Michigan FAQs
Posted: 12/30/2020 10:01:42 AM
Michigan GolfWeek Amateur Tour FAQ's  
  1. What do I get for my membership to the GolfWeek Amateur Tour?
  2. What do I get for my tournament entry fee?
  3. What is the event format?
  4. Are Range Finders or GPS devices allowed to be used during the events?
  5. Can I try an event before I commit to becoming a member?
  6. Do I need a USGA handicap index?
  7. Do I have to play in every event?
  8. How long do I have to decide to play in an event?
  9. What time are the events?
  10. What are the breakdown of handicap indexes for each flight?
  11. How is the Tour Handicap Index calculated?
  12. What if I am playing in the wrong flight?
  13. What yardage is played for my flight?
  14. What are the prizes for the events?
  15. Can I play events on another GolfWeek Amateur Tour?
  16. How do I earn a spot to the Tour Championship at Hilton Head Island, SC at the end of the season?
  17. What if the weather is bad?
  18. What is the Cancellation Policy for Events
  19. What is the triple bogey max rule?
  20. What if I don't know the rules?
  21. What is the dress code?
  22. Are caddies permitted?
  23. Are spectators permitted?
  24. What are the cash games at the events?
  25. Which Events are in Each Season Points Half
  26. How are Ties for Placing and Prize Pay-Outs handled
  27. Live Scoring System at All Events

  1. What do I get for my membership to the GolfWeek Amateur Tour?
    Your tour membership allows you to play in any tour event nationwide, including East or West Michigan events. Your membership comes with a welcome packet that includes a year subscription to GolfWeek magazine, 1 year membership to USHandicap.com, Tour Hat, bag tag, discounted practice rounds, discounted GAM membership and other sponsor discounts.

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  2. What do I get for my tournament entry fee?
    Your entry fee for each tournament gets you 18 holes (or 18 holes each day for a 2 day event), cart and range. $20 of each entry goes into your flight prize pot for a single day event, and $40 goes into the pot for a 2 day major. Each flight winner gets an etched trophy at each event as well as their share of the pot.

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  3. What is the event format?
    All standard 1 and 2 day events are gross stroke play with USGA rules in effect. The Tour Cup is a match play event where the qualifying players from both the West and East Michigan Tours play a Ryder Cup format against South Louisiana in Hilton Head during the week of the Tour Championship. The Tour Championship at the end of the year in Hilton Head, SC is a 3 day, 56 hole gross stroke play event where members from all 45 tours come together to determine an overall Flight Winner for the season for the whole tour.

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  4. Are Range Finders or GPS devices allowed to be used during the events?
    Range finders and GPS are allowed as long as they conform to USGA rules and do not measure slope, wind or any other information other than distance. Cell phone range apps can also be used, provided the player does not use the phone for anything other than yardage information, no slope, wind, etc...

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  5. Can I try an event before I commit to becoming a member?
    Golfers who have not been on the tour before can attend 1 event as a visitor and would only have to pay the tournament entry fee. In order to play a second event, the membership would have to be paid for first.

    In order to play as a visitor you must enter your player registration by filling out and submitting the first page on the "Join the Tour" tab (exit out when asked for member payment), then submit event payment and lastly email us at EastMi@amateurgolftour.net or WestMi@amateurgolftour.net and let us know that you are planning to play as a visitor. Once those steps are complete, you will be set to play and try an event as a visitor.


    *** NEW for 2016 *** - Guest Policies for Placing in Tournaments

    To be sure that we keep the full integrity of our flights in all of our tournaments, we are implementing a set of policies revolving around guests playing in our tournaments.

    As a guest, guests will not be allowed to place any higher than 3rd Place in any event for all flights with the exception of the Champ Flight. If a guest posts a score that is higher than 3rd place, they will be moved to 3rd place and those that were in 2nd and 3rd place will be moved up to 1st and 2nd place provided that they are not guests and have met the minimum 2 tournament rule for New Members.

    Also, any prize money awarded to any guest for placing must be used towards the purchase of a membership or future event. Cash games is not included in this and cash games will be paid to the guest.

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  6. Do I need a USGA handicap index?
    It is helpful to have an established index to place you in the correct flight, but the index is not necessary. If you do not have a USGA or Tour index, we will place you in a flight based on your average score and ability for the appropriate yardage. Your flight placement can always be adjusted later if the placement doesn’t fit your ability. Once on Tour, you will develop a Tour Index based strictly on your tournament results and will dictate all flight placements. Your Tour membership comes with a 1 year membership to USHandicap.com. Your tour scores will automatically be added to your account.


    *** NEW for 2016 *** - New Member Probation Period of 2 Events

    We do our very best to try to make sure that all new members are placed in the proper flight to begin with. This is not an exact science especially if the new member does not have an established USGA Index.

    To make sure that we protect the field from New Members not being placed in the proper flight, we are implementing the following rule.

    All new members will only be allowed to win up to 2nd place in any flight, other than Champ, for their first 2 Tournaments. In the event that a New Member with less than 3 Tournaments played shoots a score that would place them in first place for the flight, they will automatically be moved to 2nd place and the player that would have taken 2nd place will be moved to first place in the event that they are a member with more than 2 events played as well. The New Member will be awarded the 2nd Place Prize Money and Points for the tournament.

    The likelihood that a new member that is in the proper flight would win their flight within the first 2 events is extremely low due to being new to tournament play. If a new member were to card a score that would win in a particular flight, after their index was calculated based on the winning score, they will most likely be moved up into the next flight anyways. This is why we are implementing this rule in order to handle this situation should it happen and there is now a clear cut rule to handle this.

    This is not meant to punish New Members but to protect the integrity of the flights and our tournaments from improper flight placement.

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  7. Do I have to play in every event?
    You can play in as many or as few events as you wish. The more events played, the more points you will earn towards the race to get to the Tour Championship at the end of the year at Hilton Head Island, SC. If you cannot make an event on your local tour, you may play any other event nationwide to make up for it. Make up events only earn 60-80% of the original value. Only a single day event can be used to make up a single day event and only a 2 day major can make up for a missed 2 day major. 2 day major can be used to make up a 1 day event but the points would first be divided in half and then would earn 60-80% of the remaining points. A single day event can NOT be doubled to make up for a missed 2 day event.

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  8. How long do I have to decide to play in an event?
    All tournament entry fees are due no later than the end of the day on the Monday before the tournament. Any entries submitted after Monday will be subject to an $8 late fee. Courses cannot leave open tee times, therefore they need to know how many tee times the tournament requires well before the event. Late entries also delay the posting of tee times and pairings.

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  9. What time are the events?
    Most events are played on a Saturday, which are golf courses busiest day of the week. Due to this fact, most courses don't like the tour to take up the course too early in the day, therefore most courses will agree to tee times late morning/early afternoon. Secondly, in order to get a rate for play that stays within the tours budget, some tee times need to be scheduled closer to twilight.

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  10. What are the breakdown of handicap indexes for each flight?
    Championship Flight players have handicap 0 -3.9 A Flight players have handicap 4 – 8.9 B Flight players have handicap 9 – 13.9 C Flight players have handicap 14 – 18.9 D Flight players have handicap 19+

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  11. How is the Tour Handicap Index calculated?
    The Tour Index Policy is intended to group players into flights of comparable potential ability to promote fair competition within the flight. Indexes are based solely on Amateur Golf Tour performance. The AGT index formula will closely mirror the published USGA handicap method (for a complete description see USGA Handicapping Manual at http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handicap-System-Manual/Handicap-Manual/ ). The AGT formula differs from USGA handicap methodology in that it uses only rounds played on tour and substitutes the triple bogey rule in place of Equitable Stroke Control.

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  12. What if I am playing in the wrong flight?
    Flight adjustments are usually made after 2 events have been played. However, adjustments to a higher flight can be done at any time. If you are in the wrong flight and are shooting out of the flight range, a battlefield promotion will be done instantly. This would create a loss of winnings and points to balance and account for the adjustment to the higher flight. If you feel you are in too difficult of a flight, you may request to move down a flight (provided your index allows for the move). Flight adjustments to a lower flight does not warrant any loss of points. However, an adjustment to a higher flight warrants a adjustment of 20-40% reduction of current point earnings as that is approximately the amount of points you would have earned had you been in the proper flight all along, but cannot earn a spot higher than a tie for 5th when moving up a flight.

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  13. What yardage is played for my flight?
    Championship plays from roughly 6700+ A plays from roughly 6500 – 6800 B plays from roughly 6400 – 6600 C plays from roughly 6200 – 6500 D plays from roughly 6000 – 6300

    **Yardage distances played can vary from this guide based on ease/difficulty of course slope and ratings.**

    Women typically play 1 tee forward of their respective flight tees, or approximately 10-15% less than their male counterparts.

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  14. What are the prizes for the events?
    Prizes are in the form of a visa or mastercard gift card. The prize pot amount is determined by how many players are in the flight. $20 of each player entry fee of a 1 day event and $40 of the entry fee of a 2 day event go into the prize pool (See the button on the Home Page called Prize Pay-Out Matrix for a further break down of pay outs). First place winners of each flight also receive a glass trophy engraved with their name on it. 

    First and Second half point winners will win all or part of an event entry fee based on which place was taken by the player. Season Long Point winners also get a Combination of Next Year's Membership and / or all or part of an Event Entry Fee paid for as well.

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  15. Can I play events on another GolfWeek Amateur Tour?
    You can play any event in the nation, on any of the 50 other tours. If you play a visiting Tour, you must first indicate the play to your local tour director and also let the visiting tour director know which tour you are a paid member. Event registration is then the same process as your local tour. Be sure to take note of any differences in the other tours local rules.

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  16. How do I earn a spot to the Tour Championship at Hilton Head Island, SC at the end of the season?
    You must play at least 4 rounds in the season, local tour or other, to qualify. 2 day Majors count as two rounds. The top 10 or 15 season long points winners from each flight depending on the size of the tour will earn a spot to enter the Tour Championship. 

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  17. What if the weather is bad?
    We play rain or shine unless the course suspends play. If an event has to be cancelled due to dangerous weather, then a make-up event will be arranged for later in the season.

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  18. What is the Cancellation Policy for Events
    We know life happens and we do our best to accommodate cancelations for events. There are some courses that will lock us in to pay a certain amount after we submit the numbers after Monday Evening. If the event that you need to withdraw from is one of those courses then we will issue you a 50 percent refund otherwise we will issue you a 100 percent refund up until the time that the tee times are posted on our site which is typically the Thursday Evening prior to the event. If you need to cancel after the tee times are posted and before the day of the event then we will issue you a 50 percent refund. Any cancelations the day of the event or no shows will result in no refund at all. This also includes a 2 Day Major. If you play on Day 1 and do not play Day 2 then you will not receive any level of refund. The refunds are all based on how the course charges us for the number of players. We will do our best to get you the maximum level of refund but no guarantees can be made as each course is a little different on their policies.

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  19. What is the triple bogey max rule?
    To promote a good pace of play, the AGT implemented the triple bogey max rule for all flights except the Championship flight. All players must pick up their ball and discontinue their play on any hole where they have reached a score of triple bogey. (If you are at double bogey, and are not in the hole yet, pick up as triple is the best you will get. Do not hit for the triple as the whole purpose of this rule is for a faster pace of play).

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  20. What if I don't know the rules?
    Players are responsible for knowing the rules. Other players can help with the rules if in doubt or unsure. Always play 2 balls if a rule or play is in dispute. The director can determine the proper play when discussed at the end of the round. Penalties can, and will be, assessed for rules infractions, so be sure to know the rules to the best of your ability.

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  21. What is the dress code?
    Collared shirts and soft spikes are required. (Mocks are considered Collared Shirts at most locations). No jeans, denims, jogging outfits, tank tops, workout wear or sweat pants are permitted. Shorts may be worn.

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  22. Are caddies permitted?
    Caddies are not permitted for any flight.

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  23. Are spectators permitted?
    Spectators are usually welcome but it is to the discretion of the course. Spectators may be required to ride and rent a cart, whereas some courses do not have enough carts and spectators will have to walk. We try to refrain from having spectators ride with the players. It is up to each course in regards to their spectator policy, so be sure to contact the course to inquire as to their policy.

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  24. What are the cash games at the events?
    At each event, players are able to enter into the optional CASH games. Games MUST be entered with cash as the money gets paid to the winners in cash the same day.

    Players can pay $5 to get into the closest to the pin contest for the par 3's for that day. $1 of every entry goes into the hole-in-one pot and and a player will receive $750 for a hole-in-one. Only players that get into the Closest to the Pin game for that day are eligible for the hole-in-one prize, otherwise the hole-in-one winner will only receive $100).

    Players can also pay $15 for their respective flight skins. Outright low score on a hole, amongst the players in the skins game, will win their share of the flight skins pot. Flights may be combined based on the amount of flight players for each event. For instance, Champ and A could be 1 group, B have enough players to be in it's own group and then C and D are the 3rd group.

    Additionally, players can enter the super skins game for $10. These players compete against all the flights and players that entered super skins. Outright low score on a hole, amongst the players in the super skins game, will win their share of the super skins pot.

    Any player can enter in as many, as few, or none of these events as they wish. In the case of a 2 day event, players must enter the games each day. 1st day entries go towards day 1 results and 2nd day entries go towards day 2 results. 

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  25. Which Events are in Each Season Points Half
    Under each Event Detail Page, you will find a designation for which half of the season that the tournament falls in to.

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  26. How are Ties for Placing and Prize Pay-Outs handled
    1st place ties are handled by a Sudden Death playoff.

    All other ties will have the points and / or winnings split evenly amongst everyone who tied for that place.

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  27. Live Scoring System at All Events
    Live scoring page can be found by clicking the corresponding link from your tour homepage under Live Scoring button on the left side of the page.

    Your login is the email address that we have on file with the tour and your password is the first 2 letters of your last name in lower case and your 4 digit year of birth. The parameters are on the page to remind you, so no reason to have to try and remember.

    Family and friends can follow along in real time at home by clicking on the Live Leaderboard tab.

    This process is a welcome change, but can really only be most benefited if each group participates, so it is mandatory to have 1 person in your group enter scores into live scoring. 1 other person in the group can keep score on the scorecard. Entering scores throughout the round will also make the scoring and results at the end of the round as we won't have to take the time to enter the scores, but rather just verify them. The system will do the rest, so results will be quickly calculated, but again, can only be done if players participate.

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