CODE OF CONDUCT

Players are to observe proper golf etiquette at all times. Any abuse or disrespect of fellow competitors, officials, spectators, employees of the host facility, or other persons conducting or attending a Texas Golf Association (TGA) sponsored event can be grounds for disqualification from the event, and possible rejection of entry for future TGA events. Such abuse may be verbal or physical or threat thereof and includes but is not limited to:

• The use of obscene language
• Physical damage to property or equipment including that of the TGA or the host facility
  ° The Player assumes all risk while onsite at event
• Being under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances during a competitive round

Dress Code

Appropriate golf attire is required at all TGA events. Appropriate golf attire includes collared shirts with sleeves that must be properly tucked in at all times, Bermuda length shorts, or slacks. Shoes with metal or traditionally-designed spikes must not be worn.

In the event of any conflicts between the dress code as outlined by either the TGA or the host facility/venue, the dress code of the host facility/venue will prevail. Please note that this policy is in effect for both players and caddies, without exception.

TRANSPORTATION & CADDIES

For complete transportation information, including the use of non-motorized or motorized push/pull carts, please visit the specific Tournament Homepage. Please be advised that in championships where carts are provided, players are encouraged to utilize motorized transportation.

One-Seat Policy

When riding in a golf cart, there may not be more than two (2) riders per cart at any time. The player can ride in or move a golf cart with another player’s caddie in it, so long as the player whose caddie is in the cart is not riding in another cart at the same time. As a reminder, players are responsible for the actions of their caddie. Continued intentional disregard for the policy may result in disqualification. Riders may NOT ride on the back of a golf cart, or on the dashboard of the golf cart. All riders must be seated on the golf cart seat.

During a suspension or resumption of play for a dangerous situation: There may be more than two (2) riders per cart, but all riders must be seated on the golf cart seat. Riders may not stand on the back or sit on the dashboard.

During a suspension or resumption of play for a non-dangerous situation: There may NOT be more than two (2) riders per cart. This includes the person driving the cart. even if that player is a spectator or volunteer.

When transporting players in a cart, all push/pull cart bags must be either strapped to the cart or broken down and put inside the cart. Spectators, volunteers, players or anyone else riding in the cart must not pull the push/pull cart with their hand outside the cart. this could result in severe injury.

Motorized Push-Cart Policy

The TGA follows a Motorized Push Cart Policy based on the following scenarios:

• Transportation prohibited, caddies permitted (Texas Amateur, USGA Qualifying with the exception US Senior Amateurs, some Legends Junior Tour (LJT) events)
  • Manual and motorized pull carts are permitted.
• Transportation prohibited, caddies not permitted (most LJT events)
  • Manual pull carts are permitted; motorized pull carts are prohibited.
• Transportation permitted, carts provided via entry fee (TGA Championships)
  • Manual and motorized pull carts are permitted
• Transportation permitted, carts available for rent (U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying)
  • Manual and motorized pull carts are permitted.

Caddies

Information regarding the use and availability of caddies varies between TGA Championships – refer to Tournament Information for specific events and guidelines. Caddies must adhere to the TGA Code of Conduct and dress code. Caddies should not wear golf shoes of any kind.

TGA Medical Cart Request Policy

Spectators in accordance of ADA compliance may request golf carts. Requests for golf carts must be supported by complete documentation, including the fully-completed Cart Request Form and the required accompanying medical documentation specified in that form for all first- time requests. Any medical cart request that is granted by the TGA will be good for that individual for the remainder of that calendar season. A request will not be deemed complete until all required information and documentation has been provided. For further information and details contact Senior Tournament Director, Chris Untiedt.

 

ELIGIBILITY & ENTRY PROCEDURES

Eligibility Guidelines

Each TGA Championship has its own specific tournament eligibility criteria (i.e., maximum Handicap Index®, age requirements, etc.). Please reference the specific championship you are interested in for further details. In general, to be eligible for a TGA Championship, all applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a male amateur golfer belonging to a TGA member club/course
• Have an active GHIN #® and Handicap Index established at their club/course
• Be a current resident of the state of Texas

Note: A resident is defined by any person who has established their legal residency in the state (i.e. holds a Texas driver’s license or files their federal tax return with a Texas home address). You are eligible if you graduated from a Texas high school and are attending college out-of-state. Further, you are not eligible if you are attending college in Texas and are classified as a foreign or non-resident student.

TGA Gender Policy

In January 2021, the Texas Golf Association and Legends Junior Tour adopted a new gender policy for its championships. The policy is referred to in the Conditions of Competition set forth in the Eligibility section of entry applications for all relevant TGA championships beginning with the 2021 championship season. The policy sets forth the procedures by which a transgendered player may participate in a TGA championship. The policy seeks to assure fair competition for all entrants in a TGA championship. To read the full TGA Gender Policy, please click here.

Handicap Revisions

For TGA competitions where a maximum Handicap Index® is required for eligibility, the Handicap Index® as of the close of entries will be used unless otherwise specified on entry and eligibility information for the specific tournament. For events where a Handicap Index® is used for scoring, or for purposes of determining flights, the handicap index will be specified on entry and eligibility information for the specific tournament.

Entry Procedure

All players, including those that are exempt, must complete the online entry process by the published deadline(s) for each respective championship. Each TGA competition has a specific designated field limit. Excluding specific tournament policies, entries for TGA championships are accepted on a first-in basis until the entry deadline. Late entries, entries which are incomplete or inaccurate, regardless of cause or reason, will not be accepted. Each entry is subject to review and approval by the TGA; the Championship Committee reserves the right to reject an entry at any time.

Please be advised that exempt players maintain a priority for a spot in each field until the published exemption deadline, where applicable. Non-exempt entries may be wait-listed until such time when additional spots become available and/or the exempt player deadline has passed. In circumstances where multiple divisions comprise a single field, the TGA will fill the posted division sizes and adjust the size of each division, if necessary, to accommodate additional non-exempt entries in the starting field.

Note: The TGA accepts all major credit cards except Discover. The TGA does not accepts cash, checks, or paper registrations. All registration applications must be completed through golf genius.

Wait List

Entries received after the field limit has been reached will be placed on a “wait list” for that event. Applicants will be ranked on the wait list in the order their application was received by the TGA, unless otherwise specified in tournament eligibility. Any spots in the field that become available will then be filled in accordance with the ranked wait list. The TGA will use the wait list up until 6:00 p.m. of the night prior to Round 1.

EXEMPTIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

For complete exemption information, please visit the specific Tournament Homepage. The TGA reserves the right to select players to be in the field. Exempt players must enter by the published deadline or they will lose their exempt status and spot in the final field.

Exemption Requests

A player that wishes to request an exemption into a TGA competition must do so in writing; before doing so, the TGA strongly recommends that potential players review the current exemption criteria outlined in the given events ‘Entry & Eligibility Information’ on the corresponding Tournament Information Page. Entry and eligibility criteria are reviewed for each championship on an annual basis and appropriately identify exemptions as determined by the TGA Championship Committee.

Should a player choose to submit an exemption request, the request must be submitted by emailing Director of Competitions, South Texas John Cochran one week prior to the published exempt entry deadline (or entry deadline for those events with just one deadline). Exemption requests are reviewed by the TGA Championship Committee on a case-by-case basis, and only granted under exceptional circumstances. The TGA reserves the right to reject any exemption requests, for any TGA Competition, at its discretion.

Team Exemptions

An exemption earned by a team will only be accepted when both exempt players register as a team. If an exempt player registers with a non- exempt player, that player will forfeit their exempt status and their registration will be accepted under the event specific entry procedure. Both players must meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the event.

Partner Substitution (Team Competitions)

Partner substitutions for TGA team competitions are permitted. Substitutions for teams will be permitted prior to the start of competition and individuals must meet the minimum eligibility requirements for the TGA, as well as the specific tournament requirements (i.e. USGA Handicap Index limit, residence location for regional events, etc.). A player may not select a substitute partner from those players who are already in the championship field. Players who are on the wait list are eligible substitutions. Contact the TGA Championship Department by calling (214) 468-8942 or emailing Senior Tournament Director, Chris Untiedt to arrange your team substitutions.

WITHDRAWALS & REFUNDS

Withdrawal Procedure

Prior to the entry deadline players looking to withdraw should do so online through their Golf Genius user profile to receive an immediate refund and withdrawal. After the entry deadline has passed players should either call the TGA at (214) 468-8942 or email the posted staff in charge, which can be found on the individual Tournament Homepage. Only withdrawals on the day of the competition should be directed to the host club golf shop.

WITHDRAWAL – “WD”

• A player who notifies TGA Staff and/or Officials in advance of their starting time that they are withdrawing. Withdrawals occurring between stipulated rounds played over consecutive days will result in the player being withdrawn from the next round, not the previous round most recently completed.
• A player who notifies TGA Staff and/or Officials that, during a round, they are withdrawing due to, but not limited to medical conditions, injuries or family emergencies, etc. Players failing to complete their round for reasons not covered above will be deemed a No Card.

Note: A player who notifies TGA Staff and/or Officials in advance of their starting time that they cannot make their TGA Qualifying Round (Amateur, Mid-Amateur or Senior) will be marked as a ‘Withdrawal’, and if applicable, may follow the Walk-Up Procedure at another site. Players will be identified as ‘Eligible to Walk-Up’ on the leaderboard sites for TGA Qualifying Rounds. For more information pertaining to the TGA Withdrawal Procedure, please see above.

NO CARD – “NC”

• A player who starts, but does not complete their round, will be classified as a ‘No Card’ if they fail to return their scorecard to the Committee, or fail to complete their round for reasons not covered by the withdrawal circumstances noted above.

Note: A player who is deemed a ‘No Card’ during a TGA Qualifying Round (Amateur, Mid-Amateur or Senior) do not have the ability to follow the Walk-Up Procedure at another Qualifying Site.

DISQUALIFICATION – “DQ”

• A player will be denoted as disqualified, if they are subject to a penalty of disqualification under the Rules of Golf as approved by the R&A and USGA®, TGA Local Rules & Terms of Competition.
• A player will be denoted as disqualified if they fail to notify a TGA official to withdraw or fail to show up for their posted tee time.

Players are subject to rejection of entries or loss of TGA Player of the Year points if they fail to adhere to the TGA Policies and Procedures set forth, that include withdrawals, no cards and disqualifications. Final decisions on these matters will be made by the TGA Championship Committee.

Refund Policy

If a player withdraws prior to the entry deadline they will receive a full refund, less a $25.00 administrative fee. If a player withdraws after the entry deadline has passed, the player will not receive a refund unless the spot is filled by an alternate or wait listed player (The $25.00 administrative fee is still applicable in this circumstance). However, if a player withdraws within three business days, prior to the day of the first round, and the spot is filled with an alternate or wait listed player, he will receive a 50% refund of the entry fee. Otherwise the player will receive no entry fee refund.

If a player must withdraw prior to Round 1 due to Covid-19 symptoms (close contact with or a positive test), a player will receive a full refund.

Walk-Up Procedure

To be a part of the Walk-Up procedure you must be either a TGA alternate or wait listed player. Players wishing to Walk-Up are required to check in with the TGA official at the first tee 30 minutes prior to the start of the tournament. Alternates or wait listed players who are late to check in will be placed at the bottom of the Walk-Up list. At check in you will be ranked in accordance with your status as either an alternate or wait listed player.

Once play begins, if a player who is in the starting field fails to show up at the tee at the designated time, an alternate or wait listed player will be called. If the player does not show within five minutes, the alternate or wait listed player’s ball will be in play.

Rankings for Wait Listed Players: Wait listed players will be ranked and put into the field based on when they registered and when a player in the field withdraws up until 6:00 pm the day before the first round. After the deadline, wait listed players can follow the Walk-Up procedure listed below and will be ranked. Wait list rankings only apply when a event/qualifying site reaches capacity; players must register before the entry deadline to be considered as a wait listed player for that site.

Walk-Up Procedure: In order to be eligible for the Walk-Up procedure, all players must have previously registered for the event/qualifier before the deadline. All wait listed players will have priority in the Walk-Up Procedure based on their order of registration. For Texas Amateur, Texas Mid-Amateur and Texas Senior Amateur Qualifying purposes only, players wishing to play in a different qualifier may walk up and will be ranked by lot following the Wait Listed players (i.e. if there were four Wait Listed Players, then the first available spot is No. 5).

Alternate Substitution

Only those players who have earned alternate status through TGA qualifying are eligible for alternate substitution. Any spots in the Championship field that become available will be filled by the highest ranked alternate from the same site as the player who withdrew. The TGA ranks all qualifying sites based on size and quality of the field. Spots which become available through an exempt player withdrawal will be filled by the 1st alternate at the No. 1 ranked qualifying site, then the 1st alternate at the No. 2 ranked site, and so on.

Alternates will be notified of their status in advance of all Last Chance Qualifying and the release of pairings for their respective event (Texas Amateur, Texas Mid-Amateur, Texas Senior Amateur). While alternate substitution is dependent upon the withdrawal of confirmed players, these notifications are for informational purposes only; the TGA cannot speculate on the likelihood of alternates gaining a spot in the field at any time.

The TGA will contact alternates for substitution up until 6:00 PM of the night prior to the start of the tournament. After that time, any player on the alternate list may exercise their right to walk up on site. Please see “Walk-Up Procedure” (above) for further details.

Rankings for Alternate Players: Alternate players present for the Walk-Up Procedure will be checked in and then ranked based on the following: All 1st alternates will get priority and will fill any open spots in the order of their qualifying site rank. The 1st alternate at the No. 1 ranked site, will be first, then the 1st alternate from the No. 2 ranked site, and so on. If all 1st alternates present gain a spot in the tournament, then 2nd alternates will fill any remaining open spots in the same manner as the 1st alternates.

Spectator Guidelines

TGA Competitions focus on the competitors and our member clubs who graciously host competitions each year. Spectators are reminded that they are guests of our host clubs and must abide by their rules and regulations as set forth, which may include conduct, accessibility or dress codes.

• Spectators must self screen prior to arriving at an TGA event. Should a person have Covid-19 symptoms, they may not be on the premises.
• Spectators are strongly encouraged to bring their own mask and have it available when needed.
• Spectators are encouraged to remain socially distant.
• Spectators are expected to respect competitors, staff and volunteers from the host club, as well as TGA staff and tournament officials.
• Spectators may be asked to check-in at the entrance to a host club for further information. Host clubs reserve the right to limit access to their premises at their discretion. Any additional host club polices will be communicated at this time.
• Spectators must walk on or near the cart path. All spectators must not enter any area defined by signage, fencing, ropes or similar infrastructure, which limits spectator access.
• Spectator (golf) carts will not be permitted; however, those with ADA requirements may request the use of a medical cart through the TGA. Please see Medical Cart Request above.

Any spectator who does not abide by the guidelines noted above will be asked to leave the grounds immediately and risks the ability to attend future TGA Competitions in any capacity.