Introduction

The Silverbell Golf Club (SGC) recognizes that there are many reasons why a member may wish to play in club sponsored events, including regular play-day events, from a tee box which is forward of the standard "White" tees commonly used by male members. As a result, on January 1,2025 SGC is implementing a revised Forward Tee Selection Procedure.

Definitions

Forward tees for male members are to be considered the tee box immediately forward of the Men's White tees. In the event white tees are not in play, the forward tees are considered as the tee box immediately forward of the tees played by the majority of male SGC members in an event. In most cases, on city courses, the forward tees are Gold, Yellow or Combo, depending on the course and are generally marked as such on the course scorecard. The primary tee box for female members will remain the Red tees. Female members may move back tees, but Red tees are the limit for playing forward.

Qualifications for Changing Tees

SGC is implementing the "90 Rule", as a requirement for moving to the forward tees.

The "90 Rule" Criteria:

1. Any SGC member must have reached 70 by their last birth date.
2. The sum of the member's age and their current handicap index must equal or be greater than 90.

Examples:

Definitions & Restrictions:

1. Member's age is based on their last birth date.
2. Member's handicap index is the GHIN index at the time of the request to move forward.
3. Members requesting to move forward, but do not qualify, must wait until after their next birthday to re-request
4. Once a member moves to the forward tees they are required to remain at that tee box for the remainder of the calendar year

SGC Lift, Clean & Place Policy

The Silverbell Golf Club will play Lift, Clean and Place only on days the Tucson City Golf courses declare play as cart path only.

For Major Tournament play, Lift, Clean and Place will only apply to days that the course determines as cart path only. We will not automatically play Lift, Clean and Place for both days.

Money men (the guy that collects your entry fee) need to have some time to practice before the round. Therefore, beginning on April 29, 2020 players MUST get their entry fee to the moneyman by the time posted on the website Tee Sheet for that day, which is set to be 30 minutes prior to the Money Man's tee time.

Example:

If you have not paid your entry fee by that time you will not be permitted to enter the money games for that day; no exceptions! Repeat violators of this deadline may be subject to being considered as a "no show" with corresponding fine.

a) In the event an in-process outing is cancelled due to weather conditions, the total CTP purse will be paid out to any CTP holes completed by all golfers.

b) Because the club plays at times with the general public, it is necessary to add an approximate distance from the pin to the proximity sheet when adding your name.

c) If the CTP sign is lost, stolen, or inadvertently picked up before all golfers have played the hole, any prize money associated with that hole will be placed in the format game payout.

d) Beginning with the first SGC play day in February (Wednesday, 2/3/21) CTP's will only be paid when a player's tee shot is on the green of a CTP hole and measured to be the closest to the pin. Any unpaid CTP payout will go into the format game payout.

a) The Tournament Director (TD) determines the format game to be played each week.

b) If an event is cancelled in-process due to weather, and all players have completed at least nine holes, the event is considered complete and prize money will be awarded based on the nine scores.

c) If all or part of the field completes fewer than (9) holes, refunds will be given to all participants.

a) The TD pairs the members for team events. Players must play with their assigned team. Changes must be approved by the TD. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

b) All members of a team must tee off together or they will be disqualified for the team event.

a) The TD will draw randomly from all players registered for an event when needed to fill a threesome.

b) In the event of a no-show, the TD will provide a blind draw from a group of players with similar handicaps.

c) The blind draw will be eligible to win both with the team he is on and the blind draw team he is assigned to.

a) A player disqualified for rules infractions will be ineligible for the shop game.

b) The disqualified player remains qualified for skins and CTP contests except for the hole(s) that involve the rules infraction.

c) A disqualification score cannot be entered into AGA or SGC records.

a) Should a player arrive at the course but misses his starting time, he must check with the TD to see if he might be accommodated in a later grouping.

b) If pairings and or teams have been reset due to the player's tardiness, it will be the TD's decision as to the late players eligibility in that days games.

c) No pairing will be changed without the approval of the Tournament Director.

a) A player, who has signed up on line to play a particular day and subsequently decides not to play, must notify the TD of the change as soon as possible.

b) He may notify the TD or the Pro Shop of his not playing status.

c) Failure to do so will result in the following: The player will be fined $5/singles events and $10/team events unless waived for cause by the TD.

d) All fines must be paid before player is eligible to play again.

All rounds played with SGC will be posted to the AGA by the club Handicap Chairman. Please do NOT post your SGC rounds yourself. Players are still required to post all of their non-club rounds with the AGA.

In addition to the weekly games held by the SGC for members, several tournaments are held each year. These Tournaments are intended for regular club members, and required by the AGA to maintain the Club's "TYPE" designation. The TD will determine tournament eligibility priority based on a minimum of 10 plays with the Club over a 12 month period.

a) Players not meeting this 12 month requirement will be eligible to play (space available) but will not be eligible for tournament prizes.

b) New members will follow the guidelines above but will need only (6) club plays to be eligible to play in a major tournament.

USGA Rule 25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions

a. Interference

Interference by an abnormal ground condition occurs when a ball lies in or touches the condition or when the condition interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing. If the player's ball lies on the putting green, interference also occurs if an abnormal ground condition on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule. Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule stating that interference by an abnormal ground condition with a player's stance is deemed not to be, of itself, interference under this Rule.

b. Relief

Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:
(i)Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the condition and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:
(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause(i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or
(b)Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

The USGA Rules of Golf, 12-1 and 12-2 address how to proceed when a ball in play cannot be identified without lifting it. These rules are very specific in explaining how the ball must be handled and how it should be replaced. Rule 12-2 also says that a player "should" mark their ball. This recommendation is so that, as much as possible, a ball can be identified without lifting it. However, when necessary, the USGA rules allow for lifting a ball for identification. The Silverbell Golf Club (SGC) recommends using the following procedure when lifting a ball for identification. This summary is in concert with the USGA rules on the matter.

• If the ball cannot be identified without lifting it, the player must, before lifting the ball, announce to the other players in the group his intention to lift the ball.
• The player may lift the ball to identify it, provided he gives his fellow competitor the opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement of the ball.
• The ball must not be cleaned, except to an extent needed to identify the ball.
• The ball must be returned to the original lie and conditions. There can be no improvement of the lie in replacing the ball.

The USGA rules are clear:

“If the ball is the player's ball and he fails to comply with any or any part of this procedure, or he lifts his ball in order to identify it without having good reason to do so, he incurs a penalty of one stroke.”

SGC Policy:

• The Club requires all golf balls used in club play to be clearly marked by the player in order to help identify the player's ball when in play. It is suggested the ball be marked in two places on opposite sides of the ball to facilitate identification; this is not a requirement.
• The Club requires any player lifting a ball for identification, to notify a playing partner prior to lifting the ball for identification.
• The Club requires the identification process to be witnessed by another player.
• A member found to be in violation of this rule and club policy will be subject to action up to and including removal from the club.

This policy has been adopted by the SGC Board of Directors and is effective immediately.