DMVVGA RULES & POLICIES

HANDICAP POLICY
It is very important that all handicaps are fair and accurate for any DMVVGA Tournament. To help keep the tournamet fair for the field, DMVVGA reserves the right to adjust your handicap if your score reflects way outside your stated or recorded handicaps. DMVVGA reserves the right to use handicaps or scores from prior events for any player from prior tournaments if your handicap has increase in between events. 

Every player will be automatically capped at 2 strokes better than their handicap. Example, a 10 handicap on a par 72 will be capped at 80 as his best score if he shoots 79 or less. This is a guideline and can be changed accordingly per player by DMVVGA for multiple occurences.

DMVVGA reserve the right to change your handicap to match your gross score if it's way outside your handicap range. On a two day event, a 10 handicap shooting way out of their handicap range on either day will affect both day's scores.  A 10 handicap shooting 76 may and can be adjusted to a 4 handicap for the entirety of the event instead of their score being capped at 80. 

If an adjustment is to be made by DMVVGA, we will inform you of the adjustment to your score.

SANDBAGGING or CHEATING to win any DMVVGA tournament will not be tolerated and will result in the player(s) being banned from further participation and membership.

Direct all questions and concerns about handicaps to Bi Nguyen, 240-328-5728.

NEW MEMBERS/FIRST TIME PLAYERS
New first time members are ineligible to win any of the trophies or prizes on their first tournament. You are only eligible to win side contests such as closest to the pin or long drive. Once you complete your first tournament you are eligible for life so long as you do not allow more than two seasons go by without membership.

COURSE RULES
All DMVVGA tournaments will follow USGA rules & policies throughout game play.

The noted rules below are often changed depending on condtions. They are to be followed unless otherwise announced. If any player brings notice to a DMVVGA board member of a rules violation on another player, DMVVGA will gather all information and make a determination whether a penalty will be imposed. DMVVGA's ruling is final.

NO HELPING
The following occurences are prohibited:
• Reading greens for another player
• Asking or telling another player club selection
• Telling another player how to play the hole
• Telling a match partner to lay up and you go for it or vice versa in a stroke play tournament.

All above rules carry a 1 stroke penalty per occurence.

PLAY IT DOWN
We play everything down unless announced otherwise.  If the weather calls for it, we will announce lift, clean and place at the opening announcement prior to start time. 1 stroke penalty per occurence if you lift your ball off where it lies. Checking to see if it's your ball does not require you lifting an unplugged ball entirely off the surface, rotate it where it lies. A playing partner is required to witness you checking your ball after a search and found situation. Any player who brings it to our attention that they did not witness you finding or checking your ball may result in a decision not in your favor.

PLUGGED BALLS
Plugged balls can not be unplugged in hazard areas. A plugged ball can be unplugged and placed within a scorecard of where it was plugged when in the fairway or rough.  Plugged bunker balls must be played as it lies.

BUNKER RULES
Play as it lies in the bunker unless otherwise announced,  When announced there is relief in a footprint, DO NOT move the ball until other playing partners determine it is a footprint. Once determined it is a foot print, a player can use the rake, club or foot to smooth out the sand and replace the ball in the exact spot. Moving a ball before your playing partners determine it is a foot print or moving a ball that is not in a foot print will incur a 1 stoke penalty per occurence. Plugged balls in the bunker can not be unplugged, it must be played as it lies.

MARK YOUR BALL
Mark your ball clearly and uniquely. Any player who questions whether it is your ball or not, ruling will lean towards complainant if your ball is not clearly and uniquely marked. Hitting a ball that is not yours incurs a 2 stroke penalty per hit.

UNMARKED AREAS
Unless it is announced otherwise, all unmarked tall grass and wooded areas will be played according to USGA rules of lost ball. SEE OUT OF BOUNDS BELOW.

OUT OF BOUNDS
Defined by white stakes/lines and/or boundary fences. You can take 2 strokes penalty in the fairway within 2 club lengths from the edge of the fairway no closer to the pin than the distance where it entered the out of bounds or 1 stroke and re-hit from original spot.

Example. Your ball went out of bounds and the entry point is 180 yards away from the pin. You can take a 2 stroke penalty drop in the fairway within 2 club lengths from the edge no closer than 180 yards away from the pin. The distances is measured using the entry point and NOT where your ball came to rest.

If your ball's entry point never reached the beginning of the fairway, you CAN NOT take relief in the fairway regardless that your ball was found parallel to the fairway. You must re-hit from the original spot for a 1 stroke penalty or 2 strokes penalty drop within 2 club lengths from the entry point. Again, distance is measured from the entry point and not where your ball came to rest.

PACE OF PLAY
Please keep up with the group ahead of you. Any group that is holding up the group behind them and no group are holding in front will get a warning. If you're two holes behind, each player will receive a 1 stroke penalty.

BALL SEARCHING
Hit your ball first before you start to help your playing partners search for their ball. Maximum allotted time to search for a lost ball is 2 minutes. Once found, a witness must be present to determine that it is your ball.

LOCAL RULES
If there are any local rules the course wants us to follow, we will announce those rules during opening announcements or via email prior to tournament start.

SCORECARD
Please have everyone acknowledge and sign the card. Submit 1 signed score card to JoJo, Nuge or Bruce after the round. Once a scorecard is turned in, scores can not be changed for the better, it can only be changed for the worse.
The official score card must be scored with full stroke count per hole per player. Plus and minus count scoring will not be accepted.

Once scores are posted, you have until noon the next day to dispute any errors or inaccuracies for DMVVGA to investigate and make corrections.