Matchplay Knock-out Rules
- The Competition will be open to all Young Adults who must be (1) current members of the participating Clubs they represent and (2) no older than 30 years of age on the 1st April of the year of the Competition. A player may only represent one Club in each Competition year.
For the avoidance of doubt, if a player has represented a particular Club in the Bill Renison Trophies (the one-day Stableford event), he or she may not then represent a different Club in the matchplay competition in that same year.
Juniors may play in the Competition but their number will be restricted to two only in the 5-person team. In exceptional circumstances, the Committee may with prior notice permit a higher number. The “spirit” of the Competition however is for “older” players.
- Play will be off the measured courses offered by the Host Club and agreed between the two respective Team Captains. The Competition is on a “scratch handicap” basis.
In January or February of each year an Entry Form for both the Bill Renison Trophies and the Matchplay will be sent by email to all participating Clubs. Clubs may then choose whether to enter both Young Adult Competitions or only the Bill Renison. This will continue to be their choice.
Those also entering the Matchplay will be subject to a “Draw” to be made by the Committee in early March each year. This “Draw” will simply be on a knock-out basis and will determine whether or not you play home or away initially and will then also provide each Club with its potential opponents and venue in the next round.
It will be similar to the “Draw” of any individual matchplay tournament at your Home Club. For example, it may be 16 Clubs initially entering the Matchplay... so Round 1 will be 16 Clubs, then Round 2 will be 8 Clubs and then it will be those qualifying for Finals Day as set out below.
Eventually, the knock-out results of this Competition will lead to the 4 Clubs which will contest Finals Day in September each year.
All Club teams will consist of five players in number who will play singles matchplay on a scratch basis over 18 holes. Games MUST be played to a finish and any game “all-square” after 18 holes must immediately continue play until one Club has won three games outright thus producing a “winning Team”.
If the result of a Club match has already been decided (ie a Club Team has already won 3 games), the other matches may finish on whatever bases are agreed between them (immediately if they wish).
By definition, each match must obviously have a winning Team to go through to the next round.
Match Co-ordinators will be appointed by the Committee and they will be responsible for ensuring all the matches under their supervision are played by the agreed dates in each Round: these being advised to all participating Clubs as soon as the initial Draw is published.
Club Captains must advise the result of their match to their Committee Co-ordinator by midnight on the final date set out for each Round. This communication may be done by whichever form is previously agreed with their Committee Co-ordinator.
- In any one match, any missing players will be deemed to have played in last position and so on up-the-order (e.g. if Club A turns up with only 3 players, then they will give walk-overs to Club B in games 4 and 5).
- The Club drawn to play a home fixture is responsible for arranging and agreeing the date of the match with the visiting Club. The match must be played prior to the deadline for that particular Round subject to Paragraph 9 which follows.
- If matches are not played by midnight on the final day of a particular round, both Clubs will be scrubbed from the Competition. If both Club Captains agree, communication may previously be made with the Committee Co-ordinator to extend marginally any Round Date. The Committee Co-ordinator will have final discretion on this issue but the overall competition must not be delayed unreasonably.
- Players may obtain distance information by using devices in the manner set out in the Rules of Golf effective from January 2019... Rule 4.3a
- Mobile phones may not be used during Competition play other than for emergency purposes and players are asked to honour all Home Club rules regarding such phones.
- The Rules of Golf (effective from January 2019) and the Local Rules of the Home Club will govern all disputes.
- Otherwise and if necessary, all disputes will be decided by the Competition Committee whose decision will be final.
Matchplay Finals Day will take place at Leasowe on Sunday 15th September 2024 when both the Semi-finals and the Final will be played. There is no third-place match.
If a Club Team qualifies for Finals Day and ultimately reaches the Final, it may not augment its squad with another player for the Final. The same players must play in both the Semi-finals and the Final. A Team may however alter the position of individual players between the two rounds.