The Pearson Trophy Inter County Management Committee
Regulations 2020/21
The Pearson Trophy is a competition open to clubs affiliated to England Golf in one of the following Counties: Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Kent or Surrey. Players must be female, amateur playing members. A playing member of more than one club may only represent one club during the current season. There are no age restrictions. When entering the Pearson Trophy Competition clubs must agree to abide by the following regulations and participate in a manner that is fair to all participants. Matches may commence on 1 November 2020
R1 - Rules of Golf
· All matches must be played in accordance with the Rules of Golf as approved by R and A, any permanent or temporary local rules in place on the day of the fixture along with the Pearson Trophy Regulations
· All matches are to be played to a conclusion
· A golfer with a disability may apply to the County Pearson Manager (CPM) for adoption of the Modification of the Rules for Golfers with a disability.
· A player should walk at all times unless permitted to ride by the Pearson Management Committee. Please see the England Golf Transportation Policy that will be used by the Pearson Management Committee. The opposition Captain must be informed if any member of the team requires transportation
· A player (or caddie) may not ride on any form of motorised transportation without prior authorisation from the CPM
R2 - Entry Method and Fees
· Clubs must submit their entries on the official entry form by 31 August
· The entry fee must be paid by 31 August
· No entry fee will be refunded unless notice of withdrawal is given before 31 August
· It is the responsibility of the clubs to ensure their entry form and fees have been received by the CPM
· The Pearson Management Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any club. This decision will be final
R3 - Handicaps
· Players should have current CONGU/World Handicap System Handicap Indexes between 12.5 and 34.4 inclusive
· The Handicap Index will be adjusted to give the appropriate Playing Handicap for each player for the course where the match is being played
· Matches will be played off full handicap difference of rounded handicaps
· If any player plays from the wrong handicap, her match and any other match affected by incorrect placing shall be conceded, giving a walkover to opposing players
R4 - The Draw
· The CPM will do a draw after the closing date and will divide the entry into groups and where necessary sub-groups
· Each club shall play home and away fixtures against all the other clubs in their division/sub-division
R5 - Teams
· Teams should be made up of 7 players
· Clubs unable to field a team of 7 may field 4, 5 or 6 players and concede a walkover for each missing player to the opposition.
· In the County and Inter-County Finals teams shall consist of 7 players plus 2 reserves
R6 - Arranging Matches
· Matches are to be played on Mondays to Fridays only excluding Bank Holidays which are counted as weekends
· The Home Team Captain must offer the Away Team Captain at least three dates to choose from and no more than 2 in a seven day period as soon as possible after the draw has been announced
· If the Away Captain cannot agree on one of the dates offered, her team must withdraw from the competition and all previous results in the group stages will be null and void and a walkover given to the home team.
· Once a date has been agreed by both Captains it cannot be altered unless the course is closed or if both Captains agree that the weather and/or course/travelling conditions are too dangerous for play/travel to the course, provided a suitable replay date is available and can be arranged immediately
· In the knockout stages the Home Captains must contact the opposing Captain no later than the end of the first week of the new round and offer a minimum of three dates for the match, no more than two in the same week.
R7 - Procedure on Match Day
· Players must tell their Team Captain what their Handicap Index is on the day of the match and provide proof of this if required
· Captains must then calculate the Playing Handicap for each member of their team
· Captains must exchange team lists, in rounded playing handicap order, no later than 15 minutes before the agreed starting time of the first match
· No substitutions can be made after the exchange of team lists has taken place
· Should any player fail to be on the first tee within 45 minutes from the time fixed for the first match to start, she will concede a walkover to her opponent
· The visiting team has the 'honour' to tee off first. Thereafter the player who won the last hole tees off first. Only the designated Team Captain may give advice to members of her team but is prohibited from showing a line of putt or going on the putting green. For County and Inter County Finals the team with the 'honour' to tee off first on the first hole is decided by their place on the draw sheet
· All matches are to be played to a conclusion. If playing past the 18th hole any extra holes must be played in the same order they were played from the start of the match with strokes being taken according to the stroke index
· If a player is unable to continue with a match for any reason the opponent will be awarded a walkover
· Following the match the Captain of the winning team should, within 24 hours, email a scan or photograph of the completed official result sheet signed by both Captains to the CPM
R8 - Tees
· All matches should start from the 1st tee. However, if matches cannot start from the 1st tee, the opposing Team Captain should be informed in advance of the match. If both Team Captains are in agreement the match may start from an alternative tee
· All matches should be played off the red tees of the day
R9 - Weather on Match Day
· If play is suspended both Captains must agree a waiting time limit for commencement of play and every effort must be made to play the match that day
· A match should only be abandoned if the course is closed for the remainder of the day or if both Captains agree that the course has become unplayable
· If it has not been possible to complete all individual matches on the day the following procedures will apply
- Results of completed matches stand and incomplete matches will be null and void
- The Captains must agree a date when the outstanding matches can be replayed
- The original team can be changed but players must play in handicap order in line with the matches already completed
- No player who played in a completed match may take part in any of the matches to be replayed
- If no individual matches have been completed, the match is declared null and void. It must be replayed at the earliest opportunity with each team free to alter its original team
R10 - Disputes
· In the event of a dispute in a match over a rule of golf, a procedure or a wrong score, R and A rule 20.1b(2) applies regarding making a claim
· In matters of dispute the decision of the CPM will be final
· Please remember that the matches should be played in the spirit of the game
R11 - Extensions
· Extensions will not be permitted
· If the Home course is closed on the last day of the round the match must be played on the Away course
· Team Captains should ensure they leave plenty of time for matches to be rearranged in the event of course closures
R12 - Course Alterations and Other Issues
· If a course is undergoing or about to undergo alterations or in the event of alterations due to inclement weather, the CPM must be informed and revised yardages and other relevant details must be given to the opposing Team Captain
· Matches cannot be played on a course with more than 6 temporary greens
· The match should not be played on a course which is not fully open with regard to its normal number of holes
· Holes should be of regulation size
R13 - Trolley Ban
· Should a club have or be likely to have a trolley ban in place on the day of the match, the visiting Team Captain must be informed as soon as possible
· A trolley ban is no excuse for cancelling a match unless both Team Captains are in agreement and a suitable replay date is available and can be arranged immediately. This will also apply if there is a partial ban in place (ie no electric).
· Caddies are not allowed in the event of a full or partial trolley ban.
· If a club has a policy that only trolleys with 'winter wheels' are allowed, then the visiting opponents must be informed in advance and the home club should make an equal number of 'winter wheel' trolleys available to the visiting team as they have available for themselves
R14 - Buggies
· Buggies and ride on scooters will be permitted if the course where the match is to be played allows their use and only in line with the current England Golf Transportation Policy (see R1)
· Team Captains who have a player who requires assistance with mobility around the course must inform the CPM in advance of the match and also the opposing Team Captain
· The CPM may request sight of a medical certificate or doctor's note to confirm the need for such assistance
R15 - More than One Course
· Where a club has more than one 18 hole course, the Team Captain must inform the opposing Team Captain in advance on which course the match is to be played
· The course selected at the beginning of the competition should be used throughout the competition
· Should there be a change or a dispute due to weather conditions or course usage, both the CPM and the opposing Captain should be contacted to gain approval before the match takes place
R16 - Courtesy Practice Rounds
· Clubs are not expected to give courtesy practice rounds for Pearson matches
· The Pearson Management Committee has no jurisdiction over clubs about the cost or availability of practice rounds
R17 - Distance measuring Devices
· These are permitted under R and A Rule 4
R 18 - Arriving at a Group or Knockout stage winner
· The highest number of team matches won shall decide winners of divisions or sub-divisions. Ties will then be decided by the highest numbers of games won and a further tie by the numbers of points won eg
- Win by 6 and 4 = 6 points to winner
- Win by 2 holes = 2 points to winner
- Win beyond 18th hole =1 point to winner
- Disqualification or walkover = 1 point to winner
R19 - Caddies
· Caddies are permitted in the County and Inter County Finals only. R and A rule 10.3 will apply and should be referred to in advance
· Players may not engage a professional, assistant professional or coach as a caddy
· Caddies will be allowed onto the greens but must not delay or put off the opponent in any way
R20 - Trophy
· The County Cup/Trophy and the Inter County Pearson Trophy shall be held by the winning team for one year
· The winning club is responsible for its safekeeping and insurance during this time
· The winning club is responsible for engraving the trophy. The cost for this will be reimbursed from County Funds.
Finals
The County Finals shall be played by 30 June. The Inter County Finals shall be played by 31 July and will be played on a course in each county by rotation, the date and course being agreed annually by the Pearson Management Committee. The venue will not be changed should the home team qualify. The Finals will be a knockout tournament, the order of play being decided by a draw. Once a clear result has been reached, unfinished matches will be called in.
Disclaimer
The Pearson Management Committee and the County Pearson Managers will consider issues that may arise from time to time in the running of the competition which are not explicitly covered by these Rules and Regulations. The decision made will be final.
Updated July 2020
