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MEMBERSHIP

2009 PLAYER OF
THE YEAR

2008 PLAYER OF
THE YEAR

2008 Handbook

Platinum Tour

A Platinum Tour membership is required to participate in more than two Platinum Tour tournaments. A player may participate as a non-member in two tournaments but will not earn points for those tournaments. Membership is available to junior golfers 13-18 and who have not entered college. Players must have demonstrated, and continue to demonstrate, the ability to play at a competitive level within their age group.

A Platinum Tour member must have a valid email address, be able to obtain all information from the web site, make tournament entries and payment of all fees by MasterCard or Visa credit cards by using the GCJGF on-line registration system powered by BlueGolf. The Platinum Tour membership is valid March 2009 through October 2009.

Platinum Tour Divisions

Boys: 12 & UNDER, 13-14, 15-18

Girls: 13-18

Tournament Entry

Platinum Tour entries for each tournament must be made by using the on-line registration system powered by BlueGolf. The number of entries for each division or tournament may be limited. Players will be notified by email of their entry status when registering. Platinum Tour membership does not guarantee entry into any event. The tournament entry fee for each tournament is $125 except where noted.  The tournament entry fee for each additional sibling playing in the same tournament is 80% of the first players entry fee. (Note: The entry fee payment for a sibling playing in the same tournament will be adjust by the Executive Director at the time of approval) Payment of entry fee by check or cash will not be accepted. Note: The Prestige Junior Championships is not a Platinum Tour event and is governed by its own set of rules which are available at http://www.prestigejuniorchampionships.org

LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Entry Fee Refund 

The entry registration will not be processed if the player is not accepted for the tournament. An entry fee may be transferred to another tournament providing withdrawal is made at least 7 days prior to the tournament you originally registered for.  A member may only request a transfer of the entry fee one time during the tournament year. A player may request a refund of the entry fee providing the request for withdrawal is made at least 7 days prior to the event. The entry fee will be credited to the credit card used for the tournament registration, less a $25 service charge. No tournament registration transfers or refunds will be made for any player withdrawing less than 7 days before the tournament date. In the event a tournament must be cancelled prior to the start of play, the entry fee will be fully refunded unless food is part of the entry and the Platinum Tour is not charged a fee. Refunds or credits for tournaments where play was suspended due to weather will not be made. Note: The Prestige Junior Championships are not a Platinum Tour event and is governed by its own set of rules which are available at http://www.prestigejuniorchampionships.org

Annual Awards

A "Player of the Year" award will be presented to the player with the highest point total in their division. See the Points Matrix for points distribution. A "Player Excellence" award will be presented to the player with the lowest overall stroke average, using a player's best ten (10) 18-hole scores. Scores must be for the same division. Scores may NOT be combined from two divisions.

The overall Boys "Player of the Year" points winner and the overall Girls "Player of the Year" points winner will receive financial assistance to a national tournament of their choice. The amount of the assistance is limited to Three Hundred Dollars per player. The assistance is to be coordinated with the GCJGF Executive Director and must take place prior to August 31, 2009. Assistance is not retroactive. Should a player win both the Gold Program and the Platinum Tour Overall awards they will only receive assistance to one tournament.

The "Player of the Year"  winner of each division will receive a 50% discount of the entry fee for the Prestige Junior Championships tournament that immediately follows the season in which they won the award. Each player must submit a Prestige Junior Championships entry application and meet all entry requirements. The entry application must be received by October 31, 2008.

Dress Code

Platinum Tour members are required to wear proper golf attire at all Platinum Tour events. Shirts with collars, or mock turtle neck shirts designed for golf and allowed by the host facility, are required. Shirt-tails must be worn inside pants, shorts, or skirts. Players not meeting the above dress will be asked to conform on the first offense, will have 50 points deducted from their "Player of the Year" point total for a 2nd offense, will have 100 points deducted for a 3rd offense, and future tournament entries will be denied. The tournament entry fee will not be refunded.

Garments not permissible:
Short Shorts or Running Shorts
Gym, Bicycle or Exercise Shorts
Cutoffs
Jeans (shorts, pants, skirts made of denim)
See-through clothing
Tube or Tank Tops
Clothing containing words, phrases, symbols, or pictures, which could be considered obscene, profane, drug, alcohol, or tobacco related.

Shoes

Players must wear proper shoes for golf. Shoes fitted with spikes must have non-metal spikes i.e. soft spikes.
Metal Spikes are not allowed. Flat sole sneakers are permitted.

Caddies

The Platinum Tour does not allow caddies.

Pull Carts

Pull Carts are permitted to be used by players in all divisions providing they are allowed by the Host course. Pull carts must not be taken onto the green or the collar of the green and should be placed in a position to expedite exiting the green to go to the next hole. In the interest of safety of all participants, players using a pull cart agree to remove their golf bag from the pull cart during a course evacuation and leave the cart on the course. The player is responsible for retrieving the cart once conditions are safe to do so. The player and their parents agree that the Platinum Tour, GCJGF, its Officers and Directors, and the Host course cannot be held responsible for any damaged, missing, or stolen pull carts left on the course as a result of a course evacuation.

Playing Rules

USGA Rules of Golf apply, plus any local rules established by the Platinum Tour Tournament Rules Committee.

Tournament Check-in

Players are required to check-in at the tournament registration desk on the first day of the tournament at least 30 minutes prior to their assigned tee time.

Group or Pairing

Groups or Pairing for the first tournament will be by random computer selection. Subsequent groupings or pairings will be made by using the current Player of the Year standings. Players with the highest number of points will be assigned to the first tee times in their division.

Tee Times

Players are required to report to the Starter for their tee time in accordance with USGA Rules of Golf; Rule 6-3 and Rule 33-1.
Rule 33-1: Any player arriving at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances that warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play instead of disqualification. Note: All players in a group must be present at the assigned tee time, not according to the order of play.

We request that players report to the Starter 16 minutes prior to their tee time.

Golf Carts

Electric or Gas Golf Carts are not permitted unless authorized by the Tournament Director.
Players may not sit or ride in Golf Carts unless authorized by Platinum Tour Officials.

Pace of Play

A threesome will have 45 minutes to play each three-hole segment on the course unless noted otherwise on the scorecard. Each player in a group that is out of position and over the time allotted to play through a three-hole checkpoint will receive a warning for first offense; a one-stroke penalty for second offense; a two-stroke penalty for a third offense, and disqualification for a fourth offense.

The first player to play from the tee will have 50 seconds to do so; each of the following players will have 40 seconds to play their shot. Timing starts for the 1st player as soon as the group ahead is clear and for the remaining players as soon as the ball hits the ground from the preceding player's shot. Additional time will be allowed for difficult problem shots.

Note: The time a group must complete a hole is printed on each scorecard. A group must complete each hole within 15 minutes of the group playing directly in front of their group. If you are out of position, you must catch up!!!
See the "Hard Card" for Pace of Play. Hard Cards are available from the starter.

Scoring

USGA RULE 3-3. If unable to resolve a rule question and a marshal or official is not available, play a second ball and declare which ball you will score if the rules permit.  Keep score on both balls. Obtain a ruling at the scoreboard prior to signing and submitting your scorecard. 

See USGA Rules of Golf, rule 6-6a and 6-6d.

Parents are not to get involved with players and their score, or scores, at any time during the round. Officials may interview parents and spectators to help resolve a scoring issue

Ties for trophy position will be determined by a play-off. If the course is not available the USGA recommended method for determining position will be used. ie. The last nine holes played in the final round, if still tied, the last six holes, if still tied, the last three holes. If the players remain tied the first nine holes will be considered, using the same format. Should there continue to be a tie, the format will be employed using the first round of the tournament.

Artificial Measuring Devices

Local Rule: Artificial measuring devices used to measure distances are permitted in all tournaments providing the device does not measure any other conditions, such as, wind or gradient. Note: Yardage information may be shared with fellow competitors.

Safety

Players are not to remove clubs from their golf bag until it is time for their group to tee off; or when on the driving range practicing; or when using the putter on the practice putting green. Players are to make sure no other person is within range of being struck by the club or ball when a swing is made. Practice swings are not to be made until it is your turn to hit and never swing where the club path is towards another person.

NOTE: Parents or Guardians should carry a golfer’s liability endorsement on their homeowner or renter’s insurance policy if available.

Spectators

SMOKING AT PLATINUM TOUR TOURNAMENTS IS PROHIBITED.
Spectators must adhere to the Dress Code that applies to the players.
Spectators will be permitted walk and follow the junior players when the course allows spectators.  The use of electric or gas golf carts will be permitted providing the course is willing to rent carts to spectators, and they will be rented by the course based on availability. Carts must be kept on cart paths where they are available and in the rough if cart paths are not available. Spectators must keep 30 yards from all the junior players. Where the spectator does not keep 30 yards from the player, the player will receive a warning for the first violation and the spectator will be informed that they must leave the course for any additional violations.  See USGA Rules of Golf concerning advice. Only TWO people are permitted in a cart, regardless of size.
Spectators must be aware of all playing groups so as not to delay play or being hit by a golf shot.

Coolers

Personal coolers, beverages, and snacks are prohibited. Coolers will be removed from the course and returned after the completion of play.

Emergency Weather Procedure

When potentially dangerous weather is in the area a horn will sound one long blast. All players are required to immediately mark the position of their ball [it is suggested two golf tees be used] and seek the nearest shelter from the threatening conditions. When it is determined that the dangerous conditions no longer exist, 30 minutes after the last lightning strike within a 10 mile radius, players are to proceed to the previously marked ball position and replace their ball. Play will resume by a horn sounding two short blast. 

Lightning detectors and a weather service are used to assist in detecting dangerous weather conditions. There are times when lightning is in the area but may not be visible to the eye. Once play has been suspended, Platinum Tour volunteers will transport the junior golfers to the clubhouse a soon as possible and then the spectators will be transported. Spectators with golf cars are to assist with evacuating players.

Respecting The Course

Players are required to respect the course by following the instructions on all signs, from course personnel, and from tournament committee members. Each player is to replace or fill in their divots, repair ball marks on the greens, and rake bunkers (sand traps).  All trash is to be placed in the proper receptacles.

Conduct

Each player is to conduct himself or herself with dignity and abide by all rules.

The following actions will be grounds for immediate removal from the Platinum Tour:

Conduct that is detrimental to the Platinum Tour.
Failure to follow the instructions of a Platinum Tour Official.
Abuse to the host course facilities and properties. Damage to course or equipment, littering
Hitting of golf balls in any area not designated for play
Deliberate hitting of golf balls into the preceding golf group
The use of Alcoholic Beverages, Illegal Drugs, or any type of Tobacco Products
Abusive Language or Profanity
Throwing of golf equipment
Gambling
Cheating
Card Playing

GCJGF Directors & Officers

These rules and regulations may be changed at any time, without notification, by the Board of Directors or Tournament Directors.