Regulations
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Name
The name of the Association shall be the Nottinghamshire County Ladies' Golf Association (referred to as NCLGA or the Association in the Regulations document).
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Objectives
The objects of the Association are:
• To promote and administer amateur ladies' golf in Nottinghamshire.
• To encourage and assist its member clubs.
• To uphold and abide by the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status as laid
down by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews Limited.
• To assist and co-operate with England Golf, and abide by such Rules as laid down
from time to time insofar as they affect the Association.
• To assist and co-operate with the Council of National Golf Unions and ensure that
the Association and its members comply with the Rules of the Worldwide
Handicapping System, as they apply to England, and any later amendments. -
Membership
3.1The payment of an Affiliation Fee the sum of which shall be decided at an Annual General meeting, entitles players to NCLGA Membership as either :–
3.1.1 Full Members who are entitled to play in all NCLGA County Competitions, including the County Amateur Golf Championship and for the County Team in the Inter County Matches. They must be of Amateur Status as defined by the R&A Golf Club of St Andrews and possess one or more of the following County Qualifications. They must EITHER be a member of an affiliated Club in the County OR must have been born in the County and be a member of an affiliated club in another English County.
3.1.2 Associate Members who are Full Members of another County Association or Unified County. Associate members are entitled to play in all County Competitions including inter-club matches, but are not entitled to play in the County Amateur Golf Championship and the County Team in the Inter County Matches.Notification of Associate Membership must be made to the County Secretary in writing or by email by 31st March of the membership year. If no notification is received players will be deemed to be Full members of the Association.
3.2 Junior girls who are members of a Nottinghamshire Affiliated Club do not pay a County Affiliation Fee and will be entitled to be Full or Associate members of the county as defined by England Golf County Golf Regulations. (Juniors are defined as being under 18 years of age at midnight on 1st January)
3.3 Full members of NCLGA who are members of clubs in other counties are responsible for notifying their other counties of their Associate Membership of those counties.
3.4 Resignation of Membership A Member wishing to resign from the Association must do so in writing to the General Secretary before 31st December. She shall not be eligible to join another Association until the beginning of the next county year.
3.5 Honorary Membership On the unanimous vote of the Executive Committee and Club Representatives, a player may be made an Honorary Member and this will be recorded on the County Roll of Honour.
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Finance
4.1The Association shall have control of its finances & constitution providing there is no conflict with the England Golf Rules & Regulations.
4.2 Finance to be raised by a mandatory affiliation fee from every adult playing member of a golf club affiliated to England Golf. Payment will entitle members to be Full or Associate members of the County as defined by England Golf County Golf Regulations, effective November 2016.
4.3 All subscriptions payable by member clubs shall become due and payable 2 months following the club's annual membership renewal date. A member club that has not paid the subscription 3 months after the due date will cease to be a member of The Association. A mid-year payment will be due eight months after the membership renewal date to account for any new members who have joined part way through the year.
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Governance and Management
5.1 The management of the Association is vested in the Officers of the Association, known as The Executive and nominated representatives from each affiliated club, known as Club Representatives.
5.2 No Regulations of the Association shall be repealed or altered and no new regulation shall be made save by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and voting at an AGM or SGM as detailed in Section 7 - Meetings of the Association. At least 10 day's notice of any such proposed alteration or addition shall be given to the Club Representative of each club in the Association who shall communicate this to their members.
5.3 The Executive shall consist of the County President, the County Captain, the Senior Vice-Captain, the Assistant Vice-Captain, the General Secretary, the Assistant General Secretary, the Treasurer, the Competition Secretary, the Assistant Competition Secretary, the Junior Coordinator and the Senior Organiser.
The MNR representative, County Handicap Adviser, Website Manager and Lead Course Assessor will be invited to attend Executive meetings.
5.4 Club Representatives - must be Adult Full or Associate members of the Association. They should be nominated or elected by their club/ladies section. Their role is to receive and act upon communications from the county, and to represent the views and opinions of club members at general meetings.
5.5 Selection Committee - in addition to the above the County President, County Captain, Senior Vice Captain, Assistant Vice Captain and County Junior Organiser will meet to select county teams. The Immediate Past Captain and County Champion may be co-opted on to the committee.
5.6 Working Groups - when necessary, The Executive may establish specific working groups to assist in meeting the objectives of the Association.
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Terms of Office
All Officers of the Association are elected at the County AGM for the following terms of office:
6.1 The Executive
County President - 3 years
County Captain - 1 year
Senior Vice Captain - 1 year
Assistant Vice Captain - 1 year
The following Officers are elected annually at the AGM:
Treasurer
Secretary
Assistant Secretary
County Junior Organiser
Senior Organiser
Competitions Secretary
Assistant Competitions Secretary6.2 Other Association Roles
Midland North Representative - initially for a term of 3 years, thereafter annually at the
County AGM
County Handicap Adviser
Lead Course Assessor
Website Manager
These roles may be held in addition to Executive Roles6.3 Special Circumstances
The Officers of the Association shall be empowered to appoint a Vice President if necessary.
The President shall not hold Office for more than 3 consecutive years. The Captain shall not hold Office for more than 1 year except in exceptional circumstances.
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Meetings
7.1 Annual General Meeting - The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of November each year and at least 10 day’s notice of such meeting shall be given. The business of the AGM will be:
7.1.1 To receive and agree the minutes of the last AGM
7.1.2 To receive and approve reports from County Officials, Midlands North Representative, County Handicap Adviser and Lead Course Assessor
7.1.3 To receive and approve the Hon Treasurer’s Statement of Accounts including any change to the County affiliation fee. To approve the appointment of the Auditors.
7.1.4 To elect the County President at the start of her 3-year term, County Captain, Senior Vice Captain and Assistant Vice Captain
7.1.5 To elect the remaining roles on the County Executive and other posts
7.1.6 To receive debate and vote upon any resolution properly proposed to the meeting
7.1.7 The AGM agenda will include an AOB item during which members may raise points which will be considered by the Executive at its next meeting. AOB items raised will not be voted upon.
7.2 AGM Resolutions - The Executive Committee, Club Representatives' Meeting, the Ladies Committee of any affiliated club or any two members of the Association may bring forward any resolution to the AGM. Resolutions must be made in writing to the Hon Secretary and received by her at least 10 days prior to the notice of the AGM being given. Resolutions should be proposed and seconded.
7.3 All members of the Association are entitled to attend and vote at General Meetings (AGM/SGM). Any votes taken will be conducted by the meeting Chair and will be by show of hands.
7.4 The Executive - shall meet up to 3 times per year. It will work to meet the stated Objectives of the Association, review and update policies and procedures and manage the county teams and competitions.
7.5 Club Representatives - Up to two meetings will be held annually in order to consult and communicate with affiliated clubs and members of the Association on matters relating to the Objectives of the Association. Any vote taken at these meetings will be taken as advisory and will not be binding on the Executive.
7.6 A Special Meeting of the Association may be convened at any time by the General Secretary, or by written request to her from the representatives of any club in the Association. At least 10 day's notice of such meetings and of the business to be transacted thereat shall be given to the Secretary of each club in the Association and only the business of which notice has been given shall be considered.
7.7 Minutes The General Secretary shall keep minutes of proceedings of the Association which will be published on the NCLGA website and will be circulated to Club Representatives.
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Accounts
The financial year of the Association will close on September 30 each year and the Hon. Treasurer will thereafter prepare a Statement of Accounts which will be submitted and approved by the appointed Auditor. The audited Statement of Accounts will be available at the Annual General Meeting.
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Expenses
Any officials or nominee authorised by the Executive Committee to attend a meeting or travel on behalf of the Association will be entitled to be reimbursed out of the funds of the Association, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Team travelling and hotel expenses will be paid out of the funds of the Association.
Regulations ratified at the NCLGA AGM on: 11th November 2024 Download copy HERE
General Competition Rules
- All players must be female at birth or have the female gender assigned.
- All matches and competitions will be governed by the Rules of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, the Local Rules of the course upon which a match or competition is played, and the NCLGA Competition Local Rules.
- All players must be current members of the County Association. Associate Members may play in all competitions or matches except the County Championships and the Inter County matches.
- Entry fees must be paid before any competition commences. Entry fees received are used to contribute towards expenses incurred in the running of competitions and to provide prizes.
- In the case of withdrawal from a competition, entry fees will not be refunded after the draw has been made.
- In all NCLGA competitions, including NCLGA league and interclub matches, a player or caddie must not ride on any form of motorised transportation except as authorised or later approved by the executive committee. The committee will decide whether this is granted on a temporary or ongoing basis. Players are permitted to self-certify in the event where a temporary or ongoing medical condition prevents them from walking. They will be asked to complete a self-certification form which can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary. The buggy certificate must be in place two weeks prior to the closing date of a competition or match. An exception is also granted to those players who are aged 80 years or over for all competitions. All motorised transportation is for sole use only.
- In competitions, ties will be decided on last 18, 9, 6 or 3 holes.
- Handicap Index limits apply at the time of entry to the competition. When a player’s Handicap Index exceeds this limit on the date of the competition, she will be allowed to compete but must play off the maximum allowable playing handicap.
- A competitor can take the vouchers (however many) that come with Cups and Trophies. However, they cannot take a voucher if there is no Cup or Trophy and they have already won a voucher.
- Competitors can only represent 1 club per competition in a calendar year. The competitions that this applies to are: Mixed Interclub, Ladies Interclub and all League Competitions.
Ladies' Interclub Rules
- This is an annual Foursomes Matchplay Competition. Each year a random draw is carried out (usually at the NCLGA AGM) to decide which clubs will play each other.
- The NCLGA arrange all Interclub start times with the host clubs (for 1.30pm or as close to that as possible). A representative of the club drawn top in each match will be responsible for confirming arrangements for the match with the host club and informing their opponents of those arrangements. If essential, clubs may change the start time but only if both teams agree and only if the host club can accommodate the change.
- All rounds must be played on the date stipulated on the draw sheet.
- Each club is represented by 2 pairs. Each representative pair will play one round of 18 holes.
- It is not a requirement for a club to be represented by the same competitors throughout the course of the competition.
- Each competitor’s handicap index limit is 24.4.
- If on the conversion of a player’s handicap index to their course handicap, when using the slope chart of the course being played, their course handicap is more than 24.4; this is permissible.
- The handicap allowance is half the difference between each pairs’ combined course handicaps.
- The match is won by the club that has the most holes to their credit on the aggregated results of the two pairs. That club will then progress to the next round.
- In the event of a tie in any round, both pairs shall play three more holes. If still a tie, both pairs shall play sudden death until a result is obtained. Should the teams decide it is impossible to continue the extra holes or sudden death on that day (e.g. through darkness), the match shall be replayed.
- If a host club advises that it is closed or unplayable on the day of the match, and before the match begins, then the match should be re-arranged as soon as possible, and in good time before the date of the next round.
- If conditions worsen once play has started, and a match is suspended, games should resume, as soon as possible, as per Rule 5.7c 1. of the R&A Rules of Golf. If the course subsequently becomes unplayable and is then closed, or other conditions, such as lack of daylight, make it impossible to complete the remaining holes on the day, then the match should be replayed, except in the situation where one game has been completed and the winning margin is such that the second game, even if completed, could not affect the overall result.
- If, because of rules 10, 11 or 12, a match must be replayed on another day each team is free to alter its original team. If the clubs cannot agree on a date, this shall be fixed by the executive committee. If the course is not available for the replay, a new course shall be decided by the executive committee.
- Notice of the results of each match must be sent to the Competitions Secretary by the winning club within 48 hours.
- Disputes will normally be settled by the captains of the teams concerned. In cases where this method proves unacceptable, the disputes shall be referred to the executive committee. A quorum of three members of the executive committee (one of whom should be the County Captain or President), will then make a decision, which will be final.
Silver, Bronze & Scratch League - General Rules
- All league matches will be played between April 1st and September 30th.
- Matches are to be played in strict order of handicap index.
- It is not a requirement for a club to be represented by the same competitors throughout the course of the competition.
- All matches must be played by the final stipulated date. If not played by this date, no points will be awarded to either side. One point is awarded for each match that is won and half a point for each tied match.
- Clubs failing to provide a full team will forfeit non-contended games. A score of 1 Up will be awarded to the opponent for each forfeited game.
- On completion of all matches, the winning club in each division will be promoted and bottom club go down a division.
- Notice of the results of each match must be sent to the Assistant Competition Secretary by the winning club as soon as possible.
- Disputes will normally be settled by the captains of the teams concerned. In cases where this method proves unacceptable, the disputes shall be referred to the executive committee. A quorum of three members of the executive committee (one of whom should be the County Captain or President), will then make a decision, which will be final.
Silver & Bronze League
- Each league match will consist of five games of singles match play (or such other number of games as the executive committee shall determine). Any such amendments to the number of games will be clearly specified on the League Competition page of the NCLGA website.
- Matches will be played on both home and away courses. If no agreement is reached on a start time, matches are to be played in the afternoon.
- The handicap index limits for competition are as follows:
a. Silver – up to 19.0
b. Bronze – 18.0 to 36.0 - Players should not be asked to play off a lower handicap index, but they may volunteer to do so.
- The handicap allowance for a game is calculated by subtracting the lower course handicap from the higher course handicap. The full difference of shots is then allocated to the player with the higher handicap.
Scratch League
- Each league match will consist of three games of singles match play to be played off scratch and in handicap index order.
- Clubs may enter more than one team. However, players may only play for one team in a season.
- Matches will be played on either home or away courses. At least one weekend date or one weekday evening start time (after 4pm) to be offered by the Home Club.
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A draw to determine which matches are played at home and which away will be conducted by the Executive Committee and details published on the website.
Recommendations for procedures in the case of extreme weather conditions for league matches
- If a course is closed or unplayable then the match should be re-arranged as soon as possible and in good time before the deadline/next round. That is before the end of September for scratch, silver, and bronze leagues.
- If any matches must be played on another day each team is free to alter its original team.
- In extremely inclement conditions, the two team captains may agree to play the match over fewer holes if both agree. This must be agreed before the match commences.
- If conditions worsen once play has started, and the match is suspended, it should resume from where it was suspended either on the same day or on another day. The result of completed games should stand as played and incomplete matches should be continued later the same day or on another date. Any matches that cannot be completed as scheduled should be considered tied.
