TOURNAMENT FORMAT

All regular series events will be 54 holes and will cut after 36 holes to the low 35% of the field plus ties.  

A “Flex Cut” will be implemented for all tournaments with 100+ player fields.  Flex is defined as the cut made at the closest number to 35% of the field.  In case of a tie, the cut will be made at the lower number.

Example (100 player tournament/35 players): If there are 33 players at one under par and 40 players at even par, the cut would be one under par.

eGolf Gateway Tour West allows up to two (2) exemptions at each tournament site in which these players do not contribute to the purse.  These players will not be counted when figuring the amount of players that make the cut.

eGolf Gateway Tour West allows an unlimited amount of amateurs to play in their events (if the field is not full).  These amateurs are paying a lesser entry fee for the event in which for every two amateurs that play that will be considered as one professional when figuring the amount of players that make the cut. 

36 holes must be completed for an event to stand as a completed Tournament, as we will not play beyond the final scheduled day of the event. In the event a tournament cannot be completed due to weather, the purse will be distributed evenly to the players, less tournament expenses (i.e. green fees, staff, etc.).

ELIGIBILITY

Members

To become a member of eGolf Gateway Tour West, a player must submit an application online or print and mail one to the tour office. Applications are accepted on a first come first serve basis and the tour reserves the right to reject any application.  

Non-Members

A non-member may purchase unlimited individual tournament spots on a space available basis.  Members, Non-Members, and Amateurs may register for events as far in advance.  

Non-member earnings are considered unofficial and do not count toward member benefits.                                                           

Amateurs

All amateurs participating in a eGolf Gateway Tour West event must have a U.S.G.A. handicap of 5 or less and will be granted entry on a space available basis.

 MEMBERSHIP FEES

Tour Membership

$1,750.00 - $2,000.00

Membership is effective October, 2014 through September, 2015 and is valid toward entry into all eGolf Gateway Tour tournaments. 

TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEES

Full Payment for Members
All Fourteen (14) Fall, Winter, Spring Series Events:     $13,300 ($950 per tournament) 

Tournament Series for Members
Fall Series:                               $4,200 ($1,050 per tournament)
Winter Series:                          $5,250 ($1,050 per tournament)
Spring Series:                           $5,250 ($1,050 per tournament)

5-Tournament Series for Non-Members
Fall Series:                               $6,250 ($1,250 per tournament)
Winter Series:                          $6,250 ($1,250 per tournament)
Spring Series:                           $6,250 ($1,250 per tournament) 

Week-to-Week
Members:                                 $1150 per tournament
Non-Members:                          $1350 per tournament
Amateur:                                  $600 per tournament

Members and Non-Members are allowed to purchase unlimited individual tournament spots.  Non-Member earnings are considered unofficial.

Exemptions

Playing exemptions are nontransferable, have no cash value, may not be purchased, and are not redeemable for cash under any circumstances. In the event a tournament(s) must be cancelled, eGolf Gateway Tour West, at its sole discretion, will honor the playing exemption at a future date. 

PAYMENT DEADLINES

Tournament Payments

The payment deadline for all events is 5:00 p.m. Monday the week prior to an event. Players who wish to register after the Monday deadline will be charged a $50 late fee and are subject to acceptance on a space available basis. Members, Non-Members, and Amateurs may register for events as far in advance as possible. It is solely the responsibility of the player to know whether or not he is in the tournament field.

Acceptable Forms of Payment

The tour accepts wire transfers, cashiers checks, money orders and credit cards (Visa, MC, and Amex) as acceptable forms of payment. A 3% transaction fee is automatically applied to all payments made by credit card.  A $30 transaction fee must be included to all bank wire transfer totals when submitted.

Checks

No personal checks accepted, unless pre-approved by the eGolf Gateway Tour office. Any returned check will result in a $50 service fee and loss of check writing privileges.  

  REFUND POLICIES

Membership Payments
Memberships are non-refundable.*

*Upon request, a member who obtains any level of status onto the 2015 Web.com Tour, but has not yet participated in an eGolf Gateway Tour 2014-2015 tournament(s) as a member, will be entitled to a full refund.

A member who obtains any level of status onto the 2015 Web.com Tour, but has participated in an eGolf Gateway Tour tournament(s) as a member, will be entitled to a prorated refund. 

Once the membership refund has been issued, the player may participate in eGolf Gateway Tour tournaments as a non-member and pay non-member entry fees.  If a player wishes to continue playing eGolf Gateway Tour events at member pricing, they are not eligible for a refund.

Tournament Refund

A full refund will be issued to a player wishing to withdraw their tournament entry fee without penalty until 5:00 pm Friday the week prior to a tournament. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a forfeit of any monies paid to the tour.  This does not apply to players who have bought an entry fee package. 

Medical Refund

If a player is unable to participate due to medical reasons, causing the field to be reduced; the purse will also be reduced.  The eGolf Gateway Tour Tournament Director must be notified at least 48 hours in advance in order for a medical refund to be considered.  A doctor’s note must be submitted to the tour office before a refund check will be issued.  Once a player hits an official shot in an event, there are no refunds, regardless of medical reason.  All medical refunds will incur a 20% administrative charge to the total entry fee paid. (Sample Formula:  80% of $1000 = $800 refund)

PGA, Web.com, Champions & European Tour Refunds

Any player who qualifies for a PGA Tour, Web.com, Champions Tour or European Tour event before the first day of play will receive a full refund of their entry fee, if the events coincide.  Once a player hits an official shot in an event, there are no refunds, regardless of whether or not they gain entry into that week's PGA, Web.com, Champions or European Tour event.

No Show/Withdrawal Refund

No-shows will not be tolerated. Any player who no-shows or withdraws from an event will forfeit their entry fee.

PRACTICE ROUNDS 

Practice rounds will be available at all tournament sites; times and days may vary.  Players are responsible for practice rounds, including reserving tee times and any fees that may apply.  

PURSE

Prize Money

Checks are distributed to members at the next scheduled event, or upon request, the check(s) can be mailed to the player’s address on file.  Non-member earnings will be mailed to the address on file.  All checks are mailed within 7 days upon completion of an event. No check(s) will be distributed without a player’s U.S. Social Security Number or U.S. Tax ID number on file with eGolf Gateway Tour.  Non-Resident Alien players must have an IRS W-8 BEN form on file and according to IRS regulations; the tour will withhold 30% of all earnings for taxes. Players are responsible for correct Names, Social Security Numbers and Addresses. Any check(s) not cashed by the end of the calendar year will be forfeited to the tour, without exception. Fees for reissue of lost check(s): $50.00 per issue.

Direct Deposit Payment
eGolf Gateway Tour members will have the option for direct deposit payment. This means that instead of being paid with a check, players will have their earnings directly deposited into their bank accounts. All direct deposit payments will be made within seven (7) days of the tournament's final round. Players can sign up for this service by contacting the eGolf Gateway Tour office.

GROOVE POLICY 

Effective January 1, 2011, all eGolf Gateway Tour players must use grooves that conform to the USGA's newly-established standards for all clubs 25 degrees and higher. Please see the USGA website for full details at http://www.usga.org.

PAIRINGS 

Pairings will be a random draw for the first two (2) events of the year.  All pairings for the remainder of the year will be based on the official money list.  Tee times will be posted on the website 36 hours in advance and in the golf shop 24 hrs in advance.  No requests will be taken for tee times.

PACE OF PLAY

Rule 6-7 states, in part: The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid down by the Committee.  The following pace of play guidelines, penalties and fines for stroke play competitions have been adopted:

Definition of “Out of Position”

The first threesome or foursome to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they exceed the time allotted to play, as detailed on the applicable course’s Pace of Play Chart.

Any subsequent group will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they (a) exceed the allotted time to play or (b) reach a par-3 hole is open and free of play or reach a par-4 or par-5 hole and have not cleared the teeing ground before the hole is open and free of play. 

NOTE: The Rules Committee reserves the right to time a group when the Rules Committee deems it necessary. 

Monitoring Group

When play is in threesomes, the first group in each segment to start will be notified by a AAGT Rules Official of monitoring and timing. Any subsequent group out of position will not be informed of monitoring and timing unless asked by the player(s). 

When play is in twosomes, all groups will be informed by an eGolf Gateway Tour Rules Official of monitoring. 

Timing

At the discretion of the Rules Committee, once a group is determined to be out of position, players in the group may be timed.  Other than on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke will begin when it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction.  Time spent determining yardages will count as time taken for the next stroke.

On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to mark, lift, clean, and replace his ball, repair his ball mark and other ball marks on his line of putt and remove loose impediments on his line of putt. 

NOTE: A player is permitted 40 seconds to play a stroke, and an extra 20 seconds (for a total of 60 seconds) will be allowed for: 

(a) the first player to play a stroke on a par-3 hole; 

(b) the first player to play a second stroke on a par-4 or par-5 hole; 

(c) the first player to play a third stroke on a par-5 hole; 

(d) the first player to play around the putting green; and 

(e) the first player to play on the putting green 

Any player in a group being timed, who exceeds the applicable time to play a stroke, will be informed as soon as practicable. 

Penalties During a Round

First Offense:  One timing exceeding the applicable time to play a stroke, no penalty and name added to offender list.

Second Offense:  One more timing (total of two) exceeding the applicable time to play a stroke, a fine of $50.00. 

Third Offense:  One more timing (total of three) exceeding the applicable time to play a stroke, a two (2) stroke penalty. 

Fourth Offense:  One more timing (total of four) exceeding the applicable time to play a stroke, disqualification from the event. 

OFFENDER LIST:  Players in receipt of a warning or penalty for pace of play will be noted on the offender list, which will be posted on the Tour’s information board and score board area for all tournaments remaining within the series.  Pace of play offenders will be paired together for all remaining events.  Offender names will be removed from the list and return to regular pairings once a player has completed an entire event without any pace of play delays. 

NOTE:  Any timing exceeding the applicable time to play will be carried over throughout the round. 

In the administration of the pace of play guidelines, a member of the Rules Committee shall not tolerate abuse, oral or otherwise, by a player. Such abuse may constitute conduct unbecoming a professional and possible termination from the Tour without refund. 

CONDUCT POLICY

eGolf Gateway Tour will maintain a strict no tolerance policy on any behavior unbecoming a professional which includes but not limited to vulgar language, club throwing, and damage to the golf course or golf course property. If the tour cannot determine who has damaged the golf course or golf course property the purse will be reduced to cover any costs due to the damage.  eGolf Gateway Tour will not tolerate any use of illegal drugs or abuse of any prescription drugs.  Any violation of the drug use policy will result in an automatic dismissal from eGolf Gateway Tour. eGolf Gateway Tour will not allow any alcohol or gambling at any tournament site during a stipulated round. Following completion of the stipulated round, consumption of alcohol should be limited to the clubhouse lounge and locker room areas only. 

First offense for violation of this policy is a $500 fine, second offense is a $1,000 fine, and third offense is automatic dismissal from eGolf Gateway Tour without refund; no exceptions.  All fines are due to be paid in full before the conclusion of the event. *

* If uncollected, these fines will be deducted from the current week’s purse, with the name(s) of offender(s) publicly posted to the tournament field.

     -Any conduct disputes will go before the tournament committee in which the decision of the tournament committee shall be final. 

     -The Tour reserves the right to disqualify a player at any time for breach of conduct.  The player will forfeit all earnings from the stipulated tournament in that case.

Appeals

Any appeal of a penalty and fine must be referred to the on-site 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, any penalties and fines shall stand.  

SCORING

All players are required to return their scorecards to the scoring area immediately following the tournament round. The scoring area will be determined by the committee and defined by a tent, rope, or the specific room in which it is located. A scorecard is deemed returned once the player has left this defined area. 

ATTIRE

Slacks are preferred, but Bermuda length shorts are permitted. No denim allowed. All shirts must reflect appropriate attire, and must be tucked in at all times. All hats must be worn forward. All caddies must abide by the same regulations as the players.  Caddies may not wear sandals, flip flops, or golf shoes with spikes. Tennis shoes or teaching shoes are preferred. Players are responsible for their caddies. eGolf Gateway Tour is a “soft-spikes” only tour; no metal spikes are permitted. Players must wear slacks and a collared shirt to all meetings, Championships, and eGolf Gateway Tour hosted events. 

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Cell Phones

Use of cellular telephones is prohibited on golf course property except in the parking lot of the respective club. Use of your cellular phone is always prohibited in the clubhouse at any event.  Any breach is subject to a fine up to $1,000.00 and possible disqualification from the tournament. Cell phone use is allowed during suspense of play in appropriate areas. 

I-Pods

I-Pods will only be permitted on the driving range and putting green before and after tournament rounds.  I-Pods are not allowed during competition. Any breach is subject to a fine up to $1,000.00 and possible disqualification from the tournament.  

Range Finders

Range finders are allowed in eGolf Gateway Tour events.  Players may not use devices that measure slope, wind or anything other than distance.  Electronic devices that have slope measuring capabilities must be turned off prior to the round.  Members and non-members may purchase a yardage book at the golf course for a cost of $15.00.

As of 1/1/15 all distance measuring devices that measure slope, wind or anything other than distance will not be allowed. Even if those features can be disable those rangefindesr are not allowed. Penalty for breach of this rule is disqualification.

CARTS AND CADDIES

Carts

All players are permitted to use golf carts.  Two carts per group and two people per cart allowed.*  If at any time there are more than two people per cart then each individual in or on the cart will receive up to a $100.00 fine.  All carts must be kept on the path around tees and greens; failure to do so will be subject to a $100.00 fine.  Please note that when play has been suspended and the golf course is being evacuated this rule does not apply.  Walking and pull carts are allowed on eGolf Gateway Tour as long as pace of play guidelines are being followed.

Spectator golf carts are not allowed unless approved by the Tournament Director.

Caddies

Caddies are permitted and may ride on carts based on availability; players have priority on riding. *Any person riding in a cart other than the player is considered the player’s caddie; and with such, will be subject to all caddie stipulations stated in the official U.S.G.A. Rules of Golf. 

SUSPENSION OF PLAY 

Due to Dangerous Situation

Play may be suspended due to dangerous situations. A suspension of play for a dangerous situation shall be signaled by one long air horn blast. After a horn or siren has sounded, players must immediately halt play and may not resume again until the Committee has ordered to do so. Under suspension, the entire golf course, driving range, putting greens and all practice areas are closed. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification.

Due to Non-Dangerous Situation

Suspension of play due to fog, excessive rain, ice, wind or darkness is not considered dangerous and will be signaled by three (3) consecutive air horn blasts. Players in the process of playing the hole may complete the hole. Players in between the play of two holes must stop immediately. 

PLAYOFFS 

All 1st place ties will be determined by a sudden-death playoff, which will immediately follow regulation play beginning on a hole chosen by the tournament committee.

ADVISORY BOARD

The mission of the eGolf Gateway Tour Advisory Board is to formulate policy and direct the operation of the tour with active tour members having primary control.  This mission will be accomplished by creating accountability at every level to ensure that all decisions made are in the best interest of the players, the tour, and the entire professional developmental golf system.

The Advisory Board will be led by active players in the developmental system and will also consist of existing and past tour owners, active PGA Tour players, and other knowledgeable industry and business executives.

The Advisory Board will operate at all times under these guiding principles:

• 100% of members’ money will be directed towards tour expenses and purses.
• The entire Advisory Board has the opportunity to provide feedback on every decision.
• The actions of the tour, and the Advisory Board, will be clearly communicated to the general public at all times.

DISCLAIMER

eGolf Gateway Tour reserves the right to refuse entry to any player for any reason.

eGolf Gateway Tour is not responsible for items stolen, lost or damaged at any practice facility, host or secondary golf courses.

Participants in eGolf Gateway Tour tournaments are responsible for any damage they cause to the golf course and/or property of the golf course. 

           

 

 

Updated 11/14/