Ticket prices are to be consistent for all GAR events at a price of one ticket for $1.00 and six tickets for $5.00. When the ticket sale concludes, the monies will be split. Half goes to the Host group. The other half is then divided into denominations determined by the Host group to be awarded to winning ticket holders. It is a good practice to award many cash prizes rather than one or two large prizes. The cash prizes may be equal amounts but are not required to be equal. All participants, including guests, may purchase as many Split-The-Pot tickets as they wish. Participants may win more than one cash prize.

Post-GAR Event Responsibilities After a GAR event concludes, Delegates should audit the final scoreboard or tally sheet to verify that awards were distributed as earned. If an award was distributed in error, it cannot be rescinded, but the Host group must issue a duplicate award to the rightful winner. From the results of the final award distribution and income from the Split-The-Pot sales, the Host group Delegates are responsible for completing and submitting a GAR Event Accounting Report. The electronic version of the report contains calculations for automating the totals. Delegates may submit the report electronically and/or mail or hand-deliver to the GAR Treasurer within two weeks of their GAR event. If more event fees were collected than were paid out in awards, the Host group retains the amount over $25.00 for their treasury. A payment of $25.00 to the GAR League is to be remitted to the GAR Treasurer along with the GAR Event Accounting Report. If the difference is less than $25.00, no Revision: July 18, 2013 Page 9

payment is necessary. If more was spent for awards than collected, the GAR Treasury will reimburse the Host group the difference in amount. The intention is to prevent any Host group from operating at a financial loss adhering to the GAR League policy of paying all ties. The income from the Split-The-Pot raffle and any overage from the entry fees collected may be used to recoup the expenses of hosting the GAR event. Each member group, not the GAR League, is financially responsible for their expenses. The Host group may use their own income and expense history along with the GAR Event Accounting History to budget for their GAR event.

GAR POLICIES & GUIDELINES

Amendments
Amendments to these GAR Policies and Guidelines may be recommended at any GAR Board or Organization meeting and require a simple majority vote (one more than half) of the GAR Board members present.

Revisions:
July 15, 2013

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