Effective: October 1, 2001
Updated: September 30, 2007
NCGA POINTS YEAR: The NCGA Points Year is October 1st through September 30th of the following year. All players begin each new points year with zero point. The tournament finish date determines which points year points will be awarded. Should an event change dates that would cause the event to be played twice in one points year then points will be awarded twice within that given points year. All event date changes must be approved by the NCGA.
PLAYER ELIGIBILTY: In order to earn NCGA Player Points, contestants must be amateur golfers who are current members of the club they represent and whose club is a current member club, in good standing, of the NCGA. This includes being in compliance with the NCGA Handicap Certification Program. The USGA’s definition of an amateur golfer is the standard of the NCGA. Players must have a current numeric index (CI) listed on the Master Report prior to the start of the event. Anyone who has not established a current numeric index (CI) is ineligible for points. Players suspended from NCGA competitions are not eligible to earn points.
AGE DIVISIONS: An NCGA “Regular Player” is an eligible player 54 years of age or younger. An NCGA “Senior Player” is an eligible player 55 years of age or older. Players must have reached their 55th birthday prior to the start of any senior tournament. Points earned will count towards their respective age division’s cumulative points list. Approved NCGA Senior Points Tournaments are allowed to accept players 50 to 54; however those players will not earn points on either the regular or senior points list. An NCGA “Regular Division” tournament is open to both regular and senior players; an NCGA “Senior Division” tournament is open to only senior players.
Exceptions:
1. Points earned by senior players in a non-senior points event will be awarded points towards their senior cumulative points list.
2. Points earned by players age 50-54 for the US Senior Open only will be applied to the regular points list.
TOURNAMENT (EVENT) ELIGIBILTY: All tournaments must be approved for points by the NCGA Tournament Committee. NCGA Player Points apply only to a tournament’s championship (scratch) flight that must consist of at least 1/3 NCGA members. Tournaments must be open to all NCGA members; however tournaments ay use the additional criteria of handicap index and age. Any other criteria that may possibly restrict the entry of any NCGA member must be pre-approved by the NCGA. All tournaments must be conducted on an NCGA member golf course (see note below). An NCGA member club/course or associate club must administer all tournaments (events approved prior to Points Year 2002 are exempt from this requirement). All tournaments must have a championship (scratch) flight of at least 24 players. Senior division tournaments must have at least 12 players. (Revised) All players must meet their respective maximum index requirement of 7.4 for regular division and 9.4 for senior division. Tournament formats must be scheduled for at least 36 holes for stroke play events or a round of 16 for match play events. All tournaments must have local rules approved by the NCGA. A tournament that fails to meet any part of the eligibility criteria will have their points revoked for the current year and players placing in a points position in these events will not receive points. (New)
Note: USGA, CGA, and NCGA Championships approved for NCGA Player Points are exempt from this requirement. The NCGA reserves the right to exempt any other event from this requirement.
RULES OF PLAY: Approved NCGA Points Tournaments MUST conduct their events in accordance with the USGA Rules of Golf. Points Tournaments MUST form a Committee, with at least three members, who is responsible for making all final decisions for the championship. The Committee should provide tournament entry forms outlining all conditions of competition including format, eligibility, schedule, playoff procedure, etc., and provide contestants with competition-specific local rules on the first day of the tournament.
POINTS DISTRIBUTION: All points will be assigned by the NCGA ONLY based on the official results provided by the tournament. Ties for first place should be broken by playoff or by using the USGA recommended procedure “How to Decide Ties” located in Appendix I of The Rules of Golf. If a tie exists, other than for first place (or second), events are NOT to break ties when reporting results. Events may break ties for their own purposes, i.e. for gift certificates. The NCGA will add and split all points for ties other than for first (or second) place. All split points will be rounded up.
Note: Where ties are decided by playoff, the playoff will determine who earns first and second place points. If a tournament conducts a playoff for second place (as is done in all NCGA events), the winner of the playoff will earn the second place points.
Individual Tournaments: In regular division individual tournaments, ineligible players placing in a points position will not earn points and the points will not be assigned to any player. In senior division individual tournaments, ineligible players placing in a points position will not earn points and the points will be assigned to the highest finisher among the eligible players age 55 and older. Order of finish among eligible players age 55 and older will determine the distribution of points. Points for tournaments that are open to both amateurs and professionals will be awarded based on the order of amateur finish (US Open and Senior Open not included).
Exception: Points earned by players age 50-54 for the US Senior Open only will be applied to the regular points list.
Four-Ball Tournaments: The overall points for four-ball tournaments listed on the NCGA Player Points grid will be divided evenly between partners. In regular division four-ball (best-ball/two-ball) tournaments, NCGA members placing in a points position with an ineligible partner (i.e. non-NCGA member) will not earn points and the points will not be assigned to any player(s). In senior division four-ball tournaments, NCGA members placing in a points position with an ineligible partner (i.e. non-NCGA member or not 55 years of age and older) will not earn points and the points will go to the highest finishers among the eligible players age 55 and older.
REPORTING RESULTS: The tournament is responsible for reporting COMPLETE official results** to the NCGA within five business days. The tournament MUST also report a list of current handicap indexes for all players in the Championship Division and/or Senior Division and submit a copy of the tournament’s Local Rules. Completeness and timeliness of reporting are noted and taken into consideration during the tournament’s annual evaluation by the NCGA.
Note: Match play events must also submit stroke play qualifying results.
TOURNAMENT SCORE POSTING: The tournament is required to post all players’ tournament scores. GHIN Tournament Score Posting Sheets will be provided upon request to assist tournaments in compiling all players’ tournament or “T” scores. If used the posting sheets should be clearly displayed in the tournament’s official scoring area and each player should be required to post their adjusted gross score, using Equitable Stroke Control, prior to returning their score card. Once all players’ scores have been posted on the score posting sheets, a tournament official, NOT the NCGA, must input the scores into the GHIN computer. DO NOT MAIL THE YELLOW SCORE POSTING SHEETS BACK TO THE NCGA OR GHIN. It is highly recommended that tournaments are set up on the Tournament Pairing Program (TPP) as scores can be posted directly to GHIN through this program.
CONTACT PERSON / TOURNAMENT INFORMATION: Each tournament is required to provide the NCGA with an official tournament contact person. The official tournament contact person is responsible for knowing, understanding, and complying with all NCGA Player Points Program policies. The official tournament contact person will be mailed an NCGA Points Tournament results reporting packet approximately two weeks prior to the tournament to be used for reporting the tournament’s official results to the NCGA. The official tournament contact person is responsible for updating pertinent tournament information such as changes to tournament’s name, date, format, site, contact name, contact address, contact phone/email, and reporting such changes to the NCGA. Any tournament information change without notifying the NCGA could result in a delay in the mailing of the Points Tournament results reporting packet and/or assigning player points.
TOURNAMENT PROMOTION/PUBLICITY: Approved NCGA Points Tournaments will be listed in the NCGA Golf Bluebook Edition, other editions of NCGA Golf, on the NCGA website – www.ncga.org – and the NCGA Calendar of Events. The NCGA will not promote any points tournament other than using the aforementioned sources. The NCGA will not supply points tournaments with address or mailing labels for any NCGA member clubs or individuals. Approved NCGA Points Tournaments may not promote any tournament of any kind at any level of NCGA, USGA, or CGA Championships. If a tournament is promoted in any inappropriate manner, the action will be taken under consideration during the tournament’s evaluation and will jeopardize its status as an NCGA Points Tournament.
NEW TOURNAMENTS / POINTS TOURNAMENT APPLICATIONS: Tournaments that would like to be recognized as an NCGA Player Points Tournament must complete and submit an NCGA Points Tournament Application (contact the NCGA Rules & Competitions Department for an application). Applications are accepted prior to July 1st for consideration for the following points year, i.e. tournaments for Points Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008) must submit an application prior to July 1, 2007. The NCGA reviews all applications and will contact the applicant official if clarification or additional information is needed. Final approval or denial will be the decision of the NCGA Tournament Committee prior to the next points year. All newly approved tournaments will be on probation for two years. The tournament will be reviewed by the NCGA Tournament Committee after the probation period and will either remain on probation, receive full status at its current points level, receive full status with a points increase, or have its points revoked. The NCGA reserves the right to adjust or revoke any tournament’s points or status as an NCGA Player Points Tournament at any time.
PROBATION: The NCGA Tournament Committee will place all new tournaments approved for NCGA Player Points and existing tournaments that do not maintain standards equivalent with their peer events on probation for two years. Tournaments are evaluated based on, but not limited to, the items listed in the “Tournament Evaluation Criteria” section. Existing tournaments placed on probation will be notified in writing of the reason(s) for the probation. Tournaments still maintain their status as a points event while on probation. Tournaments reinstated to full status by the NCGA Tournament Committee will either remain at the event’s current points level or receive a points decrease. Any tournament that fails to establish itself to standards equivalent with their peer events will either remain on probation or will have their points revoked. A tournament that has their points revoked may reapply for points after two years.
TOURNAMENT POINTS INCREASES: Tournaments are evaluated annually by the NCGA and all tournaments that warrant increases will be reviewed by the NCGA and approved by the NCGA Tournament Committee. Approved NCGA Points Tournaments that warrant increases will be notified in writing by the NCGA. All other tournaments interested in a points increase must submit a written request to the NCGA. One written request by the points tournament committee will be accepted prior to July 1st for consideration for the following points year, i.e. tournaments for Points Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008) must submit a request prior to July 1, 2007. Written requests should contain any support material that may help the NCGA Tournament Committee in evaluating the tournament. All tournaments are evaluated based on, but not limited to, the items noted in the “Tournament Evaluation Criteria” section.
TOURNAMENT EVALUATION CRITERIA: The criteria used for evaluating NCGA Points Tournaments includes, but is not limited to, the following: Size of field; average handicap index for the entire field; average handicap differential for the tournament players earning points; event format; meeting index requirements; timeliness and completeness of reporting results (including scores, course rating and slope used for tournament, NCGA member [GHIN] numbers, and dates of birth for players earning points); Points Tournament Evaluation. The NCGA Tournament Committee may use other criteria needed to properly evaluate a tournament. The NCGA is the sole judge of what criteria are worthy of consideration. The Points Tournament Evaluation (PTE) is an on site evaluation conducted by a representative of the NCGA. The evaluation includes pre-tournament administration, course preparation and course set-up, local rules and application of the Rules of Golf, and on course administration.