Seniors’ League Rules and Procedures
Last Updated February 2024
1) Teams comprise 10 players aged 55 years or over. Players of any standard may play but Playing Handicaps are capped at 18. Games are played as 4 ball, better ball matchplay with players receiving 90% of their Playing Handicap (rounded) from the lowest handicap player (See procedure for calculating strokes below). A point is awarded for a win and 0.5 points for a halved match. Pairs are nominated at the discretion of the Team Captains.
2) All games will commence at 1pm unless agreed in advance by both Match Convenors.
3) All games will be played from the 1st tee.
4) A player with membership of more than one club within the Association, or joining another Association club during the year, is only permitted to represent a single club in Seniors League matches during the season.
5) Players should be ready to play at the appropriate time, as per the “order of play” which is exchanged prior to the commencement of the first game. Tee times will operate from 1pm (or earlier if agreed as above) and thereafter at 8 minute intervals.
6) In order to provide some flexibility, the practice of bringing forward or putting back individual games due to a player being delayed is permitted, but only if such action does not incur any delay to the relevant start time.
7) In the event of a player not being ready to play at the relevant time, after all the other games have commenced, then the undernoted rules shall apply:
7.1 If a player presents himself for play within 5 minutes after his starting time, his pair will lose the first hole.
7.2 If a player presents himself for play more than 5 minutes after his starting time, his pair will lose the game.
7.3 If a played fails to present himself for play. His pair will lose the game.
7.4 Alternatively, a player whose partner is delayed may elect to play as a single.
8) In the event of deteriorating course conditions due to adverse weather and in the absence of Greens staff from the home club, the responsibility to determine if the course is suitable to commence play will fall to the HOME Club playing or non-playing team Captain.
9) In the event of deteriorating weather conditions after matches have commenced, the responsibility to suspend or abandon play, as above, will again fall to the HOME Club playing or non-playing team Captain.
10) In the event of a match being abandoned all games will re-commence from the 1st tee on an agreed rescheduled date. The HOME team is responsible for offering two dates to the away team to replay the match within 3 WORKING DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE ABANDONED MATCH, and informing the Secretary of the agreed revised date of play.
If away team are unable to play on the alternate proposed dates, then the home team shall automatically be awarded a walkover.
11) In the event of teams finishing on equal points after all league matches have been played, the League winner will be determined by;
11.1 The total number of games won.
11.2 The games won in the match between the two teams.
11.3 A play off match over a neutral venue.
11.4 A sudden death play off game between two pairs, one selected from each team.
12) At the end of a match, Home teams will provide a meal for competitors. The minimum standard agreed is soup and sandwiches.
13) For avoidance of doubt, the alternative (2019) Stroke and Distance rule is not adopted by LGA.
Procedure for Calculating Strokes Received
Scottish Golf has issued new guidelines (effective April 1st 2024) for team match play events where no computer software is in use. Happily, this guidance is completely compatible with the process used to date in the LGA Seniors’ League and with the 2023 AGM decision to cap Playing Handicaps at 18.
Note: To ensure transparency and to minimise the chance of an error, it is expected that team captains perform this entire procedure TOGETHER. You should only bring your pairings and their Handicap Indexes to the match.
- Using their current WHS Handicap Index, obtain each player’s rounded Course Handicap from the course WHS table. A player’s Playing Handicap is defined as 100% of this rounded Course Handicap. Any Playing Handicap greater than 18 will be set at 18.
- For each 4 Ball, the player(s) with the lowest Playing Handicap will receive no strokes and be considered the scratch player(s). Therefore all 4 players’ Playing Handicaps shall be reduced by the lowest Playing Handicap to give their ‘Relative’ Playing Handicap.
- These ‘Relative’ Playing Handicaps should then be multiplied by 90%, then rounded to the nearest whole number, to give the number of strokes received by each player for their 4 Ball.
Example of Calculating Stokes Received
Player A has WHS Handicap Index of 12.2
Player B has WHS Handicap Index of 9.9
Player C has WHS Handicap Index of 7.6
Player D has WHS Handicap Index of 17.5
From the Course Handicap Table, the rounded course handicaps (and therefore the Playing Handicaps) for each player are as follows:
Player A: 15
Player B: 12
Player C: 9
Player D: 21, capped at 18
Player C has the lowest Playing Handicap, so this is subtracted from all the Playing Handicaps to give a ‘Relative’ Playing Handicap for each player as follows:
Player A: 15 – 9 = 6
Player B: 12 – 9 = 3
Player C: 9 – 9 = 0
Player D: 18 – 9 = 9
Finally, the strokes received by each player are calculated by taking 90% of their ‘Relative’ Playing Handicap and rounding as follows:
Player A: 6 * 90% = 5.4, rounded to 5
Player B: 3 * 90% = 2.7, rounded to 3
Player C: 0 * 90% = 0
Player D: 9 * 90% = 8.1, rounded to 8