Competition & Events

The Darwin Golf Club offers a variety of competitions for golfers of all skill levels. These include weekly competitions on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, monthly medal events, and major tournaments such as the NT Amateur and the Darwin Open.

Competition fields are always closed to social play. Only players with an official and current GA Handicap and/or Darwin Golf Club members submitting a score to be handicapped are permitted to play in competition fields. All handicapping of members and competition guests will be carried out in accordance with the procedures laid down in the handicapping rules of Golf Australia.

The club also hosts corporate and charity events, as well as inter-club competitions with other golf clubs in the area. The club encourages players of all abilities to participate in the competitions.

Handicaps

MEN: Handicap limit is 27 for all championship events (other than Club Championships). Handicaps are capped at 36 for any other competition. Where championship events and competitions are played in grades, the grades shall be as follows:

A GRADE: Scratch or better to 12 (inclusive)

B GRADE: 13 to 18 (inclusive)

C GRADE: 19 to 27 (inclusive)

WOMEN: Handicap limit is 36 for all championship events (other than Club Championships). Handicaps are capped at 45 for any other competition. Where championship events and competitions are played in grades, the grades shall be as follows:

A GRADE: Scratch or better to 18 (inclusive)

B GRADE: 19 to 29 (inclusive)

C GRADE: 30 to 45 (inclusive)

DIVISIONS: Where competitions are played in divisions the handicaps shall be subject to the discretion of Match Committee.

MEN:

A DIVISION: Scratch or better to 14 (inclusive)

B DIVISION: 15 to 36 (inclusive)

WOMEN:

A DIVISION: Scratch or better to 22 (inclusive)

B DIVISION: 23 to 45 (inclusive)

Grade and Division Handicaps shall be subject to the discretion of the Match Committee in preparation of an event.

HANDICAPS FOR PARTICULAR COMPETITIONS (18 HOLES):

• Full handicaps Shall be used for all Stroke, Stableford and Par events.

• 1/2 Aggregate Shall be used for all Handicaps Stroke Foursomes.

• 3/8 Aggregate Shall be used for American, Handicaps Canadian and Chapman Foursomes.

• 1/10 Aggregate Shall be used for 6 person Handicaps Ambrose events of 18 holes.

• 1/8 Aggregate Shall be used for 4 person Handicaps Ambrose events of 18 holes.

• 1/6 Aggregate Shall be used for 3 person Handicaps Ambrose events of 18 holes.

• 1/4 Aggregate Shall be used for 2 person Handicaps Ambrose events of 18 holes.

HANDICAP MATCHPLAY:

MEN AND WOMEN: The player on the lowest handicap plays from scratch and his opponent’s handicap is reduced by the same amount of strokes. Strokes are then taken in accordance with the match index provided by the Pro Shop.

FOUR BALL BEST BALL MATCH PLAY:

MEN AND WOMEN: The player on the lowest handicap plays from scratch and all other players’ handicaps are reduced by the same amount of strokes. Strokes are then taken in accordance with the match index.

PAR AND STABLEFORD COMPETITIONS: When a player has exhausted the number of strokes available at a particular hole to secure a half OR a point pick up his ball – DO NOT CONTINUE TO PUTT OUT.

COMPETITION INFORMATION HOURS OF PLAY:

Hours of competition play shall be as determined by the Match Committee which shall be varied as required. All competition shall conform to the following schedule unless varied by the Match Committee:-

THURSDAYS, SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS: 0700 ‑ 0900 1130 ‑ 1330 *THE TIMES ABOVE ARE ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MATCH COMMITTEE

COUNTBACK RULE: In the event of a tie in a championship event the winner shall be decided by a SUDDEN DEATH PLAY-OFF as determined by the Match/Tournament Committee. In the event of a tie for RUNNER-UP, the runner-up will be decided by the Australian Countback System shown hereunder: 7

If a Tie still exists a countback is then made backwards from the last hole until one player is found to have a lesser stroke score than his opponent.

FOURSOMES COMPETITIONS:

• Stroke – Players tee off on alternative tees and play alternative shots.

• Canadian – Each player tees off then select one ball and play alternatively.

• Chapman – Each player tees off and then plays his own tee shot and then they select one ball and play alternative shots.

• American – Each player shall tee off then play his partner’s tee shot and they then select one ball and play alternative shots.

AMBROSE COMPETITIONS:

The Royal and Ancient Rules of golf will govern all competition with the exception of any local rules of play.

TEE SHOTS – On every hole, each member of the team may hit a tee shot. The team then selects one of the tee shots from which to play. All members of the team may then hit in any order from that position. This procedure is repeated until the ball is holed. Unless otherwise stated in the rules of the Ambrose competition, each team member must contribute a minimum number of tee shots;

8 Person Ambrose; 2 tee shots

6 Person Ambrose; 2 tee shots

4 Person Ambrose; 3 tee shots

2 Person Ambrose; 6 tee shots

SELECTED SHOT – The position of the selected shot is marked. Each member may then place their ball within one club length of the marked position, no nearer the hole, and play from this position. If the selected shot is in the rough or a bunker you must place in the rough or the bunker within one club length. In a bunker the sand may be raked prior to playing the ball.

ON THE PUTTING GREEN – The position of the selected putt is marked. Other team members may then place their ball within one putter head (10cm) of the marked position and putt from this position. Once the ball is holed out no further strokes count.

MEN’S HANDICAP IMPROVEMENT TROPHY: Presented to the member who has the greatest reduction in handicap.

AUDREY KENNON HANDICAP IMPROVEMENT TROPHY: Presented to the female member who has the greatest reduction in handicap.

MONTHLY MEDALS AND MEDAL OF MEDALS: Separate monthly medals and medal of medals competitions will be run for Midweek and Saturday/ Sundays.

All monthly medal winners qualify to play in the medal of medals competition conducted on a Thursday or Saturday/ Sunday in October.

MEN: For A, B and C grades, played over six (6) nominated rounds.

The winners of the six monthly medals play in a medal of medals event scheduled on a Sunday in October.

WOMEN: For A and B Divisions, played over six (6) nominated rounds.

The winners of the six monthly medals play in a medal of medals event scheduled on a Sunday in October.

ECLECTIC COMPETITIONS

MEN: Conducted over the medal rounds and Order of Merit rounds for A and B Division golfers. WOMEN: Conducted over the monthly medal rounds and Order of Merit rounds for both A and B Division golfers. SATURDAY AND MID-WEEK ECLECTICS ARE SEPARATE EVENTS.

PUTTING TROPHIES

MEN – PRESIDENT’S PUTTER

Presented to the Male member who have recorded the least number of putts from the best 5 of 6 nominated medal rounds.

WOMEN – THURSDAY PUTTING TROPHY WOMEN –

SATURDAY PUTTING TROPHY

Presented to the lady member who has recorded the least number of putts from the best 5 of 6 nominated monthly medal competitions conducted on Thursday/Saturday.

HOLE IN ONE TROPHY DGC

Voucher for $100.

EAGLE: 5 Balls