AVON LEAGUE RULES

Last updated: October 2024

1. Player Eligibility 

Players must be a current member of a currently participating club.

(a) Players moving clubs and match eligibility.

Should a player move clubs, moving from one Avon League club to another, they will be permitted to participate in the Avon League matches under the restrictions below.

(i) The League Secretary must be notified if a player wishes to represent a new club in order to transfer their player records to their new club on the league website.
(ii) The player will not be eligible to play against the club which they have moved away from for the remainder of the current League season.
(iii) The player will not be eligible to play against any clubs which the club they have transferred from have already played.
(iv) Players are only eligible to change their nominated club once in a calendar year. This applies across all Avon competitions.
(v) Players moving from one Avon League club to another after July 31st will be ineligible for the remainder of that League season.
(vi) These restrictions also apply to players transferring between clubs with more than one team in the League.

(b) Players with memberships at more than one participating club.

(i) For players who hold membership at multiple participating clubs, they should represent their “Home” club (i.e. the club at which their handicap is held).
(ii) Should a player wish to represent an “Away” club (i.e. a club of which they are a current member but not the one where their handicap is held), they must first obtain the permission of the Committee of both their “Home” and “Away” clubs, in addition to the permission of the League Secretary.
(iii) If a player wishes to switch their nominated club, they must obtain the permission of the Committee of both their “Home” and “Away” clubs, in addition to the permission of the League Secretary.
(iv) Rule 1(a), above, will apply regarding eligibility to play certain matches in the remainder of the current Avon League season.
(v) In addition, the player will not be eligible to play against any other clubs of which they are a member.

(c) Should a club be found to be fielding an ineligible player, they will lose the individual game(s) in which the ineligible player played and be deducted five points from their Avon League total for each match in which the ineligible player has played.

2. All competition teams shall be of twelve players and all players must have active competition handicaps.

3. All matches from White Tees (or equivalent competition tee), using the men's course and slope ratings. Clubs with more than 18 holes must nominate a designated 18 hole course at the re-draw of the fixture grid, every two years.

4. Better Ball Match Play with individual strokes being 90% of the difference from the lowest course handicap in the group, after calculation from the handicap indices under the World Handicap System.

Step 1: Calculate each player's course handicap using their handicap index and the slope rating table. If the course handicap is greater than 18, this should be changed to 18.
Step 2: Take lowest course handicap and subtract this from all four players in the match.
Step 3: Calculate 90% of the difference values and round to the nearest full shot.

Example
Player A - course handicap 6 - lowest value, plays off scratch.
Player B - course handicap 10 - difference is 4, 90% is 3.6, 4 strokes received.
Player C - course handicap 13 - difference is 7, 90% is 6.3, 6 strokes received.
Player D - course handicap 20 - maximum CH is 18 - difference is 12, 90% is 10.8, 11 strokes received.

5. The maximum playing course handicap shall be 18, after calculation using the handicap index and the course/slope ratings for the course at which the match is to be played.

6. The home team shall provide visitors with refreshments before or after the match. It is hoped that as many members of both teams as possible shall stay to enjoy this together, thus creating a social as well as competitive atmosphere within the League. Dress can be either formal or smart casual, agreed between clubs prior to the match. Clubs are to provide a full English breakfast or main course where possible, providing costs do not become prohibitive.

SCORING IN LEAGUE

• 7.   A maximum of 15 points shall be available for each match; a team winning at home shall add eight bonus points to their match result, while a team winning away from home shall add 9 points to their match result. For example, a final score of 4-2 to the home team will result in the home team earning 12 points and the losing team 2 points. In the event of a 3-3 tie, 3 bonus points shall be awarded to the home team and 4 bonus points to the away team.

• 8.   Both clubs are responsible for uploading their pairings and match results to the website. Failure to do so within 21 days of the match will result in the witholding of all points from that match and a five-point penalty being applied. The match points will be reinstated once the lineup has been added to the website, but the 5-point penalty shall remain. Any lineups missing 48 hours before the Challenge will result in a five-point team penalty in the Challenge for each lineup which is incomplete. In the case where uploading results is not possible, each team captain shall be responsible for sending a completed match result to the Secretary of the League.

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DATES OF MATCHES

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  9a. Fixtures are to be arranged at or after the Fixtures Meeting, usuall held in October. No League fixtures may be confirmed before the meeting. All clubs shall ensure match dates are agreed and added to the website by the last day of December. Thereafter, no changes of dates will be allowed except in exceptional circumstances.
  
  9b. All matches must be completed at least six days before the Challenge and Presentation Day. 
  
  9c. In agreeing match dates Captains were asked to be cautious where poor light may have an influence on individual game results. As a guideline, no evening matches should take place outside of June 1 to July 18.
  
  9d. It is recommended that clubs contact each other at least seven days prior to a match to ensure that the date, time and eating arrangements are known to each club and agreed.

• 9e The fixture grid will be redrawn every two years, with the first redraw being done for the 2026 fixtures. Those who have to nominate a course must keep it for the two-year cycle.
  
  10a. In exceptional circumstances, it is acceptable for Captains to agree a cancellation or postponement of a match        provided the reasons are acceptable to both Captains and a new date agreed mutually via the League Secretary. The club initiating the cancellation shall be responsible for notifying the Secretary of the League. The Secretary shall mediate the rearrangement if required.
  
  10b. Matches cancelled within the 7 days prior to the agreed date due to not being able to raise a team will, if a new date cannot be agreed, result in a walkover win to the team “available” to play. The team available to play will be awarded the points equivalent to a minimum win, i.e. 3.5-2.5, plus match win bonus points, but no away bonus point. No individual matches will be awarded points in the “Player of the Year” competition.
  
  10c It is expected that matches postponed due to a management decision or course closure at the beginning of the season should be able to be rescheduled but matches postponed towards the end of the season may struggle to be rescheduled. In both cases if the captains cannot agree a new date, the captain's may agree a 3 - 3 draw with 3 bonus points each but no individual results. 

• 10d. If a club is unable to field a full team of 12 players and no alternative date can be found, the match must proceed with all six matches being fulfilled. For example, if a team has only 8 players for a match, they have to field two pairs and four singles to ensure the six pairs from the other clubs each have a game. If a team has five or fewer players available, and no alternative date can be found, a walkover shall be conceded as above.

• 10e. If a club has more than one team participating in the League, matches between teams from the same club should be completed on or before June 30th.
  
  

• RULES OF THE LEAGUE

• 11. In the event of a club not completing their fixtures in a season, their results against all teams shall be deleted, giving no points to any teams in their matches. Before the beginning of the next season, the other teams of the League shall vote on the issue of that club's continued participation in the League. By entering the Avon League, each member club at the start of each season of play in the League (usually around April 1st) agrees to contribute their share of the Trophy Fund for the League, Trophy and Challenge for that year.  By commencing play in the League season, each member club commits to fielding a team at the end-of-season Challenge.

• 12. The date and first tee time for all matches must be reconfirmed by Captains one week prior to the match being played If after that teams are players short, the matches must go ahead without them. All matches must start on time unless agreed by Captains. If players have not arrived, the matches must start without them. Should any individual match be conceded as a walkover, the winning team will be awarded a 1 up win, but no players will be given points towards the Player of the Year.

  • 13. To accommodate late arrivals the playing order of matches can be changed, but no individual player can be moved to another pair after exchanging of team sheets (i.e. that fourball match must remain unchanged, but can move to the last match if necessary). No replacements can be made once team sheets have been exchanged without the permission of the opposing Captain. No player outside of those listed on the team sheet shall be permitted to join a match when it is on the course.

    14.  No Buggies are allowed in matches but this can be over-ruled by Captains in a case of severe disability. If a buggy is allowed for a person, his playing partner must still walk and carry or use trolley for his clubs.

• 15.  GPS Systems are allowed subject club Local Rules and visiting clubs must abide by the home club Local Rule about their use.

• 16.  In the event of the players having to be brought off the course during a match for rain, thunder or lightning, the following rules are applied;

•        a) If players come off the course due to the conditions, it is agreed that a minimum of 1 hour (cumulative in the case of            more than one delay) should be allowed for conditions to improve for players to go out on the course again.

•        b) If players can return to the course within the hour, then all matches are to be played to a conclusion.

         If, after one hour, the course is still unfit for play, then;

         a) If all matches are past the 9th hole when players have to come off, then the result as it is at that time, will stand.

         b) If all matches are not past the 9th hole, then a decision must be made.

            1.A mutually acceptable rearrangement of the match can be made.

            2.If not, then the match is declared a 3-3 draw, plus draw bonus points, but individual results are not awarded.

   17.  In the event of two teams having the same number of points at the end of the season creating a tie, the winner shall be decided by:

  • (a) Most team fixture points
  • (b) Most team matches won
  • (c) Most individual games won
  • (d) Points scored in the match(es) between the tied teams.
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•  18.   The League also incorporates a Player of the Year competition where the player with the best individual record in the League shall receive an award at the end of the season. 8 points will be awarded for a match win, 3 points for a half and 0 points for a loss. If two or more players are tied on points at the end of the season, the following tiebreakers shall be used:

    -  Number of matches won
    -  Number of away matches won
    -  Number of matches halved
    -  Number of matches lost
    -  Aggregate of the win/loss margins in each match played
    -  If these fail to break the tie, the award will be shared.

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DISPUTES.

1. Any dispute shall be put in writing to the Secretary of the League within one week of its arising. The clubs unaffected by this dispute shall then decide by vote on its resolution. In the event of there being no majority in this vote, the Secretary of the League's decision shall be final.