Joining
- How do I sign up for the league?
- How much does it cost to play in the league?
- Where do I send my membership fee?
- Do you take beginners?
Scheduling
- When do you play?
- How do I sign up for a tee time?
- Can I get an earlier/later tee time?
- All the tee times are full! How does the wait list work?
Playing
- What are the rules of league play?
- What is the "double par" rule?
- What are Golf's 10 Golden Rules?
- What can I do to increase my speed of play?
- Can I bring my child/husband/boyfriend with me to golf league?
Scoring
- How do I fill out my scorecard?
- How do you calculate the handicaps?
- How do you calculate the points?
- Why do I need to check my current division?
Prizes
- What are the prizes?
- When do I get my prizes?
How do I sign up for the league?
Just send an email to our league scheduler, and tell her you'd like to join the league. She'll put your name on the roster for our online tee-time scheduling. Then mail or give your membership fee to our league treasurer.
^TopHow much does it cost to play in the league?
The annual membership fee is $15 for BSA members and $20 for non-BSA members, mail or give this to the league treasurer. The greens fee is $18, you pay this at the clubhouse desk when checking in for your round. Columbia Point Preferred Card Holders will receive a 50% discount on green fees. Carts can be rented for $8.00 per person based on double occupancy. Include $1 for the hole prize kitty with your scorecard, give this to the league statistician who'll be sitting on the deck or in the cafe.
^TopWhere do I send my membership fee?
Please send your membership fee to our league treasuer.
^TopDo you take beginners?
Our league has members with a wide range of abilities. But you should first take a basic group lesson, and then play a few rounds on a par-3 course. The City of Richland and Columbia Point golf course both offer reasonably-priced group lessons for beginners. Columbia Park and Golfland are two nice par-3 courses in the Tri-Cities. The reason we suggest this is that Columbia Point expects each foursome to maintain a pace of play of 15 minutes per hole, and that can be very difficult if you've never played before. But once you've learned the basics, a great way to improve your game is by playing with us every week!
^TopWhen do you play?
We will be playing 9 holes at Columbia Point on Tuesday evenings beginning April 8, 2008 and ending September 16, 2008. Available tee times are 4:34, 4:42, 4:50, 4:58, and 5:06. Players are expected to check in at the golf shop 15 minutes prior to their tee time.
^TopHow do I sign up for a tee time?
Just go to our our tee times page. Tee time schedules for the next 3 weeks are shown. Available tee times will say "Open". Select your name, a date, and time from the drop-down lists. Your name will show up in the schedule on the date and time you selected. If all tee times are full, select Wait List as your tee time and our league scheduler will add you to the schedule when someone else cancels.
^TopCan I get an earlier/later tee time?
No. The league board members have an established policy that in order to be considered league play, one must play in the designated tee times. The reasons for this are:
- We have a contract with Columbia Point to fill 5 tee times, and they lose money when we don't fill them.
- One of our goals is to be a social organization. If you're not playing in the designated tee times, you aren't socializing with other members.
- It's a hassle for our treasurer and statistician to track down the hole prize fees and scorecards for people who play late.
- The tee times we've chosen suit most players.
- We get an equal number of requests for earlier and later tee times.
- Players in the 5:06 slot are playing in the dark at the beginning/end of the season.
All the tee times are full! How does the wait list work?
Your name will be added to a tee time when someone else cancels, and they always do. Even if you're still on the wait list when the final schedule goes to the course, just show up and fill in for a no-show or someone who's late. Or just make a fivesome. There's always a big rush for tee times in early spring. By the middle of summer, we have a hard time filling our 20 tee time slots.
^TopWhat are the rules of league play?
The BWGL uses a stroke play format. The BWGL is meant to be a fun, low-pressure way to meet and play with other women golfers. But that's not to say that "anything goes" as far as the rules. We give prizes each week for low net score, low gross score, birdies, chip-ins, and other hole prizes. In fairness to other league members, it is important to fill out your score card accurately: no mulligans or gimmies.
To speed play, the League has instituted a "double par" maximum score on any single hole. This replaces the old rule of 10 being the maximum on any hole.
^TopWhat is the "double par" rule?
To speed play, the League has instituted a "double par" maximum score on any single hole. This replaces the old rule of 10 being the maximum on any hole.
- For a par 3, take no more than 6 strokes
- For a par 4, take no more than 8 strokes
- For a par 5, take no more than 10 strokes
- If you haven't holed out, put a * next to your score with 3 putts
- If you get more than 3 *s in a round, we'll just call it a bad night and leave that score out of the handicap calculations
What are Golf's 10 Golden Rules?
- Play the ball as it lies.
- Don't move, bend, or break anything growing or fixed, except in fairly taking your stance or swing. Don't press anything down.
- You may lift natural objects not fixed or growing, except in a water hazard or bunker. No penalty.
- You may move man-made objects even in a bunker or water hazard. If they are immovable, you may drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. In a hazard, you must drop in the hazard. No penalty.
- You may drop away from casual water, ground under repair, burrowing animal holes or casts. On the putting green, place, or in a hazard drop, at the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole; otherwise drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole. No penalty.
- In a water hazard or bunker, don't touch the water or ground with your hand or club before the stroke.
- If you hit your ball into a water hazard and cannot play it, either drop behind the hazard or at the place where you played the shot. One penalty stroke. If you hit into a lateral hazard, you may also drop within two club-lengths of the point where the ball last crossed the hazard margin, or a point equidistant from the hole on the opposite margin. One penalty stroke.
- When you hit your ball out of bounds or lose it, add a penalty stroke, go back and drop a ball at the place where you played the shot. On the tee, you may tee the ball. If you think you have hit your ball out of bounds or lost it outside a water hazard, play a provisional ball before searching for the first one.
- When you have an unplayable lie, you may drop a ball at the place where you played the previous shot, adding a penalty stroke. On the tee, you may tee the ball. Alternatively, drop within two club-lengths, no nearer the hole, or any distance behind the unplayable spot, keeping it between you and the hole. If the ball is in a bunker, you must drop in the bunker, under either of the alternative options.
- On the putting green, you may repair ball marks and old hole plugs on the line of the putt, but not spike marks.
What can I do to increase my speed of play?
It is each player's responsibility to maintain a pace for 9 holes of 2 hours and 15 minutes or less. The League is expected to monitor itself for slow play and correct any problems.
- Always play without delay.
- Invite faster groups to play through.
- Don't spend more than 2 minutes looking for a ball. The ball is considered "lost" if it takes over 2 minutes to find
- No more than 2 practice swings. But please take at least one, it will minimize those "flubs".
- Play "ready" golf. If you arrive at your ball first, play regardless of whom is farthest out.
- Players on opposite sides of the fairway can play at the same time.
- When you reach the green, leave your cart or bag on the side of the green closest to the next tee so that you can exit quickly.
- Once everyone is putting, only mark your ball if it is in someone's line.
- Players should "putt out" rather than marking their ball and waiting for others to putt, if they feel comfortable doing so.
- Record your scores when you arrive at the next tee - NOT on the green you are finishing.
Can I bring my child/husband/boyfriend with me to golf league?
No. The Battelle Women's Golf League is for adult women only. For some of us, Tuesday nights are our only break from family responsibilities. We also view the league as an opportunity for professional women to meet and network with each other. All of us enjoy the opportunity to socialize freely without having to modify our behavior for "mixed company".
^TopHow do I fill out my scorecard?
- Fill out one scorecard for your foursome
- Write first and last names at the top
- Record strokes and putts for each hole
- Record chip-ins as zero putts
- If you get a "double par" put a * for the putts and count it as 3 putts.
- If there is a Most Sand, Water and Tree shots prize that night, keep track of the total number of times you hit a sand trap or water hazard or tree.
- Once you get back to the clubhouse:
- Total everyone's strokes and putts
- Have two players sign and date the card
- Give your scorecard to the league statistician, along with $1 for the prize kitty.
How do you calculate the handicaps?
Handicaps for the Battelle Women's Golf League will be computed using a method similar, but not identical, to USGA handicaps. The maximum allowable league handicap index will be 35 for nine holes.
Handicaps will be computed based on the lowest 10 of adjusted gross scores for the most recent 20 adjusted gross scores. If a player has posted fewer than 20 scores, then the following system for handicapping applies:
| Number of Scores Posted | Number of Lowest Adjusted Gross Scores Used |
|---|---|
| 1 or 2 | 1 |
| 3 or 4 | 2 |
| 5 or 6 | 3 |
| 7 or 8 | 4 |
| 9 or 10 | 5 |
| 11 or 12 | 6 |
| 13 or 14 | 7 |
| 15 or 16 | 8 |
| 17 or 18 | 9 |
| 19 or 20 | 10 |
Your nine-hole handicap index (xx.x) is calculated by taking 96% of the average of the best Handicap Differential(s). The Handicap Differential is determined using the following formula:
Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Course Slope
The final number is rounded to the nearest tenth.
Your course handicap is calculated using the following formula:
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Course Slope / 113
For league play, we treat the front 9 (holes 1-9) and the back 9 (holes 10-18) at Columbia Point as two separate courses.
| Columbia Point Course Slope and Rating | ||
|---|---|---|
| Holes | Rating | Slope |
| Front 9 | 34.7 | 117 |
| Back 9 | 32.2 | 99 |
New players to the league play their first round, post a score, and handicap based on 85% of that handicap differential is used to score the first round. Following their first round, their handicap is calculated by the regular handicapping method.
^TopHow do you calculate the points?
- You get 1 point for playing each night.
- In addition, for each division:
- 1st Place = 15 points,
- 2nd Place = 10 points,
- 3rd Place = 5 points,
- Low Gross = 5 points.
- Here's where things get complicated:
- If more than 1 player wins Low Gross, then they divide the 5 points.
- If 2 players win 1st place, then they divide the points for 1st and 2nd.
- If 3 or more players win 1st place, then they divide the points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
- If more than 1 player wins 2nd place, they divide the points for 2nd and 3rd.
- If more than 1 player wins 3rd place, they divide the 5 points for 3rd.
- Sometimes you get an extra "Weenie Point" for playing in really awful weather.
Why do I need to check my current division?
For the Long Drive Contest
When we have a long drive contest, you should compete in your current division, not the division you were in last week. The Handicaps page shows what your division will be next week. The other stats pages, for instance the Scores page, show what your division was the last time you played. Also, as the season progresses, the league statistician may change the maximum handicaps for each division in order to distribute players evenly among the three divisions.
^TopWhat are the prizes?
The league president generally give out balls and pins as hole prizes. Small cash prizes and bragging rights are given to the top point winners in each division at the end of each half-season. The league vice-president gives out various prizes at the tournaments; we leave those to her imagination!
^TopWhen do I get my prizes?
Our league president is in charge of handing out the prizes. Typically, the league president has distributed the prizes twice a year, at the mid-season and season-end tournaments. Since the league statistician doesn't post the prize winners until the morning after we play, we don't hand out prizes on the spot.
^Top