CODE OF CONDUCT

Contestants (and their caddies) 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 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 - player assumes all risk while onsite at an event
• being under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances during a competitive round.

Dress Code
Appropriate golf attire is required at all Women’s TGA events. 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.

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

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

• Be a female amateur golfer belonging to a TGA member club/course
• Have an active GHIN #® and/or Handicap Index established at her 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 and 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. 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.

Entry Procedure
All players, including those that are exempt, must complete the online entry process by the published deadline(s) for each tournament. Each Women’s competition has a specific designated field limit and entry procedure. 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; the Championship Committee reserves the right to reject an entry at any time.

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.

Handicap Revisions
For Women’s TGA competitions where a WHS Handicap Index is used to determine the order of entries, the effective revision date published on the Tournament Information will be used. Events where a WHS Handicap Index is used for scoring, or purposes of determining flights, the effective revision date published on the Tournament Information will be used.

Partner Substitutions
Partner substitutions for Women’s 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 Women’s 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.

WITHDRAWALS & REFUNDS

Withdraw Procedure
Prior to the entry deadline players looking to withdraw should do so online through their Golf Genius profile to receive an immediate refund and withdrawal. After the entry deadline has passed players should either call the Texas Golf Association at (214) 468-8942 or email womensgolf@txga.org. Only withdrawals on the day of the competition should be directed to the host club golf shop.

Withdraw – “WD”

• A player notifies TGA Staff and/or Official 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 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.

No Card – “NC”

• A player who starts, but does not complete her round, will be classified as a not card if she fails to return her scorecard to the Committee, or fails to complete her round for reasons not covered by the withdrawal circumstances noted above.

Disqualification – “DQ”

• A player will be noted as disqualified, if she is subject to a penalty of disqualification under the USGA® Rules of Golf, TGA Conditions of Competition and Standard Local Rules.

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

Refund Policy
If a player withdraws prior to the entry withdraw date she will receive a full refund, less a $25.00 administrative fee. If a player withdraws after the withdraw date has passed, the player will not receive a refund unless the spot is filled by a wait listed player (the $25.00 administrative fee is still applicable in this circumstance). However, if the player withdraws within three business days, prior to the day of the first round, and the spot is filled with an alternate player, she will receive a 50% refund of the entry fee. In exceptional circumstances a player may file a written appeal for a refund to the Championship Committee. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

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: 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.

SPECTATOR GUIDELINES

Unless otherwise noted in specific Championship Information, TGA competitions and our host venues welcome spectators at no charge. Spectators are reminded of the following guidelines to ensure that they have an enjoyable experience while at a TGA Competition:

• 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 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 may walk on the golf course, but 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 host club golf shop. Approval for the use of a medical cart will be granted by a host club representative and TGA staff, contingent upon proper ADA documentation being provided and cart availability. Individuals using a medical cart must follow the TGA medical cart guidelines provided at the time of approval, which may include but are not limited to authorization of a liability waiver, a nominal cart access fee and/or accessibility guidelines (i.e. staying on cart paths).

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.

TERMS OF THE COMPETITION

Upon completion and confirmation of entry, all players have agreed to abide by all Texas Golf Association Policies and Procedures – including Conditions of Competition, Code of Conduct, Dress Code, and any special guidelines for specific events. The TGA Tournament Rules Committee shall have the final decision on all claims and disputes. The following Conditions of Competition apply for all TGA events.