Rules And Information

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Welcome to the Blue Mash Tuesday 2-Player Team League! If you have decided to play in this league, you are making a 23-week commitment for the regular season and playoffs. Please plan your schedule accordingly out of respect and courtesy to other league members. Unless otherwise stipulated below, USGA Match Play rules will govern all league play. In addition, we expect the league members to abide by specific league and course rules. Below is a summary of our league rules for this season.

League Board

• The Blue Mash Tuesday League Board will consist of the following members for 2025: Chris Abel, Brian Thaler, and Mark Walters
• The Board will decide on all league structural changes, prize allocations, ruling disputes, and any other league matters where a league-wide vote would otherwise take place. The constituents of this Board may change from season to season.

Payment

• All players will pay an initial league fee of $150, which covers the prize pool for the season. This includes weekly event prizes, season prizes, and banquet costs.
• The weekly cost is $45 per player (Greens Fee) with an additional $5 if you choose to ride. Each player will receive a complimentary bucket of range balls prior to their round.

Season Schedule/Tee Times

• We will play tee times starting at 4:40pm each week and this may be shifted earlier due to daylight when we get to the end of the season. The final round of the playoffs will include a league banquet with a scramble for the teams that did not qualify for the finals.
• There will be 20 weeks to our regular season, this will span a time frame of April 22nd through September 2nd.
• Playoffs will be 3 weeks long with a League Banquet (End of Season Shotgun Event & Championship Match) on September 23rd.

Playoffs

• All six teams will make the Playoffs.
• Seeding for playoffs will be determined by regular season points. In the event of a two-team tie, the 1st tiebreaker will be the team with the better head-to-head match record between the two teams during the regular season.
• Any playoff match that results in a tie will require a sudden death tiebreaker, beginning with the first hole you played and proceeding from there. The tie will be broken by net best ball score only -- cumulative net strokes do not matter in the tiebreaker. The first team to win a hole with the better net best ball score wins the match.
• Substitutes will be permitted in any round of the playoffs, however playoff substitutes must have at least three eligible scores in the league handicap system from the current season of this league. In addition, a team may not use a league player from an eliminated team as a substitute for a playoff match.
• If there is any inclement weather during any week of the playoffs, we will attempt to make up that match prior to next week's matches. If that is not an option we may opt for a double-header in the following round, or push the entire playoffs back one week if possible.

Pre-Play/Warm-Up

• Pre-Play Warm-Ups: If you wish to arrive to the course earlier, before your match, pre-round practice will be limited to the Driving Range, Chipping & Putting Greens only. League members and subs are not permitted to play any part of the 18-hole course prior to their match -- the penalty for this infraction is a forfeit of the match.

Handicaps

• We use a modified version of the WHS Handicap System to maintain our 9-hole league handicaps.
• Handicaps will be updated weekly, and unless you played in the league in a previous season, your first match handicap will be based on the handicap you provided. If no handicap info is provided, you will play to a scratch (0 Handicap) until league scores are obtained.
• New players will receive an initial handicap index based on 10 simulated scores. Once the playoffs begin, the simulated scores will be removed.

Scoring

• All matches will use the GLS app for live scoring. If you cannot find any player in your group willing to use the app during the round, then you may keep score on a paper scorecard and then transfer those scores to the app after the round is completed.
• All match scoring will be based off the low handicap in the match, per USGA guidelines for match play.
• Each Match will award a total of 8 points: Each 3 hole mini-match will be scored according to most holes won (best ball) and low team cumulative net (2 points per match for a total of 6 points). In addition, 2 points will be awarded at the end of the round for total holes won and total team cumulative net.
• Tees: All men will play from the White tees by default and all women will play from the Red tees by default. Senior (60+) men may play from the Green tees and any other men may play from the Gold, Blue, or Hybrid tees as their default. However, this decision must be made early in the season and then remain fixed throughout the season (no switching tees back and forth each week based on your match opponents). Similarly, any females may play from the White or Green tees but again this decision must be made early in the season and remain fixed thereafter.

Pace of Play

• We will strive to keep our league matches in alignment with the pace that Blue Mash expects for a 9-hole round on the front nine. The following rules are designed to speed things up a bit.
  • The maximum score on each hole is net double par. For example, if a player does not receive any strokes on a par 5, then their max score for that hole is 10. If instead a player receives 1 stroke on a par 4, then their max score for that hole is 9 (net 8). Obviously you should try to complete each hole, but if you reach the max score please pick up to keep the pace moving. Any holes that are missed/skipped by a player will not count as the max score, but will simply count as an X on the scorecard. To enter an X score on the app, click the minus button until you see a red X for that player.
  • In regular season matches, all putts within the leather are gimmes and should be picked up. To determine if your putt is good, place your putter head (gently) into the cup and stretch your putter shaft toward your ball. If the ball lies in a position where the grip of your putter would touch it if you were to lay it down, then you can pick it up as a gimme. A more technical explanation: If your ball is closer to the hole than the distance from the bottom of your putter to the bottom of your putter's grip, then it is inside the leather.
  • In playoff matches, no putts are presumed good and it will be up to each group to determine how they want to handle gimmes. It's completely acceptable to require all putts to be holed in a playoff match.

Attendance

• Any team that does not show up for a match will be given 0 points for that week. Additionally, at least one member of your team must be present each week (no double substitutes)
• No Shows
  • 8 points will be awarded to any team whose opponent "No-Shows" a match, as long as a completed 9-hole scorecard is submitted via the GolfLeagueSite app.
  • At least one member of your team must be present for your team to win the full 8 points.
  • Matches against No-Show teams are not eligible for weekly event prizes, as there is no one to attest your scores.
• Late Arrival
  • Any player that does not arrive to their starting tee within 5 minutes of the posted tee time will forfeit the first hole.
  • After the first hole is missed, the late player will forfeit each subsequent hole that their group tees off without them.

Substitutes

• If your schedule requires you to miss a week of league play a substitute may fill in for you. It helps to have at least one person in mind that can fill in for you at any given time throughout the season.
• All new substitutes must be submitted to the league managers prior to them playing in a match, as they will need to be added to the roster first. You may use the Substitutes portal to request and secure subs for your matches. Any sub that is accepted within the GLS sub portal will automatically populate in the online scorecard when you begin live scoring. Otherwise, be sure to select the substitute before you begin live scoring on the GolfLeagueSite app.

Inclement Weather

• Should we experience a rain out on any given week, except during playoffs and the league is cancelled, the next scheduled match will be played the following week, as planned. In other words, there will be no makeups for regular season matches. We will make every effort to cancel the league through e-mail notification no later than 3:00 PM. Always call the Pro Shop if the weather is questionable.

Rescheduling Matches

• It is ideal and preferred that all matches are played on league night. However, if you wish to reschedule your match for any reason, please confirm with your opponents and then schedule your match at an alternate time.
• All make up matches must be rescheduled prior to the following Tuesday's match. If there is no agreement on time, then the match will remain at the originally scheduled time slot.
• Make-up matches will not be eligible for prize money as they will be played with different tees, pin positions, weather, etc.

Prizes

• $40 in prizes are awarded each week for the following categories (listed in order):
  • Individual Low Gross ($20/player)
  • Individual Low Net ($20/player)
• You can only win prize money in one category each week, therefore any gross victory will trump a net prize and the next best individual score will win.
• Regular Substitutes are not eligible for the weekly prizes. Sanctioned Substitutes are eligible for the weekly prizes.
• Prizes will be awarded to the Regular Season Points Champions as well as the Playoff Champions.
  • Regular Season Points Champion - $240 ($120/player)
  • Playoff Champions - $340 ($170/player)
  • The Playoff champions will also each receive a golf polo with Blue Mash League Champs embroidered on the front.
• Prize money will be split evenly among any teams that tie for Regular Season Points Champion, regardless of tiebreaker results for seeding purposes (see Playoffs/League Banquet above)
• The Banquet Scramble winning team will earn $80 ($40/player)

Hazards: Penalties, Drops, and Relief

• All lost balls on the course excluding water hazards (OB, high grass, woods, driving range, etc) will be played as a lateral hazard (red stakes): 1 penalty stroke - drop or rehit. Details here.
• Any creek or water hazard marked with yellow stakes shall be played by the USGA rules - 1 penalty stroke - drop or rehit. Details here.
• If a ball is lost in play, decide between the two teams on the most likely location of the lost ball. A drop should be taken from that spot with one penalty stroke.
• On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation. Enforcement of this rule typically results in moving your ball on the green laterally (no closer to the hole) less than one inch, in order to get out of an aeration hole.
• Casual water: Find the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole where neither you or your ball lie in water that can be seen without pressing your feet up and down. You may then drop your ball within 1 club length from that point no nearer to the hole at no penalty. If your ball is in an area that has been hit by sprinkler water, this rule applies provided that your ball is actually in casual water from the sprinkler. If your ball is simply wet from a sprinkler you cannot lift it or dry it, play it as it lies.
• Interference by cart path or sprinkler head: You are entitled to a penalty free drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole.
• Rocks, stones, and tree roots are neither movable nor immovable obstructions, you do not get relief under Rule 24 from them. Rocks and stones are loose impediments if they are small enough that you can easily move them. You must proceed under rule 15 if you'd like to remove such an impediment.
• Ground under repair must be marked on the course (a small fence, sign, or other notice). If you think your ball lies in ground under repair but there is no indication or marking, play it as it lies.
• If your ball comes to rest on hard pan that borders the cart path, you may take relief without penalty at the nearest point no closer to the hole, even if the cart path itself will not interfere with your shot.
• If a player hits the wrong ball, the mistake must be corrected (go back and play the correct ball) and a 2-stroke penalty is assessed. The owner of the ball that was incorrectly hit does not incur a penalty and must place it as near to the original spot as possible. See USGA rules for more clarity on making strokes at the incorrect ball.
• Any further Ruling Decisions and/or questions pertaining to the rules of the course and the Blue Mash Tuesday League will be left to the discretion of the League Board and the two teams involved in the match.

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