RULES OF PLAY:
Players should play at a prompt pace throughout the round. Players are both allowed and encouraged to play ‘ready golf’ in a safe and responsible way (Rule 6.4b) and should make a stroke in no more than 40 seconds (Rule 5.6b)
Maximum allowable time is the maximum time considered by the Committee for a group to complete its round. This will be expressed by a per-hole and aggregate time format on the player’s scorecard.
For all individual stroke play events with tee times, the WGAWP will designate (3) holes on the course as pace of play checkpoint holes; primarily holes 6 – 12 – 18. A checkpoint hole is complete when the ball of the last player in the group to hole out has been removed from the hole. When a group is “out of position” they will be notifiedand served a Red Card by a Tournament Official.
“Out of position” is defined when it:
• Takes more than the maximum allowable time to finish a checkpoint hole and
• Completes play of the checkpoint hole more than 14 minutes after the group in front of them.
Any group that is “out of position” will be “on the clock” by a Tournament Official who will individually time strokes made by a player(s). When “on the clock” a player who exceeds 40 seconds on shots and/or lingers between holes is considered to be delaying play. Except on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke begins when it is the player’s turn to play without interference or distraction. Time spent determining yardage and other conditions count in the 40 seconds. On the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke begins when it’s the players turn to play without interference and distraction and after a player has completed the actions allowed under Rule 13-1 (mark, lift, clean and replace ball / repair damage and remove debris). Time spent surveying the line of play counts in the allotted 40 seconds. Any player(s) concerned about another player(s) in the group should request a Tournament Official to monitor the group.
It is the group’s responsibility to ‘close the gap’ before the next checkpoint. The Red Card will be retrieved when the group is within the Pace of Play
Penalties
1st missed Checkpoint – Warning / Red Card
2nd missed Checkpoint – 1 stroke penalty
3rd missed Checkpoint – 2 stroke penalty
If a group misses multiple checkpoints but finishes the round under the maximum allowable time, the player(s) is still liable to penalty. Any penalty strokes that are applied to a player(s) scorecard are applied on the checkpoint hole(s) where they became liable to penalty.