Role of the Committee

Competitions


This section of the Member Club Corner is designed to outline what the Rules of Golf define as a Committee and what that may mean for Competitions. Embedded in the duties of the Committee are explanations and examples of how they can be fulfilled. Full text of the Committee Procedures can be found here.

When in charge of a competition, the Committee has responsibilities before, during and after play to ensure the smooth running of the competition under the Rules.The resources available to a Committee will differ depending on the course or the level of competition being run, and so a Committee may not be able to implement every recommended practice. Where this is the case, the Committee will need to decide the priorities for each competition.

The period before the competition begins is arguably the most important to ensure the smooth running for the competition. The Committee’s duties during this period may include:

  • Setting the Terms of the Competition (Section 5A)
  • Reviewing and adjusting the course marking (Section 5B)
  • Reviewing Local Rules and establishing any additional Local Rules (Section 5C)
  • Defining if and where players may practice on the course (Section 5D)
  • Determining the teeing areas and hole locations to be used (Section 5E)
  • Establishing and publishing the draw for match play or groups for stroke play and the starting times (Sections 5F)
  • Defining Pace of Play (Section 5G)
  • Code of Conduct policies (Section 5H)
  • Preparing materials for players and referees (Section 5I)

Once the competition has started, the Committee is responsible for ensuring that players have the information needed to play under the Rules and to assist them in applying the Rules:

  • Providing information to players so they are aware of any Local Rules, Pace of Play or Code of Conduct polices that are in force, as well as other important information such as which teeing areas to use and where holes are located (Section 6A)
  • Starting matches and groups on time (Section 6A)
  • Ensuring that the course is properly set up, marked and maintained (Section 6B)
  • Providing Rules assistance for players (Section 6C)
  • Enforcing the Pace of Play policy (Section 6D)
  • Suspending play because of weather or other conditions and then determining when play should be resumed (Section 6E)
  • Providing an area for players to report the results of a match or return scorecards in stroke play (Section 6F)
  • Validating all scores from the round in stroke play (Section 6F)
  • Establishing and publishing any groupings and starting times for players if there are additional rounds that have not been previously published (Section 6G)

Once play has been completed, the Committee’s duties include:

  • Resolving any ties in stroke play (Section 7A)
  • Confirming the final results and closing the competition (Section 7B)
  • Awarding any prizes (Section 7C)
  • Dealing with any issues that arise after the competition is closed (Section 7D)