VGT Membership and Tournament Registration
Who Can Join?
The Vancouver Golf Tour has been designed for both male and female Professionals and Amateurs with RCGA handicap factors 0-18. Golfers can join VGT as Basic Members or Preferred Members. Preferred Members will get discounted rates on their entry fees and priority registration for a majority of our events. We will accept all Basic Member’s entries to our tournaments if we are not full at the time of an event’s registration deadline (10 days prior to event).
Membership and Tournament qualifying
The qualification to enter a majority of VGT tournaments is to join membership and pay the tournament fee associated with your category (Basic Member or Preferred Member – PGA Professional, Non-PGA Professional or Amateur). In the case of Invitational events, there will either be a qualification process or exemption list posted in the details section of that event.
New Unattached Professional Members
New unattached Professionals to VGT must submit a playing resume accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a PGA Professional certifying your ability to play up to the standards of professional golf. Both resume and reference letter shall be submitted to the VGT Tour office at info@vancouvergolftour.com.
Membership Terms and Conditions
When joining VGT or registering for a tournament, you agree to abide by all the terms and conditions of both the Code of Conduct and Tournament Application and Cancellation Procedures set in place by VGT. Membership dues are non-refundable 14 days from time of processing and expire on October 7, 2012. Membership applications will be processed and confirmed by email within 48 hours of receipt. If no confirmation is received within this time, please contact VGT by email: info@vancouvergolftour.com.
You agree that all photos taken of you by VGT or any of its representatives may be used in any brochures, posters, literature, announcements, advertisements, or press releases. You also agree to consent to release any information concerning performance and status of membership to the news media, other golf associations and organizations interested in the game of golf. You understand that VGT will levy a $25 service charge for any NSF cheques or declined credit cards and that a second NSF or declined credit card offense will lead to a subsequent $25 service charge and a suspension of membership.
Liability Disclaimer
You acknowledge that participation in any Vancouver Golf Tour event shall be played entirely at your own risk. You, hereby release and discharge the Vancouver Golf Tour and its and its Officers, Directors, Employees, Volunteers and Representatives from all manner of actions, causes of action, suits, liabilities, damages, costs, claims and demands whatsoever which may arise out of the involvement and participation in VGT Tournaments including bodily injury, death, property damage and/or other whether caused by negligence of other members of VGT or of any of the Vancouver Golf Tour Officers, Directors, Employees, Volunteers and Representatives.
Prize Presentations
All Professional and Championship Amateur Winners of 2012 VGT events must attend Official Prize Presentations of the event they win. Failure to attend will result in the following penalties: 1st offence – $100 fine; Second offence– $300 fine; Third offence – $500 fine and suspension from VGT (length determined by VGT). A fourth offence will lead to a $1,000 fine and termination of membership in VGT for 2012.
Tournament Payment
Players have the option to pay for tournaments online or to pay by cheque or money order by sending payment to the Tour mailbox or by leaving post-dating cheques onsite at earlier events.
Tour mailbox: P.O. Box 18, #112-1151 Mt. Seymour Road, North Vancouver, BC, V4H 1C7.
Tournament Withdrawal Policy
Players who must withdraw from an event in which they are registered must provide at least 7 days notice (by email at info@vancouvergolftour.com) and receive confirmation of their cancellation) to qualify for a full refund less $10 + HST admin fee. Members who have registered for an event through the Golfbox Members’ section can withdraw from the event by the registration deadline (7-10 days prior to the event) without penalty. Players who provide less than 7 days notice but more than 5 days notice of their withdrawal by email will qualify for a refund less $50 + HST admin fee. Players who do not provide 5 days notice of their withdrawal will forfeit their full entry fee.
Player Registration on Tournament Day
Players who have pre-paid for events must register 30 minutes prior to their tee time or prior to a shotgun start. Players who have not pre-paid with their registration must register at least 45 minutes prior to their tee-time.
Penalty for Late Starts:
Rule 6-3a provides: “The player must start at the time established by the Committee.” The penalty for breach of 6-3a is disqualification. However, it is a condition of the competition that, if the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes at the first hole in stroke play instead of disqualification.
Lifting an embedded Ball
When applicable during play, the “Embedded Ball Rule” as written in Appendix 1 is in effect “through the green.”
Ties
Ties for 1st may be decided by a playoff when time permits. In most cases, a sudden death playoff over 3 holes will ensue. In the event of a tie after 3 holes, players will split prize moneys. In certain tournaments where time permits (i.e.: Vancouver Open) a sudden death playoff will ensue until a winner is established. Ties for 1st during morning shotgun starts, and ties for all other places will split the place and prize amount.
Caddies
Caddies are permitted, provided that they do not wear spiked shoes. Caddies will be required to register with VGT prior to tee-off and are obligated to wear a VGT caddy bib when available.
Powercarts
Power Carts are not permitted for players in the Professional and Championship Flight in ‘Open events’ in 2012 unless local rules state otherwise. Carts will be permitted for play in Pro-am events where players are asked to share a cart with Pro-am partners.
Code of Conduct:
All professionals are required to present a neat appearance in both clothing and personal grooming. You are required at all times to maintain an acceptable standard of dress both on the golf course and in the clubhouse, including golf slacks and a collared golf shirt or mock neck golf shirt. Shorts or jeans are not permitted in any VGT Tour events, unless specified by the tour in a local rule.
Players must attempt to be competitive and must conduct themselves in a professional manner. Failure to do so, or acting out of order on or off the golf course – including throwing club, burying club, or abusive language, results in these penalties:
1st offence: warning
2nd offence: warning
3rd offence: $300 fine
4th offence: $500 fine and DQ
5th offence: $1,000 fine , DQ and suspension (length determined by VGT).
Penalties are cumulative throughout the year.
Alcohol Consumption
NO ALCOHOL is to be consumed during the course of play during any ‘Open’ VGT Events.
1st offence: Official Warning
2nd offence: Disqualification from event
3rd offence: Player will be suspended from competing in VANCOUVER GOLF TOUR events for the remainder of the year.
*Additional discipline may be administered if a serious violation of professional code of conduct has occurred.
Pace of Play
The following rules will apply to all VGT players throughout the year. If an individual or group is determined to be behind ‘Time Par’ by a VGT Rules Official will, the group in question will be put on the clock. In the case of an individual offence, the following penalties will be in place:
1st offence: Warning.
2nd offence: 1 stroke penalty
3rd offence: 2 stroke penalty and $300 fine.
4th offence: Disqualification from event and $500 fine. Player will be suspended from competing in VANCOUVER GOLF TOUR events for an indefinite period to be determined by VGT.
If the rules official cannot determine the individual in question that is causing the group to be out of position, the group in question will be warned and will be expected to move back into position with group ahead of them by a time determined by the onsite rules official. Failure to do so by the group will result in the following group penalties:
1st offence: 1 stroke penalty
2nd offence: 2 stroke penalty
3rd offence: 2 stroke penalty and $300 fine.
4th offence: Disqualification from event and $500 fine. Player will be suspended from competing in VANCOUVER GOLF TOUR events for an indefinite period to be determined by VGT.
Return of Scorecards
Upon completion of play, failure to return scorecards in a timely manner may result in disqualification. For the purpose of applying Rule 6-6c, a competitor is considered to have returned his scorecard when he has first left the scoring area.
Any player failing to return a scorecard (DNF):
1st offence: Player will be omitted from the VGT Order of Merit and Scoring Average standings.
2nd offence: Player will be suspended from competing in TOUR events for the remainder of the year.
Conforming Balls and Non-conforming clubs
The ball that a player plays must be named on the current “List of Conforming Golf Balls” recognized by the RCGA. Penalty for playing a non-conforming ball is disqualification.
The one ball rule is in effect for all players in the Professional and Championship Flight of Vancouver Golf Tour events, unless a local rule is in effect.
All clubs used by the player must not be named on the current “List of Non-Conforming Golf Clubs” recognized by the RCGA. Penalty for playing a non-conforming golf club is disqualification
VGT’s Groove Rule for 2012
The Royal Canadian Golf Association in affiliation with the R&A and the United States Golf Association have revised the Rules of Golf, placing new restrictions on the cross sectional area and edge sharpness of golf club grooves. The revisions are designed to restore the challenge of playing shots to the green from the rough by reducing backspin on those shots. The initial focus of the new Rules will be competitions involving highly skilled professional golfers and will have little impact on the play of most golfers.
The Rules control the cross sectional area of grooves on all clubs, with the exception of drivers and putters, and limit groove edge sharpness on clubs with lofts equal to or greater than 25 degrees (generally a standard 5-iron and above).
The Rules apply to clubs manufactured after January 1, 2010. Clubs manufactured prior to January 1, 2010 that conform to current regulations will continue to be considered conforming to the Rules of Golf until January 1, 2014. This includes clubs purchased after that date from manufacturers’ existing model ranges. So long as these clubs continue to be conforming they may be used for VGT events until December 31, 2013. It is intended that the new Groove Rules will be introduced as a Condition of Competition for VGT events from January 1, 2014.
Practice
Between the play of two holes in stroke play events, a player must not play a practice stroke or roll a ball on or near the putting green of the hole last played. Any practice of this nature will result in a two shot penalty. In the case of a two-round tournament, practice on the course (being used in round two) in between rounds is prohibited. Practice of this nature between rounds will result in disqualification.
Order of Merit
Vancouver Golf Tour will use a year-long Point System to determine 2012 Order of Merit Winners in both Professional and Amateur Divisions.
