Central Sevens

League Rules

1. Format

Two Teams of seven participating players playing singles match play.

Two members of the Team may have a handicap index of up to and including 5.4 with the remaining members having a handicap index of 5.5 up to and including 18.4.

Players may be selected with a handicap index of 18.5 or higher but will be limited to a handicap index of 18.4.

Playing pairs will be matched by their exact handicap index with the lowest pairing teeing off first. The stroke allowance will be the full difference of the playing handicap. Team sheets should display each player’s handicap index and subsequent playing handicap for the course being played to ensure the correct shot allowance is used for each match.

Regardless of any local rules electronic or optical distance measuring devices are allowed to be used by players.

The home team will provide a suitable meal ahead of the match for both teams. Dress for the meal will be informal. Note: It will be permissible for the meal to take place after the match.

Only players with active handicaps will be eligible to play.

2. Match Dates/Fixture responsibilities

The season will run from March 1st to October 14th inclusively. All matches must be played within the season. Should a match need to be played outside of these dates permission must be sought from the Committee.

All fixture dates will be arranged by January 31st each year and the League Team Captains should populate the Central Sevens website with their scheduled fixtures by this date. All member Clubs will provide, and cooperate fully and on a timely basis, with the agreed dates for fixtures.

A Club or Team should make every effort to avoid changes to the initially agreed fixture dates with changes being made only if necessary. To that end, the Committee require that once match dates have been agreed they cannot be altered within a 2-week window of the match date unless approved by the Secretary. An exclusion to this window is permitted if the Home Team Captain believes that the fixture cannot go ahead through adverse weather or course conditions.

If a fixture has begun but then adverse weather or course conditions call into question the viability of the fixture, the Captains must agree to suspend or abandon the match. If play resumes it will be from the point at which play was suspended. If the fixture is rearranged, then the match will be re-started from the 1st tee. If a fixture has been abandoned a rearranged date must be agreed and played before the end of the season.

If two weeks' notice is not given then the following will apply:

Since the objective of the League is to play friendly competitive golf, the match may be re-arranged entirely at the discretion of the opposing team’s captain. In this event, the Secretary must be informed, and the fixture list on the website updated.

Where no such re-arrangement is agreed, the team at fault will forfeit the match, and a 7-0 win will be awarded to the opposing team with a 1-up win for each player.

Clubs who repeatedly fail to fulfil matches may also have 3 points deducted – this will be at the discretion of the Committee and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Any team containing less than 6 players is considered to have failed to fulfil the fixture. If a team fails to fulfil more than 1 fixture, and/or plays more than 2 fixtures with only 6 players, then the Committee can at their discretion delete the results from the current season and relegate the team.

All member Clubs will keep the League website updated with fixture results and contact details. All member Clubs will make their best efforts to schedule league matches on Saturdays between March and October; Sunday matches are permitted if this suits both teams. Knockout matches can be played at a time agreed upon by participating teams.

All member Clubs are to ensure that matches are scheduled to be played (where possible) a minimum of 2 weeks outside planned material course greens maintenance work. The Committee expect Home Team Captains to communicate to their opposing Team Captain should a match be scheduled to occur within the 2-week window.

Team Shirts are encouraged to be worn by players at all matches.

3. Team Captains Responsibilities

It is the Team Captain's responsibility to ensure his Team is available to attend every match with a full complement of players and are ready to play at the appointed club and time.

Captains should exchange completed team sheets, detailing the order of play, no later than 15 minutes before the first tee time.

If, due to unforeseen circumstances, a member of the team is unavailable at the arranged tee time he must be present no later than 30 minutes after the first tee time or his match may be claimed by the opposing team. If a match is claimed under this rule the score will be 1 up. If any player is likely to be late his team Captain must immediately notify the opposition Captain. Failure to inform the opposition Captain will give the opposition the right to claim his match.

The home Club/Team is responsible for pre-booking tee times. If, on arrival, the away Club /Team finds this is not the case the visiting Captain will have the right to claim the match 7-0. The League standard for all fixture start times is 1 pm but this can be set in agreement with the Teams involved. The tee reservation should include a courtesy of 10 minutes prior to the commencement of play. If any Team fails to turn up for a match at the time and date agreed, and published on the website, the match will be forfeited 7-0.

The winning Captain is:

- Responsible for entering the match results on the League website no later than 9 pm the next day. Failure to enter scores on more than one occasion and or incomplete information may result in points being deducted at the discretion of the Committee.

- To ensure all players are aware of the rules of the League and expected conduct, dress code, and that no mobile phones are to be used on the golf course.

- To update the website with changes in contact information mobile number and email address and notify the Secretary in order that changes can be circulated.

-To notify the host club Captain immediately if any player is going to be late, or his team is going to consist of less than the prescribed number of players.

-To ensure that players' conduct is in the spirit of the League and to encourage his team players to have a drink after play, this is considered common etiquette to Club and opposition.

4. Match Results

Match results, along with the individual players' results, will be submitted through the website by 9 pm of the Sunday on the weekend of the fixture being played by the home Team Captain or their appointed representatives. Persistent failure to submit results by this deadline will result in disciplinary procedure potentially leading to the deduction of league points.

If any match is forfeited for whatever reason the opponent will be declared to have won the match 1 up for the purposes of the match result and the individual order of merit.

5. Points System

Each player will play up to 18 holes of match play golf ending in either a win or a halved game. The seven scores will be totaled to determine the winning team. Three points will be awarded for a win. In the event of a drawn match the home Team will receive 1 point and the away Team will receive 2 points.

The Team with the highest points total at the end of the season will be declared champions. If two Teams share the same points total then the Team with the best match difference will be placed higher.

There will be an Order of Merit competition within each Division of the League. The winner will be the player with the most points (3 points for a win, 2 points for an away draw and 1 point for a home draw). If two players are equal on points then the player with the greatest difference in holes won will be the winner. If two players are still equal then the winner will be the player who has played the fewest games. If players are still equal then each player will be declared a joint winner.

6. Players

The league is open to male golfers with a current handicap certificate who are at least 18 years old.

Handicap certificates and WHS playing history can be requested by the League Secretary at any time.

At any time throughout the season, a player can request the interrogation of his opponent’s handicap.

A player is required to submit a minimum of 9 cards in a rolling 12-month period, of which 3 or more must be in a qualifying competition. A qualifying competition is defined as a competition that will count towards your future handicap - examples are Monthly Medals and Monthly Stableford; for those Clubs that run Board Competitions, these also attract qualifying status.

Teams that are found to have played an ineligible player will be subject to loss of that individual game, with a 1-up win awarded to the opposing player, unless the opposing player had won the match by a larger margin. Furthermore, should a single Team field multiple ineligible players, they would still be regarded as having fulfilled the fixture per League Rules but the sanctions noted above would be applied to each tie within the overall match. Finally, any Team that had been found to have fielded ineligible players for a third occasion in a single season would forfeit that match with a result of a 7-0 loss.

A Club that enters more than one team will not be permitted to transfer players from one team to another during the League season. Once a player has played one League game for one team in one season, they are no longer eligible for the second team in the League for the remainder of the season. The same restrictions apply to the Knockout Cup competition.

If a player transfers his membership from one Club to another and relinquishes his membership at the original Club, he will be eligible to play in the League for his new Club, even if he has already played for his previous Club.

A Club fielding two teams in the same Division shall play their fixtures against each other before all others.

Players must conduct themselves at league matches in a manner not likely to bring the good name of the League into disrepute. This includes but is not limited to the use of Foul and/or loud language, unsuitable dress, inconsiderate parking, non-compliance with the rules of the golf club, and inappropriate use of mobile phones. The Committee is empowered to expel or temporarily suspend any player from future games.

There is no restriction placed upon the use of buggies during League or Knockout matches. Captains of individuals who plan to use a buggy should provide the opposing team captain with notice of the intent of one of their team members to use a buggy. Ideally, this notice should occur ahead of the fixture, and not on the day, but the Committee accepts that circumstances may arise that would drive the need for a player to use a buggy at late notice. The Committee expects that the courtesy of offering the opponent a seat be extended. Individuals who wish to use a buggy are expected to make those arrangements directly with the Club and the use of the buggy is regarded as a personal expense, and not a courtesy of the Club.

7. Local Rules

The rules of golf shall be observed at all times.

The home Team will inform the visiting Team of any local rules in force on the day of the match. A copy of any local rules will be posted clearly and your opponents are to be made aware of them before play commences.

The wearing of formal dress is not required but clubs are requested to arrive and welcome teams smartly dressed.

8. Promotion

Promotion will be awarded to the top two teams in Division 2, Division 3, Division 4, and Division 5 - they will replace the bottom two teams in Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and Division 4.

Should new teams join the League then Division 1 will be the first division to have a maximum of 6 teams, followed by divisions 2, 3, 4 5 and 6. Promotion and relegation will be adjusted accordingly. Variance to this rule can only be achieved by the Annual General Meeting.

9. Knockout Cup rules

Teams of 6 players playing 3 x 4 ball better ball matches - 90% difference handicap of the lowest handicap player. In the case of a draw, the drawing match will play extra holes until a result is decided. If all matches are drawn only the final match will play to a result.

All matches are to be decided by the dates set by the Committee. Failure to arrange a match may result in disqualification. Games can be played on any day agreed between the two teams. The first-named Team in the draw has home advantage (unless they wish to give it up).

Existing Central Sevens rules apply.

Please keep track of when potential future opponents are playing and make contact with your opponents in the next round as soon as possible.

We encourage all Clubs to make early contact as although there is a good amount of time to play matches early agreement of dates helps to minimize any later disputes arising. Failure to arrange a match may result in disqualification.

Please confirm the date of the match when agreed with the League Secretary so that the website can be updated. It is the responsibility of the winning team representative to enter the results into the website, by 6 pm on the Monday following the match being played. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.

Semi Finals will be held at a neutral venue which will be the first named team drawn for the other semi-final match. The final will be hosted by last year's winners.

There is no requirement to provide food, before or after the match, and it is up to the home club to make that decision and advise the visitors in advance of the match.

Approved by
CHAIRMAN, SECRETARY and TREASURER
October 2024