NORTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE

 

GENERALLY ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES

 

Dated 30 April 2010

 

• The running of the League is vested in the Chairman and the Secretary/Treasurer, who are both elected annually at each AGM.

 

• Any changes to these Generally Agreed Principles must be decided at an AGM.

 

• Structural changes of the League can only be made at an AGM – each club present is allowed one vote. Proxy votes are not accepted.

 

• During the season, the Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer are responsible for settling any disputes that may arise.

 

• Applications to join the League in any season will only be considered at the previous year’s AGM.

 

• Fixtures are issued by the Secretary/Treasurer. These fixtures are calculated by reference to a grid – the number allocated to each team is decided by the finishing position in the previous season. However, dates of matches will be notified two or three years ahead.

 

• Teams play each other on a home-and-away basis.

 

• Matches consist of twelve players in a team, playing six foursomes’ match play games off scratch and is open to any male golfer who is a paid-up member of the club he represents.

 

• In each match, 2 points are awarded for a win, one point for a halved match.

 

• There is no specific order of play, but current County players are expected to play in the first three games.

 

• In any season, once a player has represented a club in a League match, he may not represent another club in the League.

 

• Promotion and relegation is decided on a two-up/two-down basis.

 

• Positions in each Division are decided by the total number of points. Where teams have an equal number of points, their positions are decided by the difference between games won and games lost (often referred to as ‘goal difference’!). If there is still a tie, their positions are decided by the individual matches played between the clubs affected, firstly on points gained, then on ‘goal difference’.

 

·         Matches are generally played at 2 pm on a Saturday afternoon. In the event that a club wishes to alter the time of a match, it is the club’s responsibility to notify the opposition. Matches MUST be played either on the allotted date or BEFORE that date if there was a good reason for it not being able to be played then. Any request to play the match after the due date MUST be approved by the League Secretary, or a fine will be levied. Furthermore, matches cannot be postponed for anything other extreme circumstances. Players away on holiday or on a tour do not count as extreme. Abandoned matches (inclement weather) must be re-arranged at the soonest possible opportunity, and in any event MUST be played before the date of the NGFL Cup.

 

·         A player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. 

• Results must be notified to the Secretary/Treasurer within nine days of the date on which each match is due to be played. This can either be done on the result card supplied to each club at the beginning of each season, by e-mail (alancale1@msn.com) or by phone (07590 480636). Failure to notify the Secretary/Treasurer within the prescribed time will result in the home club being fined £2.

 

• On the same day of each League match, there is a reciprocal friendly ‘B’ team match.

 

• At the end of each season, the League Secretary will arrange a Presentation Dinner, to be preceded by a competition for anyone attending.

 

• In order to promote the social side of golf, as well as the competitive side, it is generally accepted that the home club provides a light meal after each match. This does not have to be elaborate. In fact the League encourages clubs to keep the cost as low as possible. The League also encourages clubs to provide this meal as soon as possible after the match has finished. The League suggests that if any club wishes to provide a different form of refreshment (such as sandwiches), this is notified to the opposition before the season starts, in order that a reciprocal arrangement may be put in place if required.

 

• The League’s suggestion regarding payment for meals is that each club charges a match fee to each player in the team - this would probably be equal to the cost of the food. The home club keeps the home teams match fees and the away team takes its own match fees back to its own club. The ‘B’ team, who are playing away, bring back the match fees they have collected. This way, each club receives twenty-four match fees even if all players in a team do not stop for the meal (a good bargaining point when discussing the cost of meals with the caterers, and trying to keep these costs down).

 

• An annual subscription to cover administration costs such as postage, photocopying and engraving is decided at an AGM.

 

• The NGFL Cup is played at the end of each season. This is a scratch medal foursome’s event in which each club enters four pairs, with the best three scores to count and the fourth score used to decide in the event of a tie (similar to the Lister Cup). The order in which each club is requested to host this event is alphabetical.