Our Rules

Our Rules – Pole Creek Ladies Golf

We have some local rules of golf that are expected to be understood and followed by our players.  Please take time to review them and know when to use them during play at Pole Creek.

Pace of play and Ready Golf– We play ready golf for all stroke play as per the 2025 Rules and that includes the putting surface.  Rules Rule 5.6b.states: Prompt Pace of Play. (2) “Playing Out of Turn to Help Pace of Play”. In stroke play, play “ready golf” in a safe and responsible way.  Everyone should be preparing for their shot or putt while others are getting ready to keep the Pace of Play going.”  Be safe and responsible, especially on the putting surface. It may not be responsible to step on someone’s line to putt out or one may choose to get a read from someone that has a putt further out.

Pace Of Play Policy July 22, 2025

To improve pace of play, the Board has decided to implement a Maximum Score-Pick Up option. The details are as follows:

  • If the player has reached double par plus pops (the handicap strokes allotted to a player on a specific hole), the player has the option to pick up the ball and not complete the hole.
  • If the ball is picked up before putting out, the player will be out of the putt pot for the day.
  • The player is still ‘in the game’ for whatever weekly game is being played. If it is a team game, the team is still ‘in the game’, IF that hole does not count toward the game. **See game example below.
  • Mark your card clearly with an X and the “Maximum Score” so we know that you picked up.
  • All chip-ins made by the player during the round will still count towards the chip-in pot
  • GHIN will adjust the score to the maximum allowed for that hole based on your handicap.

For example:  Player A, who has a course handicap of 20, is playing Meadow 7 and has accumulated 12 strokes and is still not on the green.  The player can decide to pick up since she is at double par (5 + 5) plus her 2 pops based on her handicap.  Her score for the weekly game for that hole would be 12.  GHIN will adjust it to 9 (double bogey plus pops). Player A is now out of the putt pot.

If the same player chooses to continue to play out the hole because she doesn’t want to be out of the putt pot, she plays until the ball is holed. For this example, let’s say she had a total of 16 strokes. The actual score (16) would be entered on the scorecard to be used for weekly play.  GHIN would again adjust her score to a 9.

The Board hopes this will help to keep pace of play moving by minimizing long wait times on some of the more problematic holes.  All league members should familiarize themselves with their course handicaps and allotted pops per hole.  Knowing this information will help each player make informed decisions when picking up is an option.

**The game ONES a great example of a game where you can pick up on certain holes and still be in the game. Only holes beginning with O-N-E-S are counted.  If you picked up on hole ONE, then you are not eligible for prizes for the tournament.  It was a hole that counted.  If you picked up on hole TWO, then you are still in the game… that hole did not count for the day.

Winter Rules may be in effect periodically during our season of play.  Winter Rules allow for lift, clean and place within the fairways only.

Enter all scores in GHIN (even those played at other courses) during season.  You can enter only nine holes as well.  The best way to enter a score in the GHIN system is actual hole-by-hole and GHIN will do all the calculations.

If there is a tie at the end of the two days for the club champion Flight 1, it will be determined via a playoff (holes determined that day based on course availability).  Flight 2 tie breaker will be determined using the USGA Method (last 18, 9, 6, 3, 1 holes).

Please be at the course 40 minutes before tee off.  Your tournament chairmen depend on all players arriving ‘on time’ to be sure our pairings are correct.

Start out to your assigned hole at least 10 minutes before tee time.