Tampa Industrial Golf League Rules

Click here for TIGL By-Laws.

• USGA RULES:  Except where local rules apply, the rules of the United States Golf Association will be followed for any situation not covered herein.  If local rules conflict with USGA rules, the local rules will be applicable.  The explanations given below are meant to provide you with the special rules used in the league and to clarify some of the more commonly used rules of the USGA.  For additional rules and rules interpretations, see the USGA rules book.
• KEEPING SCORE:  Each player should play the entire hole and keep the score for that hole.   But, if your opponent is having difficulty finishing the hole, you may tell him or her to pick the ball up and take the score received to that point.  For example, if your opponent has hit six (6) balls in the water off the tee on a par three and you are on the green with a three inch putt for birdie,  you can tell him or her "that's enough" and give your opponent an 11 for the score on that hole.  If you choose to allow your opponent to "pick up" without completing the hole, the number of strokes accumulated to that point will be his or her score for the hole.  The "pick up" score will count toward the net score computation for awarding the points for both the individual net and the team net.  If you find your team is one stroke short of winning the points for the team net, which will win the match for your team, you cannot go back and adjust the score of your opponent on the hole you allowed him or her to pick up.  Once you allow your opponent to pick up, the score for that hole becomes the official score for the match.
• PUTTING:  You should putt out on every hole, but, if your opponent so chooses, he or she can "give" you a short putt.  This will help to speed up play.  Only your opponent can give you a putt; your teammate cannot give you any putt.  Continuous putting is optional.
• WINTER RULES:  Winter rules will apply in the fairway of the hole being played.  If you are in your own fairway, you may move the ball no more than six inches, no closer to the hole.  The penalty for violation of this rule is one stroke per violation.
• WATER HAZARDS:  If your ball goes into a water hazard, you may play another ball from the spot where you played your last shot, count both strokes and take a one stroke penalty.  If the original shot was played from the tee, you can hit your next shot from the tee also.  If your ball lies in a water hazard and you think you can play it, it is your option to do so.  If you do not want to, or cannot  play the ball, instead of going back to the spot where you last played, you can drop a ball behind the hazard, keeping the spot where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between you and the hole.  In this case, there also is a stroke penalty.  If your ball lies in a lateral water hazard (generally defined by red stakes or lines),  you can play as you would for a regular water hazard, or you can drop a ball within two club lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the hazard margin (or a point on the opposite margin equidistant from the hole), but no nearer the hole.  The penalty is one stroke in each case. 
• PLAYING FROM A HAZARD:  If you choose to play a shot from a hazard (either a sand bunker or a water hazard), you must not let your club touch the sand, the ground, or the water until the downstroke of your swing.  Also, you cannot touch or move  a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard, except during your normal swing.  The penalty for violation of this rule is two strokes.
• OUT OF BOUNDS:  If your ball goes out of bounds, you must return to the spot from which you played the original shot and hit another ball.  Both of your shots must be counted, plus a penalty stroke is added to your score.  A ball is considered out of bounds when the entire ball lies out of bounds.  When out of bounds is defined as a set of stakes or a fence, the out of bounds line is an imaginary line connecting the inside points (the points closest to being in bounds) of the stakes or the fence posts.  If out of bounds is defined by a line on the ground, the line is considered out of bounds.
• LOST BALL:  For TIGL play, a lost ball will be played similar to a water hazard.  A ball should be dropped in the area nearest to where the ball was believed to be lost  (your opponent should agree to the drop area), and the player will be penalized one stroke.  This rule was implemented by the league help speed up play; it is not a USGA rule.
• UNPLAYABLE LIE:  If your ball comes to rest against a tree or some equally undesirable location, such as in the middle of some bushes, you must decide whether the ball is playable from that spot.  If you decide it is playable, you must play it as it lies.  Otherwise, it is your option to declare the ball unplayable.  A ball can be declared unplayable any place on the course, except when it is in a water hazard.  If you declare the ball unplayable, you may return to the spot where you played your last shot and play another ball, adding one penalty stroke to your score for the hole and counting all of the stokes played.  Or, under one penalty stroke, you can either (1) drop the ball within two club lengths of the point where the ball lay when it was declared unplayable, or (2) drop a ball any distance behind where the ball was declared unplayable, keeping that point between you and the hole.  In each of these cases, the ball cannot be dropped nearer the hole, and if the ball was in a bunker when it was declared unplayable, it must be dropped in the same bunker.
• CASUAL WATER:  A temporary accumulation of water which is not connected to, or considered a part of a course water hazard is considered casual water.  If you find yourself in casual water, you may lift, clean, and drop your ball no closer to the hole without penalty.  Generally, the course professional will define casual water.
• GROUND UNDER REPAIR:  Ground under repair includes areas where materials have been piled for removal, holes have been dug by the greenskeeper, and the like.  Usually, ground under repair is designated as such.  If you are in an area considered ground under repair, you may drop the ball one club length from the nearest relief from the ground under repair conditions, no closer to the hole and without penalty.
• DROPPED BALL:  Whenever a ball must be dropped in accordance with the rules of golf, you must stand erect, hold the ball  parallel to your shoulder at arms length, and drop it.  There is no restriction on the direction you face when you drop the ball.  If the dropped ball touches you or your equipment before or after it strikes the ground, you must redrop it.  There is no penalty for a dropped ball striking you or your equipment.  If the ball rolls into a hazard, onto a putting surface, out of bounds, more than two club lengths from where it struck the ground, or nearer to  the hole when compared to its original position, you must also redrop it.  If the ball rolls into one of these positions again after the redrop, you can place the it as near as possible to where the ball hit the ground when it was redropped. 
• DAMAGED BALL: A ball is considered damaged or unfit for play if it is visibly cut, cracked, or out of shape.  Scratches, damage to the paint, or discoloration will not cause a ball to be considered unfit for play.  If your ball is unfit for play and you are in your own fairway, you can replace the damaged ball with another ball without penalty.  A ball, even if it is unfit for play, cannot be changed if you are in the rough, in a hazard, or in a foreign fairway.  The penalty for violating this rule is two strokes.  A ball can be declared unfit for play only by announcing to your opponent your intentions, and giving your opponent the opportunity to examine the ball (i.e., your opponent must concur that the ball is unfit for play); otherwise a one stroke penalty is incurred.
• STRIKING THE FLAGSTICK:  The penalty for striking the flagstick with a stroke played from the putting surface is two strokes.  There is no penalty if the stroke was played from off the putting surface.
• TEEING AREA:  Women participants play from the short tees, and men participants play from the middle tees.  If there are four sets of tees, women should play from the tees that are set up for the average female golfer, and men should play from the tees that are set up for the average male golfer.
• MULLIGANS (MURPHIES):  MULLIGANS ARE ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN!
• PROTESTS:  If a question arises concerning a stroke played or an interpretation of the rules which cannot be settled on the course, the player involved must play a provisional ball.  Both the score of the original ball and the score of the provisional ball should be recorded.  After you finish your round, the rules committee at your course will determine the appropriate action to take.  Protests must be settled by the rules committee on the day of play.  No member of the rules committee will rule on any dispute in which his or her team is involved.
• ETIQUETTE:  It is expected that each league participant exhibit proper course etiquette.  Bunkers should be raked, divots should be replaced, and golf carts should be driven safely and according to the course rules.  Never throw or bang clubs; it could be dangerous and expensive.  Please be courteous to your fellow participants, and try to play so that your group keeps pace with the group in front of you.

• TEMPLE TERRACE
• Free drop from all 150 yard markers
• Free lift from all staked or welled trees only
• Keep all carts at least 40 feet from all greens
• All newly dug ditches are free drops.
• EMERAL GREEN
• Free drop from all 150 yard markers
• Free lift from all staked or welled trees only
• Keep all carts at least 40 feet from all greens

• n In the event a player does not appear by 5:30 p.m., the team will have to play with a blind.  The player on the opposing team who plays against the blind will compete against par with his or her league handicap for both the match and medal points, as described in Rule V below.  The blind receives zero points, regardless of what the opposing player scores.  The player who plays the blind automatically receives three (3) points--the two (2) points for the individual low net and one (1) point for the team total net score.  The other players that have regular matches will compete for the remaining team total net points.
• n If a blind is played, the #4 handicap player on the opposing team will play against it.
• n Teams must have at least three (3) players or the match will be declared a team forfeit.  (Refer to TIGL ByLaws for application.)

• Handicaps will be computed by the Vice President of Handicapping according to the League Handicapping System.  See Paragraph VIII of the TIGL ByLaws for more information.
• Players will be matched by handicap so that the lowest handicap on a team plays the lowest handicap  on the opposing team, and the highest handicap plays against the highest handicap on the opposing   team.

• Scoring is based on handicap, or net scores.  One (1) point will be awarded for each hole won, and a half point will be awarded for each hole which is tied or halved.  Two (2) points will be awarded for the low net scorer of each of the individual matches, and four (4) points will be awarded for the low team total net score.  In other words, the points are broken down as follows:

 9 points  Total number of points awarded for a nine hole match (1 point per hole)

 2 points  Points awarded for low net score between individuals (for ties, each player receives  1 point)

 4 points  Points awarded for the low team total net score (for ties, each team receives 2 points)

48 points  Total team points possible for a four person match  [i.e., each of the four individual matches has 11 points available (1 point per hole plus 2 points for the low net), and there are 4 points for the low net team total]

[top] VI . PAIRINGS

• The TIGL schedule will show opponents for the season on a weekly basis for each course.  Each team will play their opponents in pairs using the following format:  The lowest and the second lowest handicap players from Team A will play the lowest and second lowest handicap players from Team B, respectively, in the first foursome.  And, in the second foursome, the third and fourth lowest handicap players from Team A will play the third and fourth lowest handicap players from Team B, respectively.