Tour Rules

Please take your time to read & understand the 2008 I-Tour Rules. 

Please become familiar with the USGA Rules of Golf. Below are a few I-Tour Rules we ask all players to review in addition to the USGA rulings.  It is the responsibility of each player to obtain and familiarize themselves with the USGA rulebook, if they have not already done so.

2008 I-TOUR RULES

1. Keep pace with the group in front of you & Hit when ready!

2. You are NOT Eligible for the I-Tour if:

   	You ever held a PGA Tour Card….or won money on a PGA Tour event
   	You ever won money in Tight Lies Tour or US Pro Golf Tour (2-years)
   	You ever held a Nationwide Tour Card….or won money on a Nationwide Tour event

3. We allow only 2 minutes to look for your lost ball

4. I-Tour Handicaps are straight and will not be applied to course handicaps. All Player Handicaps will be adjusted after every 2008 I-Tour Event.

5. A (-6) Net cap is in effect for all Flights through our the entire 2008 I-Tour Season. If 2 or more players are capped for first place at (-6) there will be a scorecard playoff for first place, starting on the #1 handicap hole.  Pay-Outs and Awards will be given immediately for each flight once the last group in your flight

6. We do not have a "One Ball Rule" for our Golf Tour.  Although you may not change golf balls in the middle of a hole.  In other words, which ever ball you tee off with on each hole is the same one you must finish that hole with.  You MAY NOT tee off with one ball and put with different ball on the same hole.

7. All GPS, Range Finders, Pin Finders, Binoculars, Lasers, etc  is now legal for the Individual Golf Tour.  This includes Sky Caddie, Bushnell Yardage Pro, PDA Software with GPS. We are making it all legal.  Our goal is to speed up play for our golf tournaments, and we want to eliminate players walking off yardage, etc.  Please note this is not a give up on our end, we feel technology will assist in our pace of play....go out and get it.  Besides, even if you know it is 178 yds to the flag, you still have to hit the shot.

8. All Players are allowed to use Course Provided GPS system via golf carts when we play those courses.  This is the only time your are allowed to use them as all players will have access to this tool in each golf cart.

9. Play your ball out on every hole!...NO GIMMIES

. No Mulligans; No Illegal equipment.  14 club maximum....But you already know that.

10. All Players shall abide by the dress code in effect at the club at which they are playing.

11. Any discrepancies not covered by league rules will be sent to the I-Tour Director

12. You may not improve your lie (i.e. moving the ball from rough to fairway, fairway to fringe, or fringe to green).

13. Provisional Shot: 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, please play your next shot from the approximate spot the ball went out of bounds and you are now hitting “4".   For speed of play reasons, I-TOUR PLAYERS NEVER return to the tee to hit another ball after searching for a lost ball.

14. I-TOUR LOST BALL RULE:  You may search for a lost ball for up to 2 minutes, after which you must take a one stroke penalty and drop a ball within 2 club lengths from where the ball entered the hazard, along the flight path, no closer to the hole. Because we only allow you to look for your ball for 2-minutes, it will be a 1-stroke penalty unless:  It is near white stakes (which we then declare your ball is out of bounds) which will = 2 stroke penalty

15. RAINOUT- 9 HOLE EVENTS:  No one likes it when I-Tour events are rained out before we finish 18 holes.  In the event of a rainout, The I-Tour reserves the right to do full payouts for your flight if 75% of your flight completed 9 holes.  This means it will convert the expected 18-hole event to a 9-hole event.  All Entry fees will count, all Skins & Deuces will be paid out.  No one likes a rainout , but please be aware that if play is stopped, your first 9-holes may count.

 The Individual Tour reserves the right to convert an event to a 9-hole event at any time due to current or anticipated weather.

16. DRIVING RANGE: The Driving Range will be played as Out of Bounds for all I-Tour Events unless it is announced otherwise, even if it is not marked. If there is still a question of whether you are in bounds or not, your foursome may make the decision as a group if where the Driving Range begins & ends.  If there is still debate then the Golf Course Staff or your I-Tour Staff will make an official ruling.  We deems this as too much of a liability, so if you hit your first tee shot (or any shot) to the Driving Range...you must hit three from the box. 

17. UNPLAYABLE LIE: If your ball is unplayable (for example, against a tree), you may drop a ball within two club lengths of the point where the ball lay, but not nearer to the hole. You must add one penalty stroke. Note: If your ball is unplayable in a bunker or in the rough, it must be dropped within that same bunker or rough.

18. ARTIFICIAL OBSTRUCTION:  (such as a bench, water fountain, shelter, house, or protective screen): If your ball lies on or touches an artificial obstruction, or when an immovable obstruction within two club lengths of the ball interferes with your stance or stroke, you may without penalty pick up the ball and drop it within two club lengths of the original lie, but not nearer the hole.

19. CASUAL WATER, GROUND UNDER REPAIR: If your ball lies in or touches casual water, ground under repair, or a hole made by a burrowing animal, you may obtain relief without penalty. Your ball may be lifted and dropped as near as possible to the original lie, but not nearer the hole. If your ball requires such relief in a bunker, it must be dropped within the bunker. If you elect to drop behind the bunker, you must count one penalty stroke. (Casual water is a puddle of rain water or hose water--not a creek or pond.)

20. WATER HAZARD (Creek, pond, or ditch): If your ball cannot be played out of the hazard, you must drop behind the hazard, not nearer the hole, and count one penalty stroke.

21. NO GROUNDING OF CLUB IN BUNKER OR WATER HAZARD: This means that as you address your ball you must not let your club touch the sand in a bunker or the water or ground in a hazard until the actual down stroke. Grounding the club is a one stroke penalty.

22. TALL GRASS: If the ball lands in tall grass, (which means you can see your ball), you can either play it where it lies or you can drop a ball two club lengths from point of entry into the tall grass with a one stroke penalty (no closer to the hole).

23. No player shall play in the presence of lightning.

24. Count every stroke: A stroke is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of fairly striking the ball. Every stroke counts, including whiffs. (A whiff is when you attempt to hit the ball, but miss it entirely.) It is your responsibility to your opponent's strokes on each hole. If you do not agree at the end of a hole, discuss it before play is started on the next hole. If it cannot be resolved, then the player(s) who questions the score should not sign the scorecard but should bring it to the attention to the I-Tour Director for consideration and recommendations at the end of round. If a ball falls off the tee or is knocked off by a player addressing it, the ball may be re-teed without penalty

25. All players are responsible for keeping an accurate score for their cart passenger; NO ONE is allowed to keep their own scorecard.

 If you sign an incorrect scorecard, you will be disqualified.

26. To register for any event you must remit your entry fee either online, by fax, or by mail in the I-Tour Office by the listed deadline listed on the official 2008 Website. Any and all entries made after the Tour deadline will carry a $10 late entry fee and are on a space available basis.

27. The I-Tour reserves the right to approve/deny all membership applications in the best interest of the I-Tour

28. Four strokes over-par (+4) is the maximum score allowed on a given hole. (On a par three, seven is the maximum score. On a par four, eight is the maximum. On a par five, nine is the maximum.) If you miss your triple bogey putt, you may pick your ball up and move on to the next hole after the four over-par stroke maximum is reached.

29. With less than 14 players in any Flight , The I-Tour reserves the right to combined Flights into "1" with deeper payouts for that tournament and play from the same tees.   (e.g. if Flight A has 11 players & Flight B has 11 players, then we will play that event as a 1 Flight 22 player Field playing from the same tees.