SGA PACE OF PLAY POLICY
GENERAL
1. The Singapore Golf Association endorses both forms of Pace of Play policy “The Group Pace of Play Policy” and “The Individual Pace of Play Policy”. The decision to use either form of pace of play policy shall be made by the Tournament Committee and would either be in the Conditions of Competition and/or in a Notice to Players and/or posted on the Official Notice Board
GROUP PACE OF PLAY POLICY (STROKE PLAY ONLY)
2. The maximum time allowed for the round shall be decided by the Tournament Committee. The hole by hole allotted time is provided on the Official Notice Board and/or in the Notice to Competitors.
3. The Singapore Golf Association Group Pace of Play policy leaves the responsibility for maintaining the pace of play where it belongs, with the players. The first group in the field should play efficient golf. The following group should keep up with the group in front of them.
4. There will be time-keepers present on the 4th, 9th, 13th and 18th hole with whom players can check on their pace.
5. The first group in the field must complete play at the 9th hole and 18th hole no later than the time established by the Tournament Committee. Subsequent groups are held to the same standard. If they are unable to meet the prescribed standard due to slow play ahead of them they will be considered to have met the standard if they complete play at the 9th hole and 18th hole within the time established by the Committee and/or any mitigating circumstances that may have held them back. A group is considered to have completed the play of a hole when all players in the group have holed out and the flagstick is replaced in the holes.
6. Subsequent groups, other than the lead group, will be deemed to be OUT OF POSITION when the group is behind on their allotted time. Upon completing the 9th or 18th hole everyone in the group, are liable to a pace of play penalty assessed to them if the group is behind their allotted time and no mitigating circumstances exist. Pace of play penalties are to be added to the score on the 9th or 18th hole. The tournament officials or rules officials will notify players officially on this if a penalty is assessed. No notice or warnings are required to be given to players with this pace of policy at the intermediate checkpoints but officials will endeavor to do so at check points on the 4th and 13th hole advising that the group may be liable to slow play penalty at the 9th or 18th hole.
OUT OF POSITION
7. If the lead group is behind its expected time after completing the intermediate check point, the group may be advised that they are liable to a penalty if they fail to complete the first nine holes in their expected time.
8. If they pass the second intermediate check point, behind their expected time, the group may be advised that they are liable to penalty if they do not complete the round within their expected time. If they have had a penalty on the first nine holes and again fail to complete the round of eighteen holes within their expected time, a two stroke penalty will be added to their score on the finishing hole. A group may appeal in the scoring area before submitting their scorecards.
9. If any subsequent group completes the intermediate checkpoint behind its expected time the group is liable to a penalty if they fail to complete the first nine on their expected time.
10. If they pass the second intermediate check point, behind their expected time they are liable to a slow play penalty if they do not complete the round within their expected time. If they have had a penalty on the first nine holes and again fail to complete the round of eighteen holes within their expected time, a two stroke penalty shall be added to their score on the finishing hole. A group may appeal in the scoring area before submitting their scorecards.
Note: Officials would attempt to inform players that they are behind on their pace of play and may be liable to penalties should they fail to meet the expected time when they complete the nine holes or complete the round. However, penalties on the 9th or 18th hole may be assessed even if no notice or warnings have been given to the group at the intermediate checkpoints. A group that receives a penalty on the first nine holes is not absolved from penalty unless an appeal is made and the tournament committee upholds the appeal.
11. In the Note to Players, the allotted time on a hole by hole basis will be provided on the Official Notice Board. These times are adjusted based on the difficulty of the course and the ability of the field. They include time to search for lost balls and deal with other common occurrences encountered during play. A normal speed of play should result in completing play before the time indicated. If a group falls behind, they are expected to play efficient golf and make up the lost time. This might mean playing ready golf i.e. playing out of turn, which is allowed in stroke play.
12. It is the PLAYERS’ RESPONSIBILITY to know their group’s position relative to the published Pace of Play and to ensure they play within the published limits. Failure to play within the Pace of Play guidelines will result in a Pace of Play penalty unless players appeal and the Committee upholds their appeal.
13. A player concerned about a slow player(s) in his group should first speak with the player(s) and encourage them to play more efficiently. Then, the concerned player may, before or after penalties are assessed, ask to have the group monitored. The individual player does not have to be identified; the request just needs to be made. At some point during the stipulated round, the group will be monitored. If a player is identified as holding up the pace of the group, penalties may be applied to that player and rescinded from the others.
APPEAL PROCESS
14. Pace of Play penalties may be appealed to the Committee and must be made before scorecards are signed and returned. In order for an appeal to be considered, there must have been an action by the Committee e.g. waiting for a rules official to arrive for a ruling, a circumstance beyond the player’s control, or some similar occurrence that contributed to the delay, such as an action by an individual member of the group. If a group receives a penalty for exceeding the pace of play for each nine, both penalties may be appealed, however, each appeal must be made and handled separately. Each appeal may result in a one-step reduction of a penalty (i.e., three strokes to one stroke then one stroke to no penalty, but not three strokes to no penalty).
PENALTIES FOR BREACH OF PACE OF PLAY POLICY
15. 1st Breach of the Pace of Play Policy – One Stroke Penalty.
16. 2nd Breach of the Pace of Play Policy – Two Stroke Penalty.
17. The maximum penalty per round of 18 holes is 3 Strokes.
INDIVIDUAL PACE OF PLAY POLICY (MATCH AND STROKE PLAY)
1. In the absence of mitigating circumstances, a group is liable to be timed if they are in excess of the time allowed and in the case of the second or subsequent groups, “out of position’.
TIME ALLOWED
2. Each hole has been given a maximum completion time based on the length, the difficulty of the hole and the ability of the field. The maximum time allowed for the completion of a round of 18 holes shall be made available to the players prior to play or posted on the Official Notice Board.
DEFINITION OF “OUT OF POSITION”
3. The first group and any group after a starter’s gap (if it is in place) shall be considered to be ‘out of position’ if, at any time during the round, the group’s cumulative time exceeds the time allowed for the number of holes completed. Any following groups shall be considered ‘out of position’ if they are more than the starting interval behind the group in front and has exceeded the time allowed for the number of hole played.
PROCEDURE WHEN GROUP IS OUT OF POSITION
4. If a decision is taken to time the group, each player in the group shall be subject to individual timing by a referee. Each player in the group shall be advised that they are ‘out of position’ and are being timed.
5. The maximum time allocated per shot is 40 seconds. An additional 10 seconds are allowed for the first player to play:
- On a Par 3 Hole;
- An Approach Shot;
- A Chip or Putt.
6. The timing shall start from the moment it is deemed by the Referee or Official that it is the player’s turn to play.
7. The timing shall cease when the group is back in position and players shall be advised accordingly.
Note: In some circumstances, an individual player or two players within a group of three may be timed instead of the entire group.
Exception: If a group reaches the tee of a par 3 hole before the group in front has teed off the next teeing ground, clears the tee of a par 4 hole before the preceding group clears the putting green or arrives at the teeing ground of a par 5 hole when the preceding group is on the putting green.
PROCEDURE WHEN GROUP IS AGAIN OUT OF POSITION DURING THE SAME ROUND
8. If a group is ‘out of position’ more than once during a round, the above procedure shall apply in each occasion. Bad times in the same round shall be carried forward until the round is completed. A player shall not be penalised if he has a second bad time before being advised of the player’s earlier bad time.
PENALTIES FOR BREACH OF CONDITION
9. 1st Bad Time
a. Player shall be warned by the referee or official that if he/she has a further bad time he/she shall be penalised.
10. 2nd Bad Time
- Stroke Play – Penalty of 1 stroke
- Match Play – Loss of Hole
11. 3rd Bad Time
- Stroke Play – Further penalty of 2 strokes
- Match Play – Loss of Hole
12. 4th Bad Time
- Stroke Play – Disqualification
- Match Play – Disqualification
SGA – Mar 2019
