Willie Bell Memorial Trophy Rules and Procedures
Last Updated November 2024
1) Teams comprise 10 players. Players with a WHS HI between 6.0 and 24.0 are eligible.
2) The intent of the LGA Willie Bell Memorial Trophy is to provide friendly team competition for players who do not habitually play in either the LGA Summer or Seniors’ League. To help ensure all clubs can field full teams for all matches this will not be strictly enforced, but it is expected that all teams will be selected in this spirit.
3) 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 game. Pairs and their order are nominated at the discretion of the team convenors.
4) Matches will commence at a time agreed by the team convenors, on a day nominated by the home team convenor in the week determined by LGA.
5) All games will be played from the 1st tee.
6) A player may only represent a single club during any given season and must be a member of that club at the time of play.
7) 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. Games will tee off at 8 minute intervals.
8) 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.
9) In the event of a player not being ready to play once all the other games have commenced:
9.1 If he presents himself within 5 minutes of his tee time, his pair will lose the first hole
9.2 If he does not present himself within 5 minutes of his tee time, his pair will lose the game, or his partner may play the ENTIRE game as a single
10) In the event of deteriorating course conditions due to adverse weather, and in the absence of appropriate staff from the home club, the responsibility to determine if the course is suitable to commence play will fall to the home team convenor.
11) In the event of deteriorating weather conditions after matches have commenced, and in the absence of appropriate staff from the home club, the responsibility to suspend or abandon play falls to the home team convenor.
12) 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 shall offer two dates to the away team to replay the match as soon as possible.
If the away team are unable to play on either proposed date, then the home team shall be awarded a 5 – 0 win.
The home team convenor shall keep the LGA Secretary informed of progress in rescheduling any abandoned match.
13) In the event of teams finishing on equal points after all league matches have been played, the winner will be determined by;
13.1 the total number of games won then, if still equal,
13.2 the games won in the match between the two teams then, if still equal,
13.3 a play-off match at a neutral venue then, should the play-off be tied,
13.4 a sudden death play-off game between a pair selected from each team starting at the 1st tee, and with strokes calculated as if a ‘normal’ game
14) The home team will provide hospitality for all participants. The expected minimum standard is for soup and sandwiches after play, although it is recognised that clubs may require to make alternative arrangements dependant on their capability and circumstances.
15) 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.
- 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.
- 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
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: 21 – 9 = 12
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: 12 * 90% = 10.8, rounded to 11