League Rules

1. LEAGUE MISSION STATEMENT

1. The primary aim of the league is to foster friendship & camaraderie within the healthy confines of competitive golf.
2. To uphold fair play at all times.
3. To recognise that modern players face the challenge of incorporating golf into increasingly hectic lives. Therefore matches are played at times to suit the many, rather than the few and that catering demands are not based on late afternoons and evenings. Breakfast catering prior to matches is especially encouraged as this aids earlier conclusions to matches.
4. The Rules of Golf apply at all times

2. TERMINOLOGY

1. club refers to those golf clubs who are affiliated members of the league.
2. team refers to the body of male players fielded by a competing club.
3. match refers to the overall competition of 5 ties being played between the two teams.
4. pair refers to the players competing each tie. Please note that this can be one player if the team is unable to field two players in a tie.
5. tie refers to each individual 18 holes played between two pairs.
6. player refers to a single golfer.
7. Official date is the date agreed for a match by both teams at the start of the season.

3. TEAMS

1. Teams are made of 10 male players per club.
2. Format 4BBB – Point per Hole Match play.
3. Maximum ‘playing’ handicap for players 24.
4. Players must be a minimum of 18 years old as of the day of the match.  2022 AGM agreed that juniors (under 18 years) may be considered in exceptional circumstances where a club cannot raise a full men’s team.
   • This must be agreed in advance by two team Captains beforehand, and it is encouraged this should not be a regular occurrence.
5. Handicap allowance to be playing handicap off appropriate tee of home club, then 90% difference from lowest of playing handicaps.
   • [Jan 2025:] Agreed at Men’s AGM, playing handicaps are based on rounded WHS indexes with no slope adjustment.
6. Regardless of playing handicap on the day (which is limited to a maximum of 24 as per rules) no player shall receive more than 18 shots
   against an opponent.
7. All players must have an ‘active’ handicap.
8. Team order and pairings must be decided by the team captain prior to the 1^st tee off and should be entered onto the official league team sheet and exchanged with opposing captain before the first tee-off.
9. Players can only play for one one club per season. In the event of a player being a member of more than one affiliated club then they must nominate a home club team for that season and will only be eligible to play for that club during that season.

4. MATCHES & SCORING

1. Scoring is based upon Points per Hole Match play. Whereby 1 Point is played for on each hole. The winning pair of the hole is awarded 1 point, the losing pair 0 points. In the event of a halved hole both pairs are awarded half a point.
2. All ties must be played to a conclusion to ensure all 18 points are played for. The result of the tie must therefore add up to 18. i.e. 9-9; 10-8; 11-7 etc…
3. The team score for the entire match is the sum of points per hole gained across the 5 ties. Therefore a total of 90 points are available and the sum of the two teams scores must add up to 90. Example results are therefore: 65-25; 47-43 etc….
4. In the event of any tie being abandoned due to poor weather or any other cause beyond the control (not including retirement – see 4.5) of any of the pairs then any remaining holes not completed will be halved.
5. In the event that a pair has to retire from the tie and is unable to complete the tie then they concede the remainder of the holes not completed and all points for these holes are awarded to the opposing pair.
6. If any team is unable to field a pair for a tie then they concede the tie at a default score of 7 – 11. (Remember that a pair can be a single player!)
7. If a match is cancelled with less than one months notice then the team causing the cancellation concedes that match at a score of 35 – 55 in favour of their opposition.
8. If a match needs to be re-scheduled with more than one months notice then teams are allowed to try and re-schedule the match. However if for ANY reason the match cannot be re-scheduled and played by the last day of the season then the match will be deemed to be cancelled and rule 4.7 will apply.
9. In the event that a match is cancelled prior to the start due to weather conditions then the match should be re-arranged for another date. In the unlikely event that it is not possible to re-arrange then the result will be halved at 45 – 45.
10. The visiting/away team tees off first on the first tee in all ties.

5. MATCH DAY FORMATS & FEES

Match fees, green fee payments and other monies
Following agreement at the 2025 SHL AGM the following changes to the funding were agreed.

1. Match day fees will remain at £15 per player collected on the day.
2. Home captains will collect and hold all match day fees totalling £300.
3. Matches at Farleigh (FGC), Reigate Hill (RHGC) and Surrey Downs (SDGC) will continue without green fees being charged by the host clubs.
4. Money collected will go towards covering breakfasts, subsidising green fees at Surrey National (SNGC) and Woldingham (WGC) with remaining money will go towards the Finals Day pot.
5. Matches between SNGC and WGC will be played after 2pm in order to avoid green fees but the home captains will still collect the full £300.
   This money will be used to help subsidise the green fees when hosting FGC, RHGC and SDGC.
6. Morning matches with FGC, RHGC and SDGC played at Surrey National and Woldingham will incur green fees of £45 per away player (total of £450 per match).
7. Away clubs (RHGC, FGC and SDGC) playing at WGC and SNGC will pay £200 towards the green fees which made up of £150 from match fees on the day plus an additional £50 taken from their own match fees pot.  Surrey National and Woldingham Captains will pay £450 (£45 x 10) to the Altonwood Group

Summary:

• Captains collect £150 per match from their players on the day and the away Captain to transfer £150 to the home Captain.
• RHGC, FGC and SDGC will also pay the home Captain an additional £50 per match when playing at SNGC and WGC (so a total of £200 to be transferred on the day).
• SNGC and WGC Captains will pay Altonwood £450 for each morning match when hosting FGC, RHGC and SDGC.

Breakfasts

• For matches between FGC, RHGC and SDGC, players will continue to enjoy a full English breakfast before tee off paid through the match fees.
• For all morning matches played at SNGC, bacon rolls and coffee will be provided (the SNGC committee will be funding these).  FGC, RHGC and SDGC to reciprocate accordingly.
• For all matches played at WGC, players wishing to have breakfast will be asked to pay for this themselves.

Finals day

• Entry for finals day will be £25 per player.
  Monies to be collected by the team captains for each club and to be paid to the host captain no later than two weeks before Finals day.

Match Day Format

1. Each side should enter their team onto a Match Day Sheet and exchange prior to the first tee-off. The HOME side is responsible for filling out their MATCH SHEET  in full, with both teams entered and the scores entered accurately. At the end of the match the scores should be added up to get an overall score for each team. The captains of both sides should sign this form. Signing this sheet indicates acceptance of the score. Old match sheet available here
2. In the event that the match score is subsequently found to be incorrect or does not add up to 90 then no amendments can be made to the signed scores. However if the total adds up to more than 90 then each teams score will be reduced by half the extra amount (i.e. if both scores add up to 93, then 1.5 points will be taken off each sides total).
3. The HOME side is responsible for emailing/sharing the result to the league Chairman by midnight of the following Wednesday. There are currently two WhatsApp groups setup – a Results group and a Captains group (for Captains and their Vice Captains)
4. The HOME side must retain a copy of their Match Day Sheets until the end of the season and the final league table has been confirmed and approved.