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RULES & CONDITIONS – BETTER-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

1. The playing format is knock-out better-ball matchplay. At the Regional Final the format is 18 holes of better-ball stableford and the Grand Final consists of four rounds of better-ball stableford.

2. The Championship is played under 'The Rules of Golf' for matchplay as laid down by The R&A and is "Approved by the R&A for the payment of expenses - Rule 4-2g RA/19/2008".

3. Competitors who are under 18 years of age by 1st June 2008 must play with a partner who is over 18 years by June 1st 2008.

4. Each competitor must be a current member of a golf club, have a handicap issued by a CONGU affiliated golf club and must have played in at least 3 handicap qualifying competitions between April 1st 2007 and June 1st 2008 (14 months). Current handicap certificates must be taken to each match and shown to the opponents before the match commences. If a competitor does not provide a handicap certificate on the day of the match he/she must provide proof of handicap to the organisers within 48 hours of completion of the match if requested by the opponents.

5. Under no circumstances may a team change one of its members after the first match has been played.

6. In the first round the team drawn at the top in each pair will play at home. The winning team who are first to inform the Tournament Office of the match result will be the home team in the next round and so on. Those teams which have received a Bye in the first round will play away in the second round.

7. In the first round it is the equal responsibility of both teams to contact their opponents. In all other rounds it is the away team's responsibility to contact their opponents to arrange a mutually convenient date and time to play the match.

8. It is the responsibility of the winners of each match to inform the Tournament Office of the result. The Tournament Results Tel. No. is 0845 466 2222 and will be available from 9.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

9. If either team has to cancel the match within 48 hours of the match being due to be played then the other team may claim the match.

9. If competitors in a team are members at different clubs they may choose either course as their home venue. However, once a team has played a home match they cannot change their home course.

10. The venue for any match may be changed to the opponent's home course if there is a mutual agreement.

11. If courtesy of the course is not granted to the away players then the total cost of any green fees payable must be shared between all four players and paid before the match commences.

12. Strokes will be taken on the basis of 3/4 of the handicap difference and taken from the lowest handicap of the fourball. The maximum permitted playing handicap is 24 for men and 30 for ladies.

13. In addition to their normal stroke allowance ladies will also receive the difference between the men's and ladies standard scratch score from the tees to be used. These extra shots are added to the lady's handicap before 3/4 of the difference is calculated.

14. When matches are mixed, ladies will receive their shots in accordance with the men's stroke index.

15. Play will be from the competition tees, usually white. However if the club do not allow play from the competition tees the match will be played from the tees for general play, usually the yellow tees.

16. In matches involving both ladies and gentlemen, the gentlemen must play from the competition tees and ladies will play from the red tees. If the course does not have red tees then the match must be played at another course which does have red tees. If gentlemen are not permitted to play from the competition tees the match must be played at either the ladies home course or a neutral venue.

17. Matches all square after 18 holes will be decided on a 'sudden death' play off commencing at the first hole played and the appropriate shots will be given.

18. If after mutual agreement a match has to be abandoned during a sudden death play-off due to lack of daylight or the course becoming unfit for play, then the match will be continued over 18 holes at the away team's course on another mutually convenient date. If the match is abandoned during the first 18 holes then play shall resume from the point where the match was abandoned as stated in the Rules of Golf.

19. In the case of any dispute the organiser's decision will be final. Any team failing to comply with The Championship Rules or found not to meet the initial entry criteria will be disqualified.