Savannah Senior Strikers' FAQ/Local Golf Rules

Joining the Savannah Senior Strikers Golf organization requires potential members to complete three rounds of golf to establish their prog and pay annual dues. During this trial period, they can participate in skins and closest to the pin challenges, but not the prog challenge. Once their prog is confirmed, individuals have the option to become a full member by paying annual dues before their fourth round of golf. Non-members are welcome to play if invited but cannot take part in any challenges: prog, closest to the pin, or skins.

Exceptions need direct approval from the president.

Effective immediately, the following rules apply to our double bogey blitz:

- Score adjustments will no longer be made based on minimum (20) or maximum (50) ranges. Your score is your score!

Prog Adjustment Criteria After the Blitz:

1. If your score is -1, +1, or even, your Prog remains unchanged.

2. If your score is -2 or lower, it decreases by one point.

3. If your score is +2 or higher, your prog will increase one for every 2 over.

Example:

Initial Prog: 40

Score: 45

Plus/minus: +5

Adjusted Prog: 42

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:

To play golf with the Savannah Senior Strikers, you need to book your tee time as early as possible.

---------------

Savannah Senior Strikers (Tee-Times and Booking Management)

Booking in advance helps us know what tee time we will need. Certain courses require us to send a list of who will be playing on a given day. If we get fully booked, and you just show up, there is a chance you will be denied to play.

Bottom, please book as soon as you know you will be playing that day.

If you hit your ball out of bounds or lose it, you have three minutes to search for your ball before it becomes lost, your only option is to go back to the spot of your previous stroke to play under stroke and distance. There are only a few exceptions to this when it is known or virtually certain what happened to your ball.

There is also an optional Local Rule which provides an alternative to stroke and distance relief when it is in effect. If it is in effect, for one penalty strokes, you can estimate the spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds and then find the nearest fairway edge that is not nearer the hole than the estimated spot. You can drop a ball in the fairway within two club-lengths of that fairway edge point, or anywhere between there and the estimated spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds. We also allow you to drop the ball in the middle of the fairway for a two stroke penalty.

If you think that your ball might be out bounds or that you might not find it, you can play a provisional ball to save time. You must announce that you are playing a provisional ball before doing so. If you are then unable to find your original ball, or you find it out of bounds, your provisional ball is your ball in play under stroke and distance, and you don’t have to take the time to walk all the way back to the spot of your previous stroke.

Local Rule

1. Play the ball down on the golf course, except for the fairways and the first cut of grass near the greens. In those areas you may apply lift, clean, and place according to the local rule (180° longest club in bag no closer to the hole). This rule is always in effect, during course conditions: 90-degree and , Cart path only

a) 90-degree

 Add bunker rule. If standing water in bunker, move to dry area to improve your lie. You make also rake at this point.

b) Cart Path Only

Add to the lift, clean, and place local rule to all over the course except for hazards. Add bunker rule, improve your lie.

d) Bunkers

Bunker area play. When the 90° cart path, cart path only, or winter rules are in effect, players have some additional options for playing from a bunker. They can lift, clean, and place (180° longest club in bag no closer to the hole) within the bunker. They are also allowed to improve their lie using a rake. However, if there is erosion or standing water preventing ball placement within the bunker, players can place the ball outside the bunker, with the bunker still between the ball and the hole. 

e) Hazards

Hazard area play. No change, USGA Rule 17

Bunker play, temporary water.

When the 90° Cart path, Cart path only, are IN EFFECT, players have some additional options for playing from a bunker. They can lift, clean, and place (180° longest club in bag no closer to the hole) within the bunker. They are also allowed to improve their lie using a rake (local rule). BALL MUST BE PLAYED FROM THE BUNKER! USGA Rule 16.1c(1)

The blitz administrator is the only one who can end a round.. Simply quitting without informing the administrator does not constitute the start of the Inclement Weather Rules. If the round is not completed due to inclement weather (18 holes), scores will not be recorded on the official prog score sheet. In most cases we will have a payout!

Both proximity markers should be placed on the first two par three holes (front side) to ensure fairness for all participants. This allows everyone to have an equal opportunity to complete the Close to the Pin challenge. 

The Skin game concludes when the last group completes the last hole played. If the field of play (blitz) is called off due to inclement weather, the Skins will be determined by the holes completed up to that point. 

Example: If holes 1-12 are completed by the first and last groups, the Skins will be determined by those holes.

The first and last group, either in part or whole, must complete holes 1 through 9 (front side).

If holes 1 through 9 are not completed by the first and last group, either part or whole, the prog bets are called off (Canceled). The prog pot money will be returned to each participant.

If holes 1 through 9 (front side) are completed and the course of play is called off, the nine-holes (front side) score will be tallied and multiplied by two, pressing the individual's current progs (+/-). 

Starting in 2025, all par threes will be in play for closet to the pin. If the course has 5 par 3's, four will be determined prior to the start of the round.