Pace of Play is critical to the growth and success of our GGA and
to the enjoyment of our members. Our desire is for all groups to complete their
round in 4 hours or less. With that said, our expectation is that no group will
take more than 4 hours 30 minutes to complete their round.
The GGA Pace of Play expectation is:
a)
Be in position with the group in front of you.
b)
Complete your 18 holes in 4 hours or less.
To monitor and evaluate the Pace of Play expectation:
a)
Each group’s scorecard will show their start time off the first
tee.
b)
When each group reaches the 10th tee, their 9 holes
completion time will be recorded.
c)
When each group completes their 18 holes, the finish time will be
recorded.
Every attempt will be made by the GGA to have Marshals on the course during
each tournament giving feedback to each group as to their position to the group
in front of them, and if possible, their time and/or Pace of Play to that point
on the course. Even if there are no Marshals on the course, each group is
responsible for maintaining their proper position on the course with the group
in front of them (not behind them).
Your group is “In Position
with the group in front of you” when:
a)
On a Par 3 – Your group arrives at the tee box as the group in
front of you is replacing the flag and walking off the green.
b)
On a Par 4 – Your group arrives at the tee box as the group in
front of you is driving away after hitting their approach shots to the green (2nd
shots).
c)
On a Par 5 – Your group arrives at the tee box as the group in front
of you is driving away after hitting their lay-up or approach shots to the
green (2nd shots).
Should your group arrive at a tee box later than any of the
situations described above, your group is out of position with the group in
front of you. SPEED UP YOUR PACE OF PLAY until you are back in a position as
described above; then maintain your position to the group in front of you for
the remainder of your round.
A Volunteer Ambassador or GGA Advisory Board member will be near
the 10th tee box (1st check-point) to record turn time
completion of the first 9 holes and let each group know how they are
doing in relation to the group in front of them. The first 9 holes turn
time is recorded when
the
entire
group reaches
the 10th tee box.
Should a group take more than 2 hours 18 minutes to complete their
first 9 holes and are 16
minutes or more behind the group in front of them, each player in the group
will be assessed a ONE STROKE PENALTY
to be added to their score on the just-completed 9 holes.
A Volunteer Ambassador or GGA Advisory Board member will be near
the 10th tee box or 18th Green (2nd
check-point) to record turn time completion of the last 9 holes and let
each group know how they did in relation to the group that finished in front of
them.
Should a group take more than 2 hours 12 minutes to complete their
last 9 holes and are 16
minutes or more behind the group in front of them, each player in the group
will be assessed a ONE STROKE PENALTY
to be added to their just completed last 9 holes.
The “16 minute” out of position gap time is based on a 4 hour
18-hole time being an average of 13 minutes per hole. Par 3s should take about
10 minutes, Par 4s about 13 minutes and Par 5s about 15 minutes. Thus, a
16-minute finishing time gap would put the group at least a hole behind the
group in front of them and considered out of position on the golf course.
Should a majority of the players in a group being penalized
communicate that a single player in the group was the sole cause for the group’s
unsatisfactory Pace of Play the penalty stroke(s)
will be given only to that player.
In the interest of speed and fairness to all players, any Pace of Play
penalty stroke assessment will be made by the Tournament
Committee prior to the end of the day in which the infraction took place.
Any Pace of Play penalty stroke assessment will be communicated
directly to the GGA Handicap Chairman for tournament results calculations and
to the recipient of the penalty strokes and will be disclosed to all GGA
members.
Assessed penalty strokes will be added to a player’s score for determination
of the player’s standing/final results in the respective tournament in which
they were assessed, but will not be added when entering the player’s score into
the GHIN Handicap system.
GGA tournaments played under “Cart Path Only” guidelines or under a process other than scheduled tee times may have any or all of these guidelines waived by the Tournament Committee.