TAMPA TOUR RULES

Play Ready Golf!
Ready Golf will be played at all of our events, and at all times, tee to green! If you are waiting on the group in front of you, then you may observe turn etiquette, otherwise there should be NO ONE waiting to hit - not on the tee, fairway, rough, hazards or greens. If you are ready, and it's clear, then go ahead and hit! Keep the play moving forward. Play should never be at a standstill. Even if waiting for the group ahead, there are things you can be doing to ensure you will be ready to hit when it is clear such as getting yardage, making club selection, etc...

Honors is exactly that, an honor. If the player with honors in not ready, and you are, please announce to that player that you are ready and you are going to hit. If you have the honors and are not ready, you must not get upset if someone wants to hit first if they are ready. If you are not ready, announce that you are not ready and invite anyone that is ready to hit to go ahead and hit. Do NOT use this rule as an excuse to make yourself 'not ready' so that you don't have to go first!

3 Minute Search for Lost Ball Rule
Players will only have 3 minutes to look for a lost ball. If you do not find your ball within 3 minutes, move on under lost ball, optional local tour rule of 'lateral hazard drop' or other proper rule. In this rule case, if you cannot find your ball and you do not have a hazard option, then you can go back to the original spot that you hit your previous shot from (the shot that resulted in the lost ball) and hit another shot under penalty of stroke and distance. This is the only instance in which a player in A, B, C or D Flights can go back and hit another shot.

The 4 minute time begins when anyone starts looking for the lost ball. This means that if anyone assists you with looking for your ball, your time begins when the looking started. If more than 1 player ball is lost, players MUST look for their own ball first! If more than 1 ball is being looked for, the 3 minutes is not for each ball, but 3 minutes total. Do not look for another players ball until you know where your ball is and will be ready to hit it when its clear, otherwise your time priority goes to preparing for your shot then any spare time can assist another player in searching for a ball.

If you take longer than 3 minutes to look for a ball, the other players in your group can assess you a 1 stroke penalty on that hole.

Triple Bogey Max Rule
The maximum score that a player in A, B, C and flights can score on a hole is triple bogey. If you are sitting at double bogey, and are not in the hole, pick up your ball and score a triple bogey. Do not continue to play the hole as the whole reason for this rule is to speed up pace of play. If you continue to play past double bogey, you are defeating the purpose.

Pace of Play 

Players are expected to take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke from when they are able to do so, free of distraction. And groups are encouraged to play out of turn and adopt “Ready Golf” under the Rules, particularly in stroke play, when it is safe to do so.  [USGA Rule 5.6]

• Players in A/B/C/D Flights are limited to a maximum of triple bogey max on any hole
• Upon reaching triple bogey max - the player MUST pick up his/her ball
• If a 15-minte gap exists between groups, the group is out of position and will be warned
• Each member of the group is to help each other with pace of play
• Penalty for slow play is a 2-stroke penalty for each player in the entire group
• Always play a provisional ball if you are unsure of the outcome of your ball and think it "may be" lost or OB

[Golfweek Amateur Tour Manual]

If you are worried that you may be unfairly penalized due to a particularly slow player in your group then make sure that player knows they are slow (believe it or not, some players are just that oblivious and some also know very well they are slow.) Keep everyone moving, including yourself. This is an AMATEUR tour. There isn't thousands or millions of dollars on the line. If you can't keep up with a 5 hour round, then maybe the tour and tournament play isn't for you.

Please let us know if you have any questions on this system.

GPS and Range Finders Permitted
Only USGA approved GPS and Range Finder devices are permitted for play. Use of illegal devices, such that measure slope, etc., will result in disqualification from the event.

Smartphone GPS apps that are used only to measure distance will be allowed during play, provided user is not also using a compass, weather app, club suggestions, or any other app/info that can be used as a benefit/advantage to the game. Any person caught using any of the additional functions other than distance measurements will be disqualified from that event. The app may be used to keep score and stats as well.

Embedded Ball Rule
A ball embedded in its own pitch mark, anywhere 'Through the Green' (Is the whole area of the course except: the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played, Out of bounds and all hazards on the course), may be lifted, cleaned and dropped within 1 club length. no nearer the hole, without penalty.

Play 2 balls in event of a rules dispute
If there is ever any dispute amongst the group about a ruling, player should play 2 balls from the point of the dispute. Take note of both scores for that hole and move on with the round. After the round is done, and before signed, seek out the Tour Directors for a final ruling. The proper score will be circled on the card and used for the official score

Score Card
There will only be 1 official score card per group. Please keep score on 1 scorecard and also keep score on the live scoring system throughout the round. Compare the live score system and the scorecard to ensure the two match, but only sign and turn in the card (group may keep score on more than 1 card, but only 1 needs to be signed and turned in).

Guest Policies for Playing 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, you will not be allowed to win the tournament or receive any prize money.  Cash games is not included in this and cash games will be paid to the guest.

Guest will be required to proivide a valid handicap or will be placed in the flight determined by the tour director. The purpose of a guest playing the events with the Tampa tours is to recruit new members!