Statement of purpose as defined in our Incorporation Registration:
“To provide
competition golfing opportunities in a social atmosphere.
To promote friendships between its members.
To promote the rules, etiquette and spirit of
the game of golf. “
See the Club Website for all the following up-to-date details:
o Who’s who on the Committee and Green Fee Collectors
o Club contact person
o Membership fees and discounts
o Weekly game fee
o Games fixture
o Competition results and standings
o Current handicaps
In this Information Pack:
o BSGC refers to the Brunswick Social Golf Club.
o Committee refers to the 7 elected voting Members of the BSGC.
o Member/s refers to a fully financial, unsuspended member of the BSGC with an official, valid GA Handicap.
o Website refers to the BSGC website - www.bsgolf.club
o AGM refers to the Annual General Meeting of the BSGC.
o GA Handicap refers to the national, computerised handicapping network developed and operated by Golf Australia.
o The Model Rules of an Incorporated Association are drawn up by Consumer Affairs Victoria and act as the Constitution of the BSGC.
Committee
The Committee has 7 voting Members as voted for by the BSGC Members at the AGM.
o President – Responsible for announcements at games, chairing meetings and generally ensuring the smooth running of the Club.
o Captain (also Vice President) – Puts groups together for games and checks on playing conditions at individual courses.
o Secretary – Books all games for the following year and liaises with courses regarding the number of players for each round. Keeps minutes of all meetings.
o Treasurer – Handles all financial matters and pays green fees to pro shop each round. Maintains the Members Register.
o Handicapper – Maintains individual handicaps via Golf Australia and calculates daily individual handicaps. Maintains all records relating to scoring. Central contact for attendance at games.
o Vice-Captain – Assists the Captain with all their duties.
o Social Secretary – Organizes social events and fundraising, in particular the Presentation Night.
Match Committee
Captain (Chair), Vice-Captain and President
Non-Voting Positions
A minimum of two Green Fee Collectors, voted on at the
AGM, are responsible for collecting the weekly Green Fee from each player and
providing this to the Treasurer for payment in the pro shop.
General Expectations of Members
It is assumed that all Members are attending all
rounds unless you inform the person nominated by the Committee to record absent
players.
Members should pay their Weekly Game Fee to the Green
Fee Collectors as a priority when they arrive at the course and be ready to
play 20 minutes before the scheduled tee off time.
If for any reason you are unable to attend any round,
please contact the nominated person as soon as possible. If you cannot contact
the nominated person please contact one of the other Committee Members. This is
important as the club may have to pay green fees for Members and visitors who
do not turn up.
If you know in advance you will be away, please let
the nominated person know ASAP.
Also, please contact the nominated person if you want
to bring a guest as we have to make sure there are spots available for guests.
The earlier you can let the nominated person know, the better for everyone as
the club has to confirm bookings prior to the game.
Failure to follow the correct process may result in a one
stroke penalty and liability for green fees payable for that day.
Club By-Laws
These By-Laws are in addition to but do not supersede the Model Rules of an Incorporated Association, available from Consumer Affairs Victoria.
https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/clubs-and-fundraising/incorporated-associations/running-an-incorporated-association/rules
1. Maximum Members. The maximum number of members the Club may have at any one time is 28. Prospective members will be added to a waitlist. They may still play as a visitor however they will need to check before each game that that a spot is available.
2. Club Annual Meetings. The Club will hold a half yearly meeting as well as the AGM. Dates will be set by the Committee.
3. Committee Meetings. The Committee is to meet whenever necessary, with a minimum of four meetings per year.
4. Presentation Night. The Presentation Night to be held after final round of Club Championships.
The date is selected by the Committee.
5. Vice President. The Captain also performs the role of Vice President.
6. Fees and Memberships. Annual Fees are voted on at each AGM.
Annual Membership Fees are due, if paying the total in one amount, by Round 6. Alternatively, Annual Membership Fees can be paid by approximately equal instalments due Round 3, Round 6 and Round 9. These dates can vary at the discretion of the Committee.
Unless other arrangements have been made with the Treasurer, players who have not paid in accordance with the payment schedule may not be eligible for day prizes for the competition of the day until they finalize payments.
7. Adult Membership. Adult Membership includes two tickets to Presentation Night. Any member that does bring a second person to the Presentation Night may be eligible for a rebate, to be decided by the Committee, to be deducted from the following year’s Membership Fees.
8. Life Membership. To be eligible for Life Membership, Members must have played 200 games. There may be exceptions to this ruling therefore the Committee reserves the right to use discretion when needed.
Life Members receive a discount on their Annual Membership.
9. Returning Life Members. Life Members who return to becoming Members after an absence will pay the same as a new Member for the first year.
10. Junior Membership. Junior Membership is 50% of the Adult Membership.
It includes one ticket only to the Presentation Night.
A Junior is defined as anyone still at primary or secondary school.
Junior Members pay the course junior green fee if they fit the junior criteria for the particular course plus the Junior Local Member Fee.
Alternatively, the Junior pays the standard Weekly Fee if it is lower.
11. Pro Rata Membership. Any new members joining after Round 1 pay a Pro Rata Membership Fee that is reduced by 2% of the Annual Membership Fee for each game missed. For example, if Membership is $200 and they joined at Round 6 so missed 5 games, the discount would be 5 x $4 (2% of $200) = $20. Membership is therefore pro rata $180. Join at Round 21, Pro Rata Membership would be $120.
12. Termination of Membership. If the end result of any disciplinary action is termination of Membership from the Club, Membership Fees will not be refunded and any awards that the player may have won during the current calendar year will be forfeited and awarded to the runner up.
13. Drummond Club. Any new member will be signed up to the Drummond Club with their membership card linked to the BSGC so that any benefits may also filter back to the Club.
14. Local Member Fee. If a game is held at a golf club where a BSGC member is also a member of that club, then a Local Member Fee of $10 is charged to that member to cover prizes, etc.
Junior Local Member Fee is $5.
15. Visitors. Visitors pay the green fee to be paid to the Pro Shop, or as determined by the Committee. If they wish to play in the daily competition, they additionally pay the Local Member Fee to the Green Fee Collectors as a competition fee.
Visitors are eligible for day prizes if they have a GA Handicap.
Visitors without an active GA Handicap may be required to sign a local club’s waiver.
If they intend to join, they must begin to pay fees according to the Pro Rata payment schedule. If not, they can continue to play as a visitor if spaces allow.
16. Day Prize. One free game (equivalent to the Weekly Fee) will be awarded to the winner of the day competition for individual events.
Team game daily winners will receive a prize at the Presentation Night, as decided on by the Committee.
17. Ball Prizes. Players in the day’s competition will receive ball prizes for longest drives, nearest the pins and putts winners. Ball prizes may also be awarded to runners up and winners of team events as decided by the Committee.
Ball prizes will be awarded at the rate of $3.00 per ball won. Members can choose to have this dollar amount paid to them in the ball of their choice at the Presentation Night, or have this dollar amount deducted from their Annual Fees for the coming year.
18. Grades and Competitions. There are three grades - A, B and C. Players are allocated a grade based on their handicap which is determined by the appointed Handicapper.
There will be several competitions run over the year as laid out in the fixture.
There are also ongoing competitions such as points, average putts, average nett, etc. If you have any queries, please see the Captain or a Committee Member.
There is a three round Club Championship held at the end of the year with trophies for each grade and overall scratch and handicap honours.
19. Fixture. The Committee will determine the fixture and schedule of competitions by the time of the Presentation Night of the preceding year.
Please check the Website for any changes during the year.
20. Scoring. Make an effort to make scorecards are as neat as possible to make the Handicapper and Captain’s jobs as easy as possible.
The marker MUST also write their name at the top of the scorecard they are marking.
Birdies are to be circled.
Putts are to be counted and marked on the scorecard.
The individual’s result and number of putts to be clearly written at the top of the scorecard.
Check your scorecard and scoring with your marker to make sure they are both the same before handing them in.
If you have any questions about how to score Par, Stableford or any other format, please ask the Captain or any Committee Member.
21. Incorrect Scorecards. If an incorrect card is handed in, the Handicapper will adjust the card and advertise the error to all players. The player and the marker would be removed from the draw for one free game at the Presentation Night.
22. Eligibility for Club Championships. To be eligible for Club Championships and yearly club awards, Members must have:
- played at least 6 handicapped BSGC games for that year irrespective of when they joined. These games must be played prior to commencement of Club Championships for that year.
The Club Champions will be determined by the players’ best two scores from the three rounds. You must play at least two but do not have to attend all three rounds to be eligible.
23. Club Championship Handicaps. Handicaps for Club Championships will be determined on the evening following the last Club game preceding the Championships.
Individual GA Handicaps will not change for the duration of all rounds. Handicaps will only vary based on the individual courses slope and scratch ratings.
Grades will also not change during Club Championships.
24. Golf ID – Golf Australia Identification Number (formerly Golflink Number). Any new member whose nomination is accepted by the Committee will need to have or obtain a Golf ID and GA Handicap.
25. Late Arrival. Any member who arrives at the tee less than 20 minutes before the nominated tee off time may be penalized one stroke for every 5 minutes (or part thereof) that they are late. If it is a team event the penalty would be applied to the next individual event that the player plays in. This is not to punish the player’s partner/s for that day.
Enforcement will be by the Match Committee members attending for the day. Circumstances will be considered and the Match Committee can apply their discretion. Penalty strokes to be added to gross scores in championship rounds.
Members may not be eligible for day trophies if they arrive at the venue/course after the last player has teed off.
26. Inability to Play. A Member will be nominated at the start of the year as the primary contact for Members to notify if they cannot play a round.
It will be presumed that players are attending all rounds unless they notify this person prior to the game. If that person cannot be contacted, another member of the committee needs to be contacted.
Members who fail to give the proper notification of non-attendance may receive a one-shot penalty and be liable for green fees for that day.
Circumstances will be considered and discretion of the Committee may be used. Repeat offenders will be disciplined as the Committee sees fit.
27. Dress Code. It is expected that at all rounds you wear the club attire if you have it.
Some courses may not allow you to play with denim, tracksuit pants or T-shirts, and some insist on white socks only.
28. Eagle’s Nest. A player who scores a gross eagle wins the Eagle’s Nest. Holes that have been significantly shortened temporarily will not be considered as valid holes for this prize. The Eagle’s Nest will start at $50, and increase by $5 each week until it is won.
29. Milestone Games. Upon achieving each 50 game milestone, the player will receive the following benefits:
- each 50 game milestone (50, 150, 250, etc) – 1 x free game.
- each 100 game milestone (100, 300, 400, etc) – 1 x $100 gift voucher.
- 200 game milestone (Life Membership) - $200 gift voucher.
30. Honour Board. The Club Honour Board is to be updated annually.
31. Club Funds. The majority of Club funds are to be held in a bank account. A small amount may be kept as a cash float.
32. Disciplinary Action. At the discretion of the Committee, any members not complying with the intentions of the club, (e.g. Not notifying the committee about inability to attend games, not being financial, misconduct, lack of attendance at Club events, etc.) may be subject to disciplinary action as detailed in the Model Rules for an Incorporated Association.
33. Wet Weather Play. On days of wet weather, the Match Committee members attending on the day may decide whether a round is to be abandoned or if playing conditions are to be altered.
An example may be to allow each playing group to decide if there is too much water on the green to putt out, or to automatically take two putts once on the green. If there is no majority decision in the group, all players have to putt out. This decision would be made hole by hole.
34. Fund Raising. As this is a Social Club it relies on members contributing in whatever way they can.
Please consider if you are able to get any kind of sponsorship or donate prizes for the end of year raffle.
All monies raised go to the Club to pay for prizes, more expensive green fees, etc.
35. BSGC Local Rule 1. Alternative stroke and distance for OOB or lost ball (2 stroke penalty). If you think your shot is lost or out of bounds, you should play a provisional ball. If it is unexpectedly lost or OOB, you may play from the fairway at the nearest point to where it is agreed the ball was expected to be found in play and add two strokes to your score.
36. Unspecified Issues. Any issues that arise that are not covered or clearly defined in the by-laws will be decided on by the committee.
37. Changing By-Laws. The Committee can amend these by-laws as they see fit.
Ready Golf (Reducing Slow Play)
o Play ready golf. Ensure someone is always ready to go. It doesn’t necessarily have to be your turn to play a shot. Play your shot immediately when it is safe to do so.
o Your target to complete a round of golf should be 4 hours and 30 minutes maximum. Keep track of the time through 9 holes to ensure you are on track to complete the round in the target time.
o When arriving at the next tee, ensure someone is ready to tee off immediately if the group in front is out of range. Mark your scorecard whilst others are hitting off. Shorter hitters should tee off first.
o Make your club selection and complete your practice swings before it is your turn to hit.
o Help playing partners look for their balls. Play your ball where practical before helping others. No more than 3 minutes may be spent looking for a lost ball.
o When in doubt whether you will find your ball or whether it is out of bounds, play a provisional ball.
o Park your buggy, bag or cart on the exit side of the green, nearest to the next tee.
o Line up your putt whilst others are putting where possible. Always “putt out” unless restricted by another players line.
o Numerous practice swings, lengthy delays in lining up putts, pacing out distances prior to club selection, and viewing putts from all points of the compass are not sensible practices for the average golfer.
o Make all efforts to keep pace with the playing group in front of you. To catch up you may use tactics such as sending players who have putted out to the next tee rather than waiting for all to putt out.
o If you are holding up play for an extended period, let the group behind you play through.
o Remember it is your place to be behind the group in front of you, not in front of the group behind. The onus is on you and your group!
Basic Etiquette
There is some basic etiquette that players are expected to follow:
o Avoid talking and distracting movements while playing partners are playing shots, particularly putting.
o Avoid walking on playing partners line on the putting greens.
o Tend the flag on the green when required.
o Do not walk in front of playing partners before they play their shot.
o No excessive bad language.
o Carry and use a sand bucket at all times. It is good etiquette to fill in a divot in the fairway regardless of whether you made it or not.
o Fix and repair plug marks in greens even if they are not yours.
o Rake over all marks in bunkers, not just the ones you might have made.
o Be aware of what is happening in your group at all times.
o Do not throw clubs. Repeat offences may result in stroke penalties being applied to your round, or Club game suspensions. This will be decided by the Committee using their discretion.
RULES OF GOLF
Summary of Most Important Rule Changes from 2019.
o Club length - To measure a club length, the longest club in the bag must be used, but not the putter.
o Dropping – Ball must be dropped from knee height and the ball must stay in the relief area.
o Search time – Only 3 minutes is allowed to look for a ball.
o Ball moved during search – No penalty for a ball accidently moved during a search.
o Identifying the ball – Fellow players no longer have to be informed if you are marking a ball for identification.
o Embedded ball – Free drop in the entire general area not just the closely mown area.
o Animal holes – Entitled to relief from virtually all animal holes.
o Wrong green – Now you are also allowed to take a free drop if the ball is close to the wrong green, for example you would have to stand on it to hit your shot.
o Ball hits player or equipment – No penalty if you hit yourself or your equipment. However you are not permitted to position anything to act as a ball stopper.
o Double hit – No penalty for an accidental double hit.
o Touching sand in bunker – You can’t ground your club behind the ball, but there is no penalty if the sand is accidently touched.
o Loose impediments – Leaves, branches, stones, twigs, etc may be removed in a bunker and penalty areas. But the ball must not move. Replace the ball and take a 1 shot penalty if moved.
o Penalty areas – Water hazards are now called penalty areas.
o Unplayable ball in the bunker – There is now a 4th option of dropping outside the bunker. A two shot penalty applies.
o Dropping options within penalty area – Can no longer drop on the opposite side of red lateral penalty area.
o Touching ground and water in penalty areas – You can ground the club in a penalty area, but still not a bunker.
o Provisional ball – Can now be played even after you have already looked for the ball for a while.
o Ball moves on the green after being marked and replaced – If ball moves by itself or due to wind, it now has to be put back where it was. No penalty.
o Ball on green moved accidentally by player – No penalty in all cases and the ball is replaced to its original position.
o Repairing damage on the green – Any damage including spike marks may be repaired.
o Hitting flag stick – No penalty for putting with flag in the hole.
o Ball wedged on the flagstick – In this case the ball is classed as holed.
o Ball hits opponent - In Match Play, the ball must be played as it lies.