Tournament Format & Rules

1. Entry fee includes green fees.
2. Players must not ride on any form of transportation during a round unless authorized by the Committee. Penalty: two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred; maximum per round: four strokes. Use of any unauthorized form of transportation must be discontinued immediately upon discovery. Otherwise, the player is disqualified.
3. During the competition, a player may obtain distance information by use of a distance-measuring device. If during a round, a player uses a distance-measuring device to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g., elevation changes, wind speed, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 14-3.
4. In the event a second qualifying course is used, course assignments will be made by blind draw when necessary. No player is guaranteed his choice of course.
5. If one of the final two rounds is rained out or canceled, the Tournament Committee will decide what course of action to follow.
6. In the event of a tie, the championship will be decided in a hole-by-hole sudden-death playoff, beginning on the hole designated by the Tournament Committee.
7. All contestants are required to wear proper attire. Cut-offs and tank tops are expressly prohibited. Penalty: disqualification.
8. All contestants and their caddies are prohibited from possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages during the stipulated round. Penalty: disqualification.
9. All contestants are expected to play without undue delay and to complete each 18-hole round within 4 1/2 hours. Penalties for violations during a round: first offense, warning; second offense, one stroke; third offense, additional two strokes; subsequent offense, disqualification.
10. Tournament Committee may use its discretion as to proof of residency.
11. For players making the final two rounds, a practice round at the courses in play may be arranged by calling the pro shops. These are usually held on designated dates that will be publicized on the tournament website.
12. The champion and runner-up will receive trophies. In the event of ties for second, all runners-up will receive trophies. Other Top 10 finishers will receive plaques. Players shooting low rounds at the courses in play will receive mementos.
13. The competition will be deemed to have closed when the championship trophy has been awarded.
14. Requests for pairings or preferred starting times in the qualifying or tournament rounds will not be honored.
15. The City Tournament Committee will make the final determination on any unusual or unforeseen occurrence both before and during the tournament.

All competitors are expected to play in the spirit of the game by:
Acting with integrity by following the Rules, applying all penalties and being honest in all aspects of play.
Showing consideration to others by playing at a prompt pace, looking out for the safety of others and not distracting the play of another player.
Taking good care of the course by replacing divots, smoothing bunkers, repairing ball marks and not causing unnecessary damage to the course.
In accordance with Rule 1.2b of the Rules of Golf, the tournament committee has adopted as a Local Rule the following standards of player conduct.

Examples of Unacceptable Behavior:

• Audible obscenity, such as using language that is commonly known to be obscene, profane, or vulgar, and that is spoken loudly enough to be heard by spectators, volunteers and referees or officials.
• Visible obscenity, such as making signs or gestures by a player with his hands that commonly have an obscene meaning.
• Abuse of player equipment, such as violently and intentionally throwing or kicking a club in anger without regard for the consequences, or violently and deliberately destroying or damaging clubs or a golf bag.
• Abuse of the golf course, such as deliberately damaging a playing surface through unnecessary force or a swing or repeated swings with a club.
  Abuse of event property, such as intentionally and violently destroying a tee marker, water cooler, or event signage.
• Failing to be honest, such as deliberately providing incorrect, misleading, or untruthful information to a referee.
• Verbal abuse, such as making comments that are derogatory, insulting, or abusive to anyone associated with the competition, including but not limited to other players, caddies, spectators, volunteers, referees, or other event personnel.
• Physical abuse, such as the unauthorized touching, pushing or striking of anyone associated with the competition.
• Failing to show proper consideration and respect for others associated with the competition.
  Violation of the USGA policy on gambling.
• Consumption of alcoholic beverages or illicit drugs during a tournament round.
  Failure to observe policies of host clubs.Failure to adhere to the dress code of the host facility and the tournament:
  • Hats/visors must be worn with the brim forward.
  • Tank tops, T-shirts, denim shorts, jeans, gym shorts, sweatpants are prohibited.

Any other conduct deemed to be unacceptable may be disciplined at the sole discretion of the tournament committee.

Misconduct Breach Procedure

Any allegation of a breach of this Code shall be reported to any member of the Romain Cadillac City Tournament Rules Committee. If a breach is determined to have occurred, application of penalties will be at the sole discretion of the Rules Committee.

As guiding parameters, such determinations will be based on the following non-exhaustive list of factors:

• Frequency – Was the action an isolated incident or did it occur on multiple occasions?
• Competition Impact – Did the action affect the competition? Who was affected, and what was the consequence of the action?
• Intent – Was the action accidental, negligent, or deliberate?
• Severity – Where an action caused damage, what was the extent of the damage? Did the act place another person or persons at risk of injury?

Penalty Structure; Application of Penalties

a. After considering the factors set forth above, the Tournament Director and Rules Committee may assess any or all of the sanctions detailed below:

• Official Warning
• General Penalty (2 strokes in stroke play)
• Disqualification
  Note: Based on the severity of the misconduct, the Committee has the authority to bypass a warning or disqualify a player under Rule 1.2b.

b. Breaches of this Code will be carried forward to later rounds in the Tournament, allowing for escalating penalties for multiple breaches. For example, where a first breach during round 1 results in an Official Warning, should a second misconduct breach occur during any subsequent round, the player will incur a General Penalty (2-strokes) or Disqualification, depending on the details of the second breach.
c. Under Rule 10.3c of the Rules of Golf, this Code also applies to a player’s caddie. Any breach of this Code by a player’s caddie may result in a penalty on the player.
d. If a breach happens between the play of two holes, the penalty applies to the next hole.
e. If the Tournament Director and/or Tournament committee determines that a player (or their caddie) has breached this Code, the player will be informed of the breach as soon as practicable by a member of the Rules Committee.

Entries are open to male amateur players who are residents of Vanderburgh, Posey, Warrick or Gibson counties as of June 1. Entries are subject to approval or rejection at any time (either before or after qualifying or during the championship) at the discretion of the screening committee of the City Tournament. Grounds for rejection may include unbecoming conduct. Entries will not be accepted without fee. No phone entries.

In determining the residency of a player, the screening committee, in its sole discretion, will consider the player’s primary residence and all other relevant factors. A player who meets at least three of the following criteria will have a strong, but not guaranteed, presumption of eligibility:

a.)    Is qualified to vote in local and state elections in the four-county area.
b.)    Pays Indiana income taxes, including through withholding.
c.)    Has an Indiana driver’s license with an address in the four-county area.
d.)    Owns a vehicle registered in one of the four counties.
e.)    Can prove he has lived in the four-county area since January 1.

Rules for Students: A student who is claimed as a dependent on his parents’ or legal guardian’s income tax is deemed to be a resident of the same county and state in which his parents or legal guardian reside. If the parents meet the above eligibility criteria, a dependent student will be considered to meet the criteria.  A student who is not claimed as a dependent is required to meet the above residency requirements.

To withdraw from the tournament, please contact the City Tournament Committee by the registration deadline to receive a full refund of your entry fee. Any withdrawal request made after that date will not be eligible for a refund.

As a general rule, players must walk the course at the Men’s City Golf Tournament and qualifying rounds (“Tournament”). Consistent with the Americans with disabilities Act (“ADA”), a disabled player may be permitted to use a golf cart as an accommodation to his disability. As required by the ADA, the Tournament Committee (“Committee”) will evaluate such requests on a case-by-case basis.

If a player is permitted to use a golf cart, the following restrictions will apply:
1) Only one person may ride in a cart.
2) The player’s clubs may not be carried in a cart driven by him unless he has no caddie.
3) The cart driver must abide by all of the cart rules at the host golf facility, such as rules relating to cart fees, rules restricting where carts may be driven, and rules relating the minimum age required for cart drivers.

In order for the Committee to properly evaluate the merits of such requests while maintaining the fundamental fairness of the golf competition, it is necessary for players requesting this accommodation to submit medical documentation. This documentation must explain: 1) a player’s disability as defined by the ADA (temporary conditions may not be covered), and 2) the medical need for the golf cart that results from the disability. The committee will use this information to insure that granting an accommodation will not give the player an advantage over the other competitors.

The required documentation should take the form of a report from the physician who has evaluated the player’s condition. The information contained in the report should include:
1) The name of the disability,
2) The extent of the disability,
3) The prognosis for improvement,
4) The current objective abnormalities and how they impede upon the player’s ability to walk in general and during a golf tournament,
5) How far the player is able to walk without stopping,
6) What prohibits the player from walking further,
7) How long the player is able to stand, and,
8) Whether the player uses ambulatory aids and if so, the length of time and circumstances under which these aides are used.

This documentation must be provided to the Committee prior to the expiration of the time to submit entries to the Tournament. If the Committee denies the cart request, the player may withdraw from the Tournament if he wishes, and if he does so within 48 hours of notification of the denial, he will receive a full refund of his entry fee.
Except for minors, all requests for golf carts must be made by the player. For minors, only parents or legally-appointed guardians may submit a request for a golf cart.

Transportation for Disabled Spectators at the Men’s City Golf Tournament
As a general rule, carts will not be rented or provided to spectators. If requested by a disabled spectator, transportation will be provided to and from a viewing location selected by the Committee. Click here to contact the Committee.