The Indiana/Western Kentucky e-golf Amateur Golf Tour is starting up its seventh season in 2010 with its Annual Cabin Fever 2-man Best Ball tournament on Saturday April 3, @ Eagle Valley Golf Course. The eGolf Amateur Tour provides avid golfers of various skill levels a chance to play tournament golf, in stroke-play competition against their own level players in various flights, on a variety of courses in Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky. Sounds great, where do I start? Golfers purchase an annual membership for $85 and receive a welcome to the Tour bag that includes a golf shirt and hat. Members also receive a membership card that entitles them to receive discounted greens fees (ie practice rounds) at the courses on the tournament schedule for the weekdays prior to the event as well as entitles the golfer to play in tournaments in other tour cities. The tour card is the big value, as the discount on the practice rounds will add up very quickly. How does the Tour work? After your membership is purchased, the Tour Director goes to work. He allocates you to a flight (based on your handicap) and then you begin to sign up for tournaments to play in. What if I don’t have a handicap? If you do not have a handicap, the Tour Director can determine one for you. Please contact the Tour Director and begin this process when you sign up to become a member. How do tournaments work? Each tournament is a flighted stroke play event that follows USGA rules and guidelines. Each tournament field is set one week before the scheduled date and this is done for a couple of reasons; the most important reason is to communicate to the golf courses the final number of players. This is crucial for the Tour to have a good relationship with the courses in order to maintain a preferred status in their minds. Another reason is this is important is to complete the prize fund so that the winners can receive their prizes on the spot after the tournament. After registration is complete, pairings are made and posted to the website 2 days before the tournament. Each tournament is a gross stoke play event with USGA rules against those in their flight. That means each golfer will play a round of golf against players of their skill level. Do I have to play in every tournament? No, play in as many or as few tournaments as you would like. The Tour has been created to give the amateur golfer the thrill of tournament golf. With 10 to 12 tournaments spreading over 6 months there are plenty of opportunities to get out and show everyone what your game is capable of. What is included in Tournament Fees? Each tournament fee includes greens fee, cart rental, practice range balls, and prize fund. Some tournament fees are higher than others due to the cost of the greens fees. How do I register for a tournament? After you are a registered member, click on the schedule link above; find the tournament you wish to play in and on the right hand side of the page click register. What are we playing for? All prizes will be in the form of Gift Cards. The final amount will depend on the number of players who have pre-registered and paid. Also of importance, the season long point’s race will be up for grabs. In order to qualify for a trip to the National Finals at Hilton Head Island, golfers must be in the top 10 in the point race for their respective flight. Please refer to the players’ manual for complete point breakdowns and rules. Are there side games at the tournaments? Yes, each tournament will have a “Skins” side game. Each player has the option to participate in the side games, for the determined amount, paid the day of the tournament. Other games include closest to the pins by flight and long drive competition. Will winning prizes affect my Amateur status? No, your status will remain the same. The Tour offers only merchandise prizes in the form of gift cards. No cash prizes are awarded thus assuring that players’ amateur status is not jeopardized. In compliance with USGA rules for amateur status, no individual player may accumulate merchandise winnings in excess of $750 per event. Can I travel and play in other tour cities? Absolutely! With the cold harsh winters here in Kansas, some of our tour cities might be a cure for cabin fever. Check out Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, or great destinations like Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head Island and make a golf trip out of it, contact your Tour Director with any questions. What if I want to qualify for the Tour Championship, do I have to play in every tournament? If playing in Hilton Head is your goal, it’s strongly suggested you play in as many tournaments as you can to try and accumulate as many points as possible. The major tournaments are worth double points so those should be on your play list for sure. What is the weather policy? Pretty simple, if the course lets us out to play, we play. As long as we are not in danger or will not be damaging the course it’s safe to assume we will play rain or shine. Players should understand that they may have to play in less than favorable conditions and they should plan accordingly. In the event that a tournament is canceled, all tournament fees will be applied to the next tournament stop. Can I use a rangefinder or GPS device in a tournament? Yes, per USGA rules, we will allow rangefinders and GPS devices. Important to note that such devices can only measure yardage (not wind speed or green slope gradient). Other Questions? Contact your tour director right away!