Senior Men’s Golf Association

Bylaws

 

 

Version: C

Approved: February 12, 2024

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS                                   

           

ARTICLE I	PURPOSE	Page 3
ARTICLE 11	MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS	Page 3 - 4
ARTICLE III	OFFICERS DUTIES OF OFFICERS NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS	Page 4 Page 4-5 Page 5
ARTICLE IV	COMPETITION GUIDELINES Registration Policy Withdrawal from an event Scoring Policy Pace of Play Policy Scorecard Policy Tournament Schedule	Page 5 - 7 Page 6 Page 6 Page 6-7 Page 7 Page 7 Page 7
ARTICLE V	GENERAL ASSOCIATION POLICIES Code of Conduct Rules Violation Policy	Page 8 - 9 Page 8 Page 8-9
ARTICLE VI	AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS ATTACHMENT I SMGA COURSE LAYOUT AND LOCAL RULES	Page 9 Page 10-12

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Men`s Golf Association

Bylaws

 

ARTICLE I

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Greensboro National Golf Club Senior Men`s Golf Association (hereinafter referred to as Association) is to promote active participation in the game of golf at Greensboro National Golf Club and to foster competitive golf among Association members and provide an enjoyable organization.

                                                                         

ARTICLE II

 

MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS

a.)        Rights and privileges of membership in the Association shall be granted to any adult male at least 50 years of age upon application to the Association and payment of stipulated dues.

b.)        Membership requires the payment of annual dues to the Association.

c.)        Members will also need to cover the annual fee for the GHIN handicap system.

d.)        Annual membership and GHIN fees will be communicated to Association members prior to the season kickoff meeting.

e.)        Membership may be terminated by resignation, nonpayment of annual dues or for cause. Such cause may be refusing or neglecting compliance to these bylaws, and/or rules of golf or improper conduct. Such removal may only follow a written note by the Association`s Officers of the charges against the member and may occur only after he has been given an opportunity to answer such charges before the Officers.  (See Rules Violations)

f.)        Meetings of the Association Officers will be held as needed. In order to formally conduct Association business, at least 50% of the Officers must be present.

g.)        Special meetings of the Association Officers, for any purpose, may be called by the President or any two Officers.

h.)        General meetings of the Association`s members will be held at least semiannually. At a minimum, a kickoff meeting for a new season will be held during the first match of the year and a season ending meeting will be held at season end. Date, time and location of such meetings will be sent to Association members at least 15 days prior to the general meeting.

i.)         Voting on any issue may occur at any general or special meeting. The issue is considered approved if at least 51% of the members present vote to approve.

j.)         Special meetings of the Association members may be called at any time by the Officers.

OFFICERS

a.)        Officers must be members of the Association in good standing of the Association.

b.)        The Officers of the Greensboro National Golf Club Senior Men`s Golf Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer.  

c.)        Any two officer positions can be filled by one individual as long as there are a minimum of three officers.

d.)        The Officers will be elected for a term of one year. This term runs from January 1 to December 31 of the calendar year.

          DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

a.)        PRESIDENT. Presides at all meetings of the Officer`s and at all general meetings of the Association`s members. Has the power to appoint committees to assist in the affairs of the Association, and has check signing authority as backup to the Treasurer. Has overall administrative responsibility to ensure that the Association functions according to these bylaws.

b.)        VICE PRESIDENT. Performs the duties of the President in the event of the absence or disability of the President. Serves on the Tournament Committee.

c.)        SECRETARY. Records minutes of all meetings of the Association Officers and all general meetings. Maintains these minutes in an organized manner and makes them available to all Officers. Minutes will be made available to all members of the Association upon request. Maintains a current listing of all Association members and contact information.

d.)        TREASURER. Keeps the Association`s financial records and reports status as required. Collects all monies of the Association and disburses them as directed by the Officers of the Association. Prepares and presents a financial report to be presented to the Officers quarterly and to membership at the November general meeting.

e.)        Tournament Committee

1.        Reports to the Association Vice President.

2.        The Tournament Committee is responsible for developing the weekly tournament schedule and format. Establishes the tournament schedule for the year.

 

3.        League Administrator ensures the Club staff are aware of the members committed to play and any support the Club may need to provide.

4.        The Tournament Committee are responsible for all Association responsibilities in Golf Genius and to coordinate with Club staff to ensure course is ready for weekly tournament.

                                                   NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

a.)        Each year the President of the Association shall appoint a nominating committee.

b.)        It will be the responsibility of the nominating committee to develop a slate of Officer candidates to serve for the following year.

c.)        The nominating committee shall consist of five members. Three members are to be appointed by the Officers and two members shall be appointed by the membership of the Association.

d.)        An Officer cannot succeed himself after serving two consecutive terms. However, an Officer can serve in another role if nominated and elected.

e.)        The nominating committee will inform the Association membership of the slate 15 days prior to the season ending November meeting.

f.)        Officers of the Association will be elected at the season ending general meeting of the Association held in November. Nominees are considered elected if at least 51% of the members present vote to approve.

ARTICLE IV

COMPETITION GUIDELINES

a.)        Handicaps for all Association members will be computed in accordance with the USGA Handicap Index Guidelines, using the nationwide GHIN system. 

b.)        The maximum allowable course handicap for competition is 36.  Association members must maintain their handicap in the GHIN system.  Handicaps maintained at any club participating in the GHIN Handicap Index system are acceptable.

c.)        For all GNSMA matches, the Handicap Index posted in the GHIN system will be used.

d.)        At the beginning of the season, players will declare which tees they will play in all Association Events.  Members may change their tee box selection one time per year.  Any future changes to the player’s tee box selection requires approval from the Tournament Committee.

e.)        The following are guidelines for choosing the appropriate tee box

                                                            Men 50-59 play white tees

                                                            Men 60-69 play gold tees.

                                                            Men 70 plus play gold/red hybrid tees

f.)        Note, when determining your set of tees, you can choose to play a longer yardage but not shorter, for your age group. Additionally, if a player develops a temporary physical limitation during the season, the Officers will allow a change in tees appropriate for the situation.

g.)        In accordance with the USGA Handicap Manual and the World Handicap System, the maximum recorded stroke adjustment for any hole played is limited to NET DOUBLE BOGEY. For example, if your handicap on a par 4 is 1, your maximum score is 4 (par) + 1 + 2 (double bogey) = 7.  Your maximum score for any hole varies by par and your handicap for that hole. The 2 for double bogey does not vary by hole.

h.)        At the completion of any weekly round (unless otherwise noted) all eligible scores (18 holes played) will be posted to the GHIN system for that event.  As per the USGA guidelines, it is up to the player to make sure rounds of less than 18 holes actually played are posted as defined below:

• If 9 holes are played, the player must post a 9 hole score
• If 10 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18 hole score. Any unplayed holes, must be recorded as par plus any handicap strokes that the player is entitled to receive.

REGISTRATION POLICY

a.)        Several days before (typically the prior week) the date of a regular Thursday event, an email will be sent, via Golf Genius, to every Association member on the current roster.

b.)        In the body of the email there will be an option to indicate if you are PLAYING in that upcoming round.  You may also indicate you are NOT PLAYING If you choose the PLAYING option, Golf Genius will send you a confirmation email.

Note- if you do not get this confirmation email, you are not registered for the event, and you should contact the Tournament Committee.

                WITHDRAWAL FROM AN EVENT

1. Any registered player who needs to withdraw from the event must do so as soon as possible. The email used to register can be used to cancel your registration status.
2. No Shows – Any member registered to play and does not show on tournament day, the following penalties may be imposed:

First Offense – A formal warning will be issued from the President or his designee

Second Offense - Suspension of play for one round

Third and Subsequent Offences - Suspension of play for a minimum of 3 rounds, or termination of membership for the remainder of the season.

Consideration of penalty waiver will be given in personal, family and/or medical emergencies and based on the players no-show history throughout his Association tenure.

SCORING POLICY

 a.)       Scoring for each hole is the actual number of strokes taken to complete the hole.

             b.)       A player may not pick up, and must play out the hole and record all strokes, where his gross score (without handicap) or net score may be used in tournament scoring.  This includes if you have a blind in your group or a blind for another group, because scores of a blind cannot be determined and your score may need to count toward the team score.

c.)        The only exception to this will be if the Tournament Committee determines due to course or weather conditions, this policy will not apply.

 

PACE OF PLAY POLICY

1. Your pace of play dictates the maximum pace of play for all groups playing behind you.  To this end, carts are required for all SMGA events.  Please be considerate to your fellow players and maintain a good pace of play. Target time to complete an Association event at Greensboro National is 4 hours and 15 minutes or 4 hours and 30 minutes when playing under cart path only.
2. If you are playing at a pace behind the allotted time per hole, you may be asked to skip a hole.  If this occurs the players involved will take a score consistent with par plus any handicap strokes they would have received on that hole, plus one penalty stroke.

SCORECARD POLICY

1. Association rounds require the paper scorecard provided for the round to be legible and accurate. 
2. The completed scorecard must be attested and given to a Greensboro National staff member or handed to a Tournament Committee member at the completion of the round.
3. Members will record scores on the paper scorecard provided and also use the on-line system in Golf Genius by accessing through the GGID number provided for each event. The paper scorecard is the standard for resolving any scoring or recording issues.
4. If a score is illegible on the scorecard, available Association Officers will try their best to determine the true and accurate score.  However, in this situation, whatever the Tournament Committee enters as the score is final and binding, even if it is determined after the results are posted that the score was incorrect.
5. If for whatever reason you believe your official scorecard is beyond recognition, submit a completed Greensboro National scorecard, signed and attested along with the original illegible scorecard.

 

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

a.)        The weekly tournament schedule will be determined for the length of the season by the Tournament Committee and communicated to the membership.

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE V

GENERAL ASSOCIATION POLICIES

CODE OF CONDUCT

The Association Officers value the integrity of the game. We intend to conduct matches that are fair and based on fair play. We expect our members to act with integrity by following the USGA Rules of Golf and the Association’s policies and local rules. Behavior of members failing to comply with expectations listed below are considered serious and will be reviewed by the Officers.

The Officers may impose punitive measures, such as warnings, disqualification from an event and/or suspension from future events.  All members are encouraged to report deliberate overt and/or habitual disregard of these Code of Conduct Rules to any Officer.

This includes:

1. Applying all penalties and being honest in all aspects of play
2. Showing consideration to others - for example, by playing at a prompt pace, looking out for the safety of others, not distracting the play of others (e.g. use of cell phones, talking while another player is hitting) and being mindful of others’ time (i.e. delaying play by looking for stray golf balls).  
3. Taking good care of the course - for example, by fixing divots, raking bunkers, repairing ball-marks, and being mindful of litter such as trash, cigar and cigarette butts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and generally not causing damage to the course.
4. We score Association matches based on the Handicap Index listed in GHIN, and any falsification of scores will affect outcome of our matches.
   1. Members will accurately record scores on the paper scorecard, and accurately record scores within the Golf Genius mobile system during play. This also applies to recording scores within the GHIN system for rounds not played during Association matches.
   2. Any member suspected of purposely recording inaccurate scores during a match, or purposely recording incorrect scores within the GHIN system to manipulate their handicap, will be subject to review and action by the Tournament Committee. Violation of this policy is deemed serious, and any member purposely manipulating scores will be subject to, at a minimum, an adjustment in their handicap for Association matches, or disqualification to participate in future matches.

            RULES VIOLATIONS POLICY

1. The Tournament Committee oversees all weekly events.
2. Under Rule 1.2a of the Rules of Golf, The Tournament Committee, after consultation with the Association President, may disqualify a player for serious misconduct for acting contrary to the spirit of the game.  This may include penalties for breach of its standards, such as a one-stroke penalty.  A player may be disqualified for serious misconduct in failing to meet the Code of Conduct Standards or for serious misconduct for acting contrary to the spirit of the game.
3. It is the obligation and responsibility of all players to apply the rules to themselves.  Players are expected to recognize when they have breached a rule and to be honest when applying their own penalties.  Players should also protect the other players in the competition, by ensuring rules are fairly applied. They are encouraged to help each other in applying the rules.
4. The procedure for resolving potential rules violations is as follows:
   1. 1. 1. 1. During play, if a player knows or believes that another player has breached or may have breached the rules, he should respectfully inform and discuss the possible violation with that player.  This should be done promptly so the player has a chance to correct the mistake (if possible).  If the player does not agree he has violated a rule, he may still be subjected to penalty after the round if the Tournament Committee rules against them. 
            2. Any question on an unresolved rule violation must be made known to a Tournament Committee member immediately after the round and prior to returning a signed scorecard
            3. The Tournament Committee will initiate communication with the player(s) and will strive to immediately bring all participants together to discuss the alleged rules violation and to come to a decision if a violation has, in fact, occurred.
            4. If key participants are not readily available, the Tournament Committee will attempt to promptly contact all players in the group to determine if a penalty should be applied. The “Official” score will not be posed until the issue is resolved.
5. Levels of Offenses
   1. First Offense:  The Tournament Committee may apply a penalty of loss of hole in match play, or additional strokes in stroke play based on the above criteria, or in the case of a serious breach, the player may be disqualified. If the player is disqualified for any events, there will be no refund of entry fee.
   2. Second Offense:  If a Player breaches the rules a second time within the same season, the Tournament Committee will assess if a second rules violation was coincidental or blatant.  The second offense may result in similar penalties as the first violation, or in blatant or habitual violations, the Tournament Committee may suspend the player from participating in Weekly events.
   3. Third Offense:  If a player breaches the rules a third time within the same season, the player will be disqualified from playing in all remaining Association events for that season. The player can re-apply for admission to Association play the following season subject to a vote of the existing Board members for re-admission.

                                                          ARTICLE VI

                                     AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

a.)     These bylaws may be amended from time to time.

b.)     Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Officers who shall approve by a two-thirds vote.