TOUR RULES

United States Golf Association (USGA) Rules:  While we are not formally affiliated with any USGA organization, the I-Tour tournament play is governed by MOST of the 2023-2024 USGA Rules of Golf and its decisions AND where applicable, by local rules EXCEPT with the following I-Tour modifications:

The Tap Down Rule:  Players are allowed to tap down spike marks on the putting surface.  

Lift Rake and Drop In All Bunkers:  Due to footprints, unraked bunkers, and wash out bunkers we will play Lift-Rake-Drop in all bunkers.  The drop must follow the New USGA rules for taking a drop.  The drop most be within 1 Scorecard of the original balls location.  

View video on how to make a legal drop!s

No Caddies Are Allowed:

Sharing Yardage Is Allowed: Players have the right not to share yardage information and all players are encouraged to purchase some type of range or GPS device.  The sharing of yardage is allowed.

Senior Rule Flight A:  Players in Flight-A who are 50+ have the option to play up one tee box instead of playing the tips. Player’s handicap will be 2-strokes less for the event.  For Central Texas only, Seniors 60+ who record all their rounds from the up tees, will play the up tees without the 2-stroke deduction.

Senior Rule for Flight B:  Players in Flight-B who are 60+ have the option to play up one tee box from the rest of the flight.  Player’s will play the up tees without the 2-stroke deduction! If avaliable the Senior rule will be listed on the Event Details. 

*There will not be a Senior Rule at all events.*

**The I-Tour reserves the right to deny a player access to the new senior rule**

How To Get A Beginning Handicap:

*Carry over from 2022 I-Tour Season

*Submit 4-Scorecards (signed) to the I-Tour Staff to confirm your average score.  The I-Tour reserves the right to not accept your signed scorecards after review.

*Official USGA Handicap or GHIN (Course/Club)

*Submit 4-Scorecards (signed) to the I-Tour Staff to confirm your average score.

The I-Tour reserves the right to not accept your signed scorecards after review.

New Member Rule: If it is your first year on the I-Tour, you may not win 1st in your first event (Except for the 1st events of the season in each city) ...This means the best you can do is 2nd place, but you may still win all Optional Games.   Beginning your second event, you are then 100% eligible to win all regular 1-day events.  If you were a former member any year in the past, you are already 100% eligible to win on your first event.  

*** Players with 10 or less I-Tour Rounds are capped at (-2)***   

Net Score Cap (-3): - Please note, all I-Tour events will have a net score cap of 3 under par (-3) for Silver Members (less than 20-rounds complete).  This is in effect for all handicap flights the entire season.  If two or more players are tied for first place, there will be a scorecard playoff for the first prize money trophy/award, starting on the #1 handicap hole.  All Gold and Diamond Members will not be capped for I-Tour events.  All 2-Day events have Net Score Cap info listed on The Event Details

Returning Member Rule (Members who have not played an I-Tour Event Since 2017): - Please note, despite your current Membership Status, Silver (less than 20 rounds), Gold (Less than 100 rounds), or Diamond (100+ rounds) your net scoring cap will be 4 under par (-4) for your 1st event of the season.  While we welcome you back to the I-Tour, Handicaps older than 5 years will need to be reestablished.  

Exceptional Scoring:  All Exceptional Scores (-3 and under) will be counted twice on your handicap card for the entire season.  

2-Minute Rule: - For speed of play reasons, we allow only 2-minutes to look for your lost ball.  We ask all players to take a drop and move on.

***No “One Ball” Rule***

Provisional Ball: You may not return to the tee box: - We are a weekend golf tour....for speed of play, please hit a provisional shot if you think your ball went out of bounds. If your ball is in bounds you can pick up your provisional shot, with no penalty, and play your original ball. If no provisional shot is played and you realize your ball did go out of bounds, you MAY NOT return back to the tee.  Please play your next shot as a lateral hazard, but you are hitting "4" due to stroke and distance.    

We have a +5 max for each hole: - Five strokes over-par (+5) is the maximum score allowed on a given hole. (On a par three, eight is the maximum score. On a par four, nine is the maximum. On a par five, ten is the maximum.)

Late to the Tee: - If a player is not at the starting point, ready to play, at the assigned starting time, he is in a breach of Rule 6-3 and normally disqualified from the tournament. However, the I-Tour at its sole discretion may attempt to accommodate such player with a later starting time with or without a penalty.  We all work for a living.

Stoppage of Play: - If a player continues play or discontinues play without permission/communication from the course staff and/or I-Tour staff, he is in breach of Rule 6-8 and normally disqualified from the tournament.  However, the Individual Golf Tour reserves the right to review this on a case by case basis due to historical flaws in golf course communication to players on the course.

Water Hazard Boundaries:  In the absence of stakes or painted lines the change in cut of grass will be used as the hazard line.  If this is not apparent, the water’s edge will be used

Out of Bounds Boundaries:  In the absence of stakes or painted lines the change in cut of grass will be used as the boundary line.

Rules Interpretation: -  If there is any question of how to proceed during tournament play, please invoke rule 3-3 and play two balls.  During a round, if there is a disagreement on how to apply a rule, play a second ball as well as the original ball and write down both scores on the scorecard.  Upon completion of the round, present the circumstances to the Tournament Committee made up of the I-Tour staff, and the local Club Pro who will settle all disputes and their rulings will be final.

Tournament Committee:

The I-Tour is not an official USGA organization due to the customized needs of our unique weekend golf tour.  All major tournament decisions and rulings will be determined by the I-Tour Tournament Committee at each event and will be deemed as final.

The Committee:  The day-of tournament committee is comprised of the Tournament Director, the I-Tour Staff, and/or the designated golf course professional.  Please Note:

USGA RULE 33-7: Disqualification Penalty; Committee Discretion

·A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modified or imposed if the Committee considers such actions warranted.

·Any penalty less than disqualification must not be waived or modified.

·If a Committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under this Rule.

APPEALS:  Any appeal of a penalty must be referred to the on-site I-Tour Tournament Director immediately upon completion of the player in question’s round.  The Tournament Director’s decision shall be final.  If the player in question does not appeal immediately upon conclusion of his round all penalties shall stand.

Slow Play Law: - After 19-Years of competitive golf tournament coordination and hosting over 300 cash events…We have concluded that each group simply needs to abide by one rule….”Keep up with the group ahead of you”.

SLOW PLAY LAW - 22 MINUTES

We do not normally ride the course and beg you to speed up, use USGA pace of play rules, allotted time per hole rules, or on the clock rules.  We will simply enforce our official SLOW PLAY LAW:

* Any Group that is more than 23-minutes behind the group in front of you after 18-holes, your entire 4-some will receive a 2-stroke penalty.

*** NO Appeals*** All players in the group will be given 2 strokes

       -Your group plays in 4 hours in 30 minutes or less (you will not be penalized)

       -If there is a 3-some ahead of your 4-some (you may get 5 additional minutes)

       -Your group is a mixed group of flights or tees (5 additional minutes)

       -Your Golf Cart breaks down or the course is Cart Path Only (Extra Time Given)