About the Tour

Welcome to the amateur golf tour that treats you like a pro.

From the competition to the hospitality, the mission of the GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Golf Tour of Kansas City is to provide amateur golfers a professionally organized format in order to compete at the highest possible level.  As a member of the Kansas City Amateur Golf Tour, it is your responsibility to know the rules and policies for participating on the tour.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our office.  These rules, policies and codes can be amended at anytime by the Kansas City Amateur Golf Tour.   

 

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Dress Code and Player Conduct
The AAGT will strictly enforce a tournament dress code with no exceptions. Collared shirts/mock turtle necks are required, and no jeans, denims, jogging outfits, or sweat pants are permitted. Shorts may be worn, but must be within five inches of the knee. The AAGT will not tolerate swearing, vulgar language, club throwing, alcohol abuse, lack of golfing etiquette, or other such behavior. Such conduct will result in tournament disqualification and suspension or expulsion from the Tour. Cell phones, beepers, radios, iPods, portable electronic devices, training aids and other such devices are prohibited during play.

 

You should have a good understanding of the USGA Rules of Golf which governs play on the tour. 

 

Membership Fees

The cost of membership on the GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour is $199 for new members.   Potential members can sign up for the tour on the official website at www.GolfChannel.com/amateurtour.  AAGT member benefits include, but is not limited to; a membership pack (typical items include a tour branded golf hat, golf shirt, memorabilia, handicap service, etc and are subject to change from season to season), on-line handicapping service and other items that may be added at a later point in time. The Tour also provides members with timely updated statistical information such as member handicap, driving accuracy, G.I.R., driving distance, putts per round, scoring average, etc. Membership to the tour includes the ability to play in any Tour Event across the country. 

 

Event Registration
Only Tour members and guests of KCAGT officials can participate in KCAGT events.  All entries must be received prior to the entry deadline.  Players can register for an event online, or by calling the Tour Director.  Some events may have a limitation on the number of entries, and therefore they will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis. Any tour member can compete in as many events as he/she wishes but for purposes of qualifying for the national championship, can only accumulate points for the same number of events as on his/her local schedule (local schedule includes the regional major events for that region.  For example, a member can play 25 events around the country, but if the local schedule has 12 events, only points from his/her top 12 events will be counted towards winning his/her local flight to qualify for post-season play. 

 

Entry fees will be inclusive of all assessed fees that include green fees, cart, range balls and prize pool.

 

Prizes

A portion of each player’s entry fee is used to generate each flight prize pool. The prize certificates value at each event will be established prior to such event based on participation. The prize pool may vary slightly the day of the event due to late entries or withdrawals. In order to abide by the guidelines for amateur status put forth by the USGA, no single prize awarded will exceed $750 in value. Under no circumstances will cash awards be distributed.

 

   Tournament Application & Payment Policy

Each player shall be responsible for submitting the required tournament fee for each individual tournament. Each tournament fee is to be paid by the entry deadline of any given event . Withdrawal from any event must be done prior to the entry deadline 48 hours in advance of the tournament or there can be no refund. Should a player on the event waiting list be able to fill the position of the withdrawn player, the withdrawn player will receive credit towards the next event of the entry fee already paid.  It will be assumed that a member is not participating in a tournament if the entry fee is not submitted on time or that the local director is not notified by another means. Payments should be submitted via the website using a credit card but could be paid in other means (check, money order). Any returned check shall be subject to a $25.00 handling fee. In the event a member’s entry is received after the deadline, the Tour Director may add a $20.00 late fee to the entry fee amount. Depending on when the late entry is received, a member’s participation may be denied if adequate space is not available in the field.

Tournament Administration
KCAGT Tour Officials will be on site at every tournament to handle player registration/check-in, provide assistance, handle scoring/prize pools, monitor the pace of play and make rulings. Any Tour Official may assess penalty strokes for rules infractions or slow play. All decisions made by the KCAGT Tour Committee will be final.

Check-In and Starting
All Tour players must personally check-in at least 30 minutes at the check-in table prior to the assigned tee times and be at their starting point no less than 10 minutes prior to the assigned tee time. Failure to do so may result in a player forfeiting his tee time. If a player is not at the starting point, ready to play, at the assigned starting time, he is in a breach of Rule 6-3 (USGA Rule 6-3 a. Time of Starting: The player must start at the time established by the Committee.  Note: The Committee may provide in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1) that, if the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play instead of disqualification). However, the AAGT at its sole discretion may attempt to accommodate such player with a later starting time and possibly an assessment of a stroke penalty.

Tee Times
Tour events will typically utilize tee times with occasional shotguns (depending on the course and field size). Pairings will be available on the Tour Web site prior to the event. Pairings are subject to change anytime prior to the event.

Golf Carts and Driving Range

A majority of AAGT event fees will include the shared-use of golf cart and range balls. Players must follow cart rules established by the golf course and make arrangements directly with the course if an additional cart is required or desired for spectators or caddies, based on availability.

 

On Course Rules

All play will be governed by the current Rules of Golf as set forth by the USGA. The Tournament Committee will provide an event rules sheet containing local rules and those rules will govern play for that tournament. Typically, the one-ball rule will not be in effect during play. If there is any confusion of a particular ruling during play, and a Tour Official is not accessible, the player is to enter a second ball into play per Rule 3.3. The player then plays both balls throughout the hole, keeping separate scores and then brings the situation to the Rules Committee at the end of the round for a ruling prior to signing his/her scorecard.

 

Spectators and Caddies

The AAGT permits spectators and caddies at all of its events subject to course restrictions. Caddies are the responsibility of the associated player and are requested to practice proper golf etiquette while on the course. If there is an issue with the behavior of a spectator(s), caddie(s), the individual(s) will be asked to leave the premises. Per Rule 6.1, the player incurs the applicable penalty for any breach of a rule by his caddie, including unsportsmanlike conduct.

 

Scorecards
Each golfer is responsible for the correctness of his/her scorecard even though a fellow competitor will be marking the scores on each hole. Each scorecard must be signed by the marker and attested by the player. In attesting the scorecard, the player is stating that the score for each individual hole during the round is correct. Players are not responsible for the accuracy of the total round score.

 

Players must exchange their scorecards with another player in the group. The other player or Marker should not be a playing partner riding in the same cart.  A separate area (tear-off strip at bottom of card) is provided to allow each player to keep his or her own score. There will also be an area to track Fairways hit, GIR and total putts, this is not mandatory, but is available.  Each player and Marker must sign the scorecard in the designated area on the card attesting that each hole score is correct.  At the end of the round, use the tear-off strip to check the accuracy of your own official card. Each player must sign their card and each “Marker” must sign their card as well.

 

If, during the course of play, a situation arises that requires a ruling and an official is not available, the player shall confer with the others in the group. The members should attempt to make a reasonable ruling at that time. If a consensus cannot be reached, the player shall play two balls through the hole in accordance with Rule 3.3 and keep score for both balls. The situation in question must be submitted to the Tournament Committee for an official (final) ruling prior to the signing of the scorecard.

 

If a player submits a scorecard that has not been signed or submits a signed card with a lower score on a particular hole than the actual score, the player will be disqualified from that event. If a player submits a signed card with a higher score on a particular hole than the actual score, the higher score will be posted. Players are only responsible for the score on each hole and not the total score (math).

 

All scorecards should be reviewed and signed at the “scoring table" In an effort to equitably resolve any scoring disputes all players in a pairing must submit their scorecards at the same time to the scorer's area immediately upon completion of play and each player must be available for a reasonable amount of time afterwards to answer questions by the Tournament Committee in the event that a ruling is required.

 

 

In an effort to equitably resolve any scoring disputes all players in a pairing must submit their scorecards at the same time to the scorer's area immediately upon completion of play and each player must be available for a reasonable amount of time afterwards to answer questions by the Tournament Committee in the event that a ruling is required. Any protests need to be made to a Tournament Official as soon as possible after an incident occurs so that a proper ruling can be made in a timely fashion. Once the scoreboard has posted a score it shall be considered final and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

 

Pace of Play Policy

If a group is out of position due to slow play, a Tour Official will advise the group to step up play. If the group pace does not gain pace within a timely manner, Tour Officials have the right to make an adjustment to try and correct the problem. The number one rule of thumb is: Keep Up with the group in front of you!

 

 As a rule of thumb,  a group is out of position if it:

 

(a) is more than twelve minutes behind the group in front or

(b) fails to clear the tee of a par 4 before the preceding group clears the putting green, or arrives at the teeing ground of a par 5 when the preceding group is on the green.

 

A variety of methods may be used to define an acceptable pace of play in accordance with Note 2 to Rule 6.7. The method in effect for a tournament should be listed in the Notice to Competitors.  Regardless of method used should a group have trouble maintaining an acceptable pace of play, it may be put on ‘Official Warning’. Once a group is on Official Warning the following procedure must be followed: 1) Group shall play ready golf, foregoing honors. 2) Group shall use continuous putting while on the green.  Each player shall hole out prior to the next player starting to putt (if possible). 3) The group has 20 minutes to get back in position.

 

Once a group as been put on Official Warning, individual members of the group are subject to being timed. Any contestant in a group out of position who takes more than 35 seconds to play a stroke on one occasion will be informed as soon as practicable that he has one bad time.  If he exceeds 35 seconds on one more occasion (a total of two timings exceeding 35 seconds), he will be informed as soon as practicable that he has been penalized one stroke.

 

If he exceeds 35 seconds on one more occasion (a total of three timings exceeding 35 seconds), he will be informed as soon as practicable that he has been penalized an additional two strokes.  Any contestant who takes more than 35 seconds to play a stroke on one more occasion (a total of four timings exceeding 35 seconds) will be informed as soon as practicable that he has been disqualified.

 

The timing of a contestant’s stroke will begin when he has had reasonable opportunity to reach his ball, it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction.  Except on the putting green, if a contestant has reached his ball, it is his turn to play and there are no distractions, timing will begin after he has had reasonable time to select his club.  Time spent walking backward or forward for determining yardage will count as part of the time taken for the next stroke.

To avoid undue delay in returning to the tee in the event a ball is thought lost or out of bounds, play a provisional ball (under USGA Rule 27-2) before proceeding to the determined location of the first ball. WHEN IN DOUBT, PLAY A PROVISIONAL! This will dramatically decrease the pace of play and eliminate the need to drive back to the tee and re-play a lost ball.

 

Inclement Weather

The delaying or canceling of an event due to inclement weather will be determined by the host facility. In the event of a cancellation the Tour will try and re-schedule the event date within the seasonal timeframe.  Any partial cancellation refunds or credits will be determined based on the policies of the host facility where players may then apply the credit towards a future scheduled event or request a full refund to be received by mail. If the course becomes unplayable during the play of a single day, two-day or Tour Championship event, the event may be shortened to a nine-hole (single day), 18 to 27-hole (two-day), or 72 to 54/63-hole tournament if a flight has completed nine holes. In most cases, cash refunds are unavailable due to course policies. The AAGT will provide each player with rainchecks, monetary refunds if available, or credit towards future events as soon as the course has refunded the local Tournament Director. If inclement weather strikes during an event, all players are encouraged to continue play unless told to stop by tour officials or course management.