Ventura County Junior Golf Association 2008

 VCJGA TOUR POLICY

It is vitally important that all VCJGA members and parents read and understand the following tour policies before participating in any tournaments.
  1. The VCJGA conducts its golf tournaments by the USGA Rules of Golf.  VCJGA Hard Card, Local Rules and conditions of the Competition are also in effect.
  2. Members are required to take and pass (70%) a Rules Quiz before entering any VCJGA tournament.  It is the responsibility of each competitor (Rule 6-1) to know and apply the rules of golf. 
  3. Members, guests and their parents are required to sign a Code of Conduct & Character before being cleared for play.  Golf etiquette is a very important part of the game of golf and therefore, a serious breach of etiquette may result in disqualification (Rule 33-7).  Any misconduct or conduct unbecoming behavior by a competitor or their parent/guardian may result in immediate disqualification and/or expulsion without warning.
  4. Spectators are required to adhere to the Spectator Code of Conduct Policy.  It is up to each golf facility whether or not to permit spectators and whether or not to charge a fee for going onto the course.  Golf carts are not allowed for spectators.  Rule 8-1, Advice pertains to parents as well as competitors and a breach will result in a two stroke penalty on the player - without warning.  Please respect the course policy as we need the courses more than the courses need the VCJGA.
  5. Pace of Play is extremely important to the VCJGA and the courses that we visit.  Pace of Play guidelines are posted at each event and can vary from event to event.
  6. All competitors must Check-In a minimum of 30-minutes prior to their scheduled starting time; and must report to their starting hole a minimum of 5-minutes prior to their scheduled starting time.  Competitors will be given official scorecards, rules and other important instructions prior to starting.
  7. Each competitor is responsible to carry their clubs or use a hand cart (no motorized carts or caddies permitted).  Competitors are not permitted to ride in golf carts unless being shuttled by an official shuttle or rules official.  Player's should take care not to leave their equipment unattended and are responsible for any lost or stolen items.
  8. Electronic devices are not to be used during tournament play.  Range finders, i-pods, cell phones are prohibited and must be turned off during play.  EXCEPTION - In emergencies or to contact a rules official a cell phone may be used.
 
Membership
Membership is open to all junior golfers from age 8 to the point they begin college (maximum age is 19).  A VCJGA Tour member is expected to have the knowledge, ability and experience to play a competitive round of golf within the VCJGA Pace of Play guidelines, without assistance and according to the rules and etiquette of the game and the VCJGA Code of Conduct & Character.  Championship Boys should be abe to score a minimum of one round in each tournament within 18 strokes of the course rating and in the Championship Girls and Boys 12-15 divisions within 26 strokes of the course rating.  A member who is unable to meet these membership requirements may be suspended and or be required to play and graduate from Q-School.  It is important that golfers are self sufficent/reliant; able to navigate the course without assistance (hand carts OK); have a basic knowledge of the rules of golf and etitquette.  If you have questions, please contact our Director of Tour Operations at: tourinfo@vcjga.com
Membership fees are for the callendar year ending December 31st and are non-refundable.
 
Tour & Age Divisions
 

VCJGA Tour:  18 and 36-Hole tournaments

  • Boys 12-15
  • Championship Boys
  • Championship Girls 

Taylor-Made Cup:   - Contact: tourinfo@vcjga.com

    • Championship Boys
    • Championship Girls 

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Participated or Qualified to play in a 2008/2009 AJGA Tournament
  • Top-Half Finish in the Field in a 2008/2009 FCWT or IJGT Tournament
  • Member of the SCPGA Toyota Tour Cup Series
  • Top-10 Finish in a 2008/2009 California Junior Tour Tournament
  • Made the Cut in the 2009 (Championship or "A" Divisions) LA City Junior Golf Championship
  • Currently ranked in the Top 2,000 on National Junior Scoreboard
  • 2009 Scoring average of 85 or better on a High School Golf Team (Minimum of 5 Matches)
  • If you do not meet any of the above criteria, but would like to be considered, Contact: tourinfo@vcjga.com to find out if you are eligible for this top ranked field.

 

Mini-Tour:  9-Hole tournaments (Two=18-Hole Tournaments)

  • Boys/Girls 8-9
  • Boys 10-11
  • Girls 10-11
  • Q-School Boys/Girls
Younger players can play-up and play on the VCJGA Tour; however, playing ability will not be the only factor considered. Maturity and understanding the game, rules, courtesy, and having the ability to navigate the course will also be considered.  All requests to play-up must be requested in writing (e-mail) at least 15-days in advance and are decided by the Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis.  Once a junior golfer begins college they are no longer eligible to play with the VCJGA.
 
MEMBERSHIP IS NON REFUNDABLE AFTER BEING PROCESSED.
 
Web Based

The VCJGA is a year round web-based organization. Membership registration and tournament business is handled on our web-site at vcjga.com. 

  • Before registering for tournaments, you will be required to pass a USGA Rules of Golf quiz each year. 
  • The quiz is open book and must be passed with a score of 70% or greater.
Once the quiz is passed, you can now sign up and pay for events, however; the junior golfer and the parent/guardian will need to sign and return the Code of Conduct & Character covenant before being approved for play.
It is vitally important to check your personal e-mail regularly as this is how VCJGA communicates with you. 
 
Event Registration & Cancellation
Plan your schedule in advance and enter early to avoid being left out. All events MUST be paid on-line with a credit card to be accepted.

Each event will have 1) a sign-up deadline (or maximum number of players); 2) A cancellation deadline (usually 7-8 days in advance of the tournament date). 

  • You must cancel by the deadline listed on the tournament entry information page.  If you cancel from a tournament before the cancellation deadline, a $20 administration fee will apply.  Once the option to cancel deadline on the website has passed, your only other option is to Withdraw.
  • Once the deadline has passed for cancellation, NO REFUNDS will be issued for any reason.  See Tournament Withdrawal Policy below.

If an event is cancelled due to course closure or inclement weather a refund will be issued.  The VCJGA will reserve the right to charge a minimal administrative fee to offset costs.

Tournament Withdrawal Policy  Once you have entered a tournament and the cancellation date has passed, you are now an official competitor in that event and are NOT entitled to a refund (at this point, the VCJGA is paying the course for your spot). The VCJGA Tour has three types of Withdrawals:

1. Justified Withdrawal:
If you need to Withdraw due to an illness, injury, or a family tragedy, you will need to contact the VCJGA Tour Director (tourinfo@vcjga.com) or the onsite Tournament Director and request a Withdrawal Form. The form will need to be completed in full.
Withdrawal because of poor play or any other reason is highly suspect and should be avoided at all times.
2. Questionable Withdrawal:
If the Tour Director or Tournament Director is unable to determine if the junior is withdrawing for a legitimate reason, the Withdrawal will be listed as Questionable. Once a junior receives two (2) Questionable Withdrawals their membership will be suspended and the junior will not be eligible to earn year end awards.
3. Unjustified Withdrawal:
The junior is obviously Withdrawing due to poor play or lack of ambition to play. This includes juniors leaving the golf course in which the event is conducted or failing to show up for any subsequent rounds of an event without talking with the Tournament Director in person.
 
Very Important:  If you are unable to play (Withdrawing), you are still responsible to communicate this with the tournament director: tourinfo@vcjga.com or call 805/207-4653 if computer is not available.

Tournament Overview  Tournaments are played to scratch, with no handicaps.  You should familiarize yourself with the VCJGA policies as play is always conducted in accordance with the United States Golf Association Rules of Golf, and the VCJGA Code of Conduct & Character.  If you have any questions about rules we encourage you to ask because ignorance of the rules will not change the penalty. 

Posted at each event: Pace of Play Policy and a Notice to Competitors. It will be vitally important to review these documents prior to playing as it will help avoid needless penalties.
 
Tee Times & Pairings
Tee times are typically posted four days in advance. 36-hole tournaments will require re-pairing, players will need to check the web site for times prior to the next round. We make special tee time consideration based on summer school obligations or for car pool purposes only. We will do our best to accommodate your needs in these two situations only. You must notify us by e-mail of your request 7 days prior to the event.
Players are paired by ages in their respective flights, then by scoring average.  Please DO NOT request to play with specific competitors.
 
Results, Tournament Points Distribution & Awards
Tournament scores are usually posted onto the website within 24-hours of event completion. Points for each event are posted in the entry detail.
Awards are given to the following in each flight:
  • 1st Place                                    
  • 2nd Place               
  • 3rd Place
Ties for first place only are subject to a Playoff.
 
Inclement Weather Policy
Inclement weather in and of itself is not a reason to cancel a round or golf tournament. Several factors will be taken into consideration when deciding whether to suspend a round, postpone, shorten or cancel golf:

 

Unsafe Course Conditions:

  • Fast flowing creeks, overflowing lakes, bridge(s) out, trees falling over, etc.
  • Golf traffic causes unnecessary damage to golf course

Unsafe Weather Conditions:

  • Thunder storms (lightening)
  • Rain so heavy that it would be unfair to require players to continue
  • Winds moving a ball on the putting surface, trees/limbs falling

Standing Water on Fairways, Greens & Bunkers:

  • Too much or large amounts of casual water, especially on greens and fairways

Communication:  If an event is delayed or cancelled due to inclement weather, the VCJGA will contact you.  PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURSE DIRECTLY UNLESS INSTRUCTED.

Suspending Play and the USGA Rules of Golf:
 
Rule 6-8b governs when play is suspended by the Committee. It states:
 
When play is suspended by the Committee, if the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they shall not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If they are in the process of playing a hole, they may continue provided they do so without delay. If they choose to continue, they shall discontinue either before or immediately after completing the hole, and shall not thereafter resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play.
 
However, a Note under Rule 6-8b states:
The Committee may provide in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1) that, in potentially dangerous situations, play shall be discontinued immediately following a suspension of play by the Committee. If a player fails to discontinue play immediately, he shall be disqualified unless circumstances warrant waiving such a penalty as provided in Rule 33-7.
 
This condition is in effect for all VCJGA Tournaments:
            Discontinue Play Immediately: One prolonged note of siren.
            Discontinue Play: Three consecutive notes of siren, repeated.
            Resume Play: Two short notes of siren, repeated.
 
 
Electronic Devices
The use of electronic devices (Range/distance finders, cell phones, i-pods, golf riding carts, etc.) during competition is forbidden and will result in a penalty and/or disqualification.  Cell phones may be used by competitors in case of an emergency or to contact a Rules Official.
 
Pace of Play
It is up to players to play without undue delay. Pace of Play Policy will be posted at each event.
USGA Rule 6-7: The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid own by the committee. Between the completion of a hole and playing form the next teeing ground, the player shall not unduly delay play. Penalty for breach of Rule 6-6: Match Play – Loss of Hole; Stroke Play – Two Strokes.
 
Scoring
The competitor’s responsibilities:
·        Each player will have an Official Scorecard provided to them. Players will exchange scorecards on the first tee.
·        USGA Rule 6-6a: After each hole the marker should check the score with the competitor and record it. On completion of the round the marker shall sign the card and hand it to the competitor.
·        USGA Rule 6-6b: After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the committee. He shall ensure that the marker has signed the card, countersign the card himself and return it to the Committee as soon as possible. Penalty for breach of Rule 6-6b: Disqualification.
·        USGA Rule 6-6c: No alteration may be made on a card after the competitor has returned it to the committee.
·        USGA Rule 6-6d: The competitor is responsible for the correctness of the score recorded for each hole on his card. If he returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken, he shall be disqualified. If he returns a score for any hole higher than actually taken, the score as returned shall stand.
·        Players should go directly to the scoring table after your 18th hole has been completed. Scorecards should be signed immediately upon completion of play, no communication with parents, family or friends until the scorecard is signed.
·        All scoring rulings or rule information must be requested of the tournament official(s) before the scorecard is attested.
·        Each player must perform his responsibility to protect the field by reporting any rule infraction. Players are reminded that under USGA Rule No. 1-3, no player may exclude the operation of a rule or waive any penalty incurred.
 
Cheating
USGA Rules and the Rules and Code of Conduct & Character of the VCJGA will govern all play. CHEATING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Any knowledge of cheating should be reported to the Tournament Director as soon as possible.
It is the explicit duty of each competitor to protect the field - which means you must report any known breach to the Rules Official
 
Quitting or Not Posting a Scorecard
If a competing player quits the round without a good reason before play has officially ended, the player will be DISQUALIFIED from that event and will face suspension from future VCJGA events for which the player is entered or entitled to enter, at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT A PLAYER DOES NOT LEAVE THE FACILITY WITHOUT PROPER NOTIFICATION OF VCJGA STAFF.  If a Player leaves the event after completion and does not post their score, these same rules apply, and the Players will be subject to disciplinary action.

Ranking & Affiliations

  • All 36-Hole tournaments are ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard
  • Major events will offer an AJGA PBE Exemption to the Championship Boy and Girl  NOTE:  AJGA field requirements must be met.
  • The top-5 Championship Boys & Girls (subject to SCPGA Approval) will be exempt on the 2010 SCPGA Toyota Tour Cup   NOTE:  Only VCJGA members that have played in and completed a minimum of four (4) VCJGA tournaments are eligible to qualify for exemptions.

 The VCJGA is a 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Organization Since 1967

Copyright © 2000-2010 BlueGolf, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service