PACE-OF-PLAY
(POP)

HGoOC Policy:

·       Complete round in 4 hours and 30 minutes.

o   Generally, 15 min per hole (times may be adjusted based on par level of the hole) to complete 18 holes = 4 hours and 30 minutes

Play “Ready Golf”: Don’t demand, expect or play “honors” or “your tee” if you are not ready to play. It's okay to hit/putt before someone behind you (“away”) if you can reasonably do so. Pace of play is very important. Each golfer in your group will be penalized 1 stroke a hole if your group finishes 20 minutes (gap) or more behind the preceding group. (20250506)

·       Any group with 1 or more open ("gap") holes in front of them after 4 hours and 30 minutes penalty will be assessed as follows:

o   Initial penalty = 2 strokes (all players in the groups with 1 or more “gap” holes after 4 hours and 30 minutes).   

·       Additional penalty = 1 stroke per hole for each “gap” hole

·       1 stroke penalty for scorecards not submitted within 15 minutes of completing their last hole

NOTE:  Your reference MUST be the group in front of you, do not worry about the group behind you.  In other words, keep pace with the group IN FRONT of your group.  There will be times when you will lose sight of them, but they can only go as fast as the group in front of them, so your group will eventually catch up.  Don’t slow down or give up, keep playing.  The goal is to keep up and not lose sight of the group in front of you.

Some recommended ways to improve your pace of play:

·       Play ready golf EVERYWHERE

·       Check your group's scheduled PoP time intervals on official scorecards and make adjustments as needed

·       In the fairway move quickly to your ball and think of what club to use before getting there

·       If you just hit a well struck 180-yard drive and you are 200 yards to the green, it’s pretty safe that you can hit your second shot before the group in front leaves the green. Be realistic with your game; but also, don’t hit into the group in front of you

·       If you are in a cart, while one player is hitting, the other player should be at their ball ready to hit

·       When you get on the green, start figuring out your putt. Don’t wait until it is your turn to do this

·       On the green, putt out if it doesn’t interfere with another player’s line. When you finish, head to the next tee and hit.  Don’t wait until all players have putted out to go to the next tee

·       If a player is extra slow on a hole (looking for a ball, multiple shots out of the trap, etc.), continue playing your ball and even putt out (complete the hole).  For example, if the player that is away on the green is still raking the trap, continue play (putt out) instead of waiting

·       Proceed to the next tee box as soon as you get off the green.  Clean your clubs/putter and record your scores at the next tee box not near the green

·       Don’t hesitate to inform others in your foursome that your group is lagging and each of you must pick up the pace

·       Enforce maximum lost ball search time limit (3 mins)

·       Use HGoOC “Max Score” (net double par), especially when your group is behind

·       On Par 3s, when your group is on the green and your next tee box/fairway is not open; call/wave up the group behind yours (if they are ready and waiting on the tee box)

·       Be aware of your shot process/routine length of time.  If it is not within 40 seconds, work on getting it down.  USGA recommends 40 seconds, and usually less time that time 

·       If you are far behind the group in front of yours, you should try to catch up, even if your pace of play is currently good

* Guests must play within our POP.  The guest and the member will both be penalized, even if the member is not playing in the same group.  If a guest is penalized for slow POP, that guest will not be allowed to play in any HGoOC tournament going forward.

·       As part of the HGoOC tournament scoring process, golfers exchange official scorecards with each other in their playing group.  After each “hole out” all golfers should announce their score.  Before teeing off at the next hole, all golfers should confirm their scores have been correctly recorded on their official scorecard.  At the end of the round, the scorecard needs to be validated and then signed by both the “scoring” golfer (scorer) and the “playing” golfer (player).

·       The HGoOC Max Score is net double par (net double par is 2 times the hole’s par PLUS the golfer’s handicap strokes on the hole).  It can optionally be taken on any hole, but should be taken if your group in out of position or falling behind the group in front of yours. When a “Max Score” is taken, an “X” is marked/inputted as the golfer’s score on the hole. A golfer taking an “X” is no longer eligible for low net side action (on the side the “X” was taken) and no longer eligible for total net. A golfer with an “X” is not qualified for Ace of the Month.

·       As the scorer is keeping the official scorecard for the player, the scorer can optionally keep his/her own score on that scorecard, however, it is not the scorer’s official score/scorecard.  By having a scoring section for the scorer on the player’s official scorecard, he/she can more easily validate his/her scores before attesting/signing their official scorecard.

·       Scorecards must be "signed" by scorer and "attested" by player.  An incorrect signed scorecard DQs the player (not the scorer) from net/gross score competition and side action.  Player still can win hole (Par 3s, 2nd Chance, Uncovered Birdies and Net Skins) competitions and side action.  An In, Out and/or Total gross score addition error does not constitute a DQ for player.

·       For GHIN/WHS purposes, HGoOC Handicap Chair will post a net double bogey for HGoOC Max Score (net double par). 

Guests

·    Guests can play all side-action, but they cannot win Ace-of-the-Month

·    When a guest wins the Super, they become a HGoOC member, with their membership fees paid from their Super side action winnings

·    A golfer can only play as a guest 3 times in a calendar 

·    In our major tournaments, guests can win the 2-Day/Overall Low Net and 2-Day/Overall Low Gross, however, guests cannot win RJK Hele-On perpetual trophy awarded for 2-Day/Overall Low Net.  If a guest wins the 2-Day/Overall Low Net, he/she will receive associated points and prizes, however, the perpetual trophy will go to the lowest 2-day net HGoOC member (which could possibly be the 2-Day/Overall Low Gross winner).

·    Hawaiian Men's Statewide Golf Tournament Association members play as HGoOC members

o   Can play more than 3 times in a calendar year

o   Does not become automatic member if he/she wins a Super

o   Cannot win Ace-of-the-Month or RJK Hele-On perpetual trophy

Tie-Breakers 

·       USGA Net Tie-breaker will be used for all net awards and side action. 

·       For 2 day tournaments, the 1st tiebreaker is the last/day-2 score. 

·       2-Day Low-Net is higher than 2-Day Low-Gross and therefore the Overall Tournament Champion. So, if a golfer wins both 2-day low net and 2-day low gross, the golfer wins the net award and the gross award goes to next lowest low gross score/golfer.

Match Play/Club Championship 

·       24 (previously 32 - changed 2024) golfer field (Top 16 RTMC from previous year + Club Champion and Top 15 from qualifying round) 

·       No 1st Round walkovers/forfeits 

·       Round 2, 3 and 4 matches can be rescheduled

o   With Rules Committee approval

o   With opponent's approval

o   Must be played at scheduled golf course

o   Cannot reschedule Final/Championship match

·       Must be a member that has played in at least 4 monthly tournaments (updated 20250503)

Miscellaneous 

·       A member has to have played at least 3 monthly tournaments (as a member) to win Ace-of-the-Month

·       USGA Rules are used at all our tournaments

·       USGA Alternate Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Out of Bounds is a HGoOC Local Rule for all tournaments.  If a provisional ball was not played, the USGA Alternate Stroke and Distance Local Rule allows for a player to drop within the area formed by where the ball is “estimated” to be lost/OB and 2 clublengths onto the edge of the nearest fairway no closer to the hole and the pin. A 2-stroke penalty is assessed

·       WHS/GHIN is used for handicaps for all our tournaments

o   With Rules Committee approval, Handicap Chairman can adjust a golfer's index/handicap if deemed appropriate

o   Exceptional scores are tracked and a golfer's index/handicap will be adjusted as per Uncommon Exceptional Score policy (UXS Link)

·       At our major/2-Day Tournaments, low net scores are capped and adjusted to 67

o   Golfer's handicap is adjusted and USGA tie-breaker is applied as needed

o   If score is on Day 1, adjusted handicap is used on Day 2