Kent Golf General Competition Conditions

UNLESS THE CONDITIONS OF A SPECIFIC COMPETITION OR CHAMPIONSHIP PROVIDE OTHERWISE, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS APPLY TO ALL EVENTS RUN BY KENT GOLF.

ENTRIES

All entries shall be subject to the approval of the Championship Committee which reserves the right to accept or refuse any entry without giving reason for their decision, which shall be final.

To be considered valid, an entry form and the requisite entry fee must be delivered by the time stated as the closing date for the event, together with all information requested in the entry form and, for a junior, the parent/guardian must have completed and submitted to Kent Golf an Annual Junior Player Profile and Parental Consent Form. The player must be an Amateur Golfer (as defined in the Rules of Amateur Status), a member of a golf club affiliated to Kent Golf and, unless otherwise stated, have a valid Handicap Index in the Worldwide Handicap System.  For a Championship, the Kent club must be their ‘home’ club. WHS requires a golfer to be identified as male or female and an individual can hold only one gender category of WHS handicap at one time.

Where there is a specified date for a final of an individual or pairs knock-out competition, entrants should be available for the final at the time of entry and, should they subsequently become unavailable, they must withdraw from the competition before playing the next round.

GENDER ELIGIBILITY

Competitions are categorized as either handicap or elite competitions: 

(a) Handicap Competitions

Handicap Competitions are either male competitions, female competitions or mixed competitions:

For male competitions, competitors are required to hold a WHS™ handicap which identifies that they are a male golfer. - For female competitions, competitors are required to hold a WHS™ handicap which identifies that they are a female golfer. - For mixed competitions, competitors may compete in the gender in which they hold their WHS™ handicap.

(b) Scratch Competitions

Scratch competitions are either male competitions, female competitions or mixed competitions.

i. For male competitions, players may compete in a competition if any of the following circumstances apply: - their Sex Assigned at Birth is male - they identify as a Transgender Man - they identify as Non-Binary

ii. For female competitions, players may compete in a competition if any of the following circumstances apply: - their Sex Assigned at Birth was female, and they have not undergone or commenced any process to transition to a Transgender Man - they identify as Non-Binary, but their Sex Assigned at Birth was female and they have not undergone or commenced any process to transition to a Transgender Man

iii. For mixed competitions: a player may only compete as a female golfer if any of the following circumstances apply: - the Sex Assigned at Birth was female, and they have not undergone or commenced any process to transition to a Transgender Man - they identify as Non-Binary, but their Sex Assigned at Birth was female and they have not undergone or commenced any process to transition to a Transgender Man a player may compete as a male golfer if any of the following circumstances apply: - their Sex Assigned at Birth was male - they identify as Transgender Man - they identify as Non-Binary.

(c) Combined Competitions

Scratch and Handicap Combined – Where there is a competition that allows individuals to play for both Prizes (scratch and handicap), the eligibility requirements for players to win in either section of that competition will continue to apply.  For example, a Transgender woman would be permitted to play in a combined competition but would only be eligible to compete for the Handicap competition prize, and not for the Scratch prize. Please refer to the Kent Golf Gender and Fairness in Competition Policy for further information.

RULES

Play will be under the Rules of the R&A in conjunction with  Kent Golf Hard Card issued on the day or, failing that, of the Host Club.  Disputes shall be referred to the Championship Committee immediately after completion of the round, and their decision will be final.

CONDUCT OF PLAYERS

Players and their caddies must abide by the Kent Golf Social Contract as published on the Kent Golf website and available from your club office; failure to do so may incur sanctions as set out in that document and/or the Kent Golf Disciplinary Code. Players are expected to comply with their obligations under the World Handicap System and record a score for every hole played. Failure to do so may result in referral to the player’s home club, disciplinary action and/or the entry of a penalty score into WHS. Where a player resides for a period of time abroad, they must return a copy of their playing record for scores to be input at their home club. Kent Golf reserves the right to refuse or cancel an entry where the handicap in WHS has not been adjusted accordingly.

DRESS CODE

Players and Caddies are expected to wear recognised golf apparel and abide by the dress code of the host club.

RIDE ON BUGGIES

Buggies may only be used in compliance with the Kent Golf Transportation Policy as published on the Kent Golf website and available from your club office.

CLUBS AND BALLS

(A) List of conforming driver heads – Model Local Rule G-1 applies;

(B) List of conforming Golf Balls – Model Rule G-3 is in effect.

Penalty for making a stroke with a club in breach of the local rule referred to in (A) above and for a breach of the local rule referred to in (B) above; in each case, Disqualification.

PACE OF PLAY

Players are expected to adhere to the Kent Golf Pace of Play Policy as published on the Kent Golf website and available from your club office or as specified on the day of play.  Failure so to do may lead to the imposition of penalties as set out in that policy.

PRACTICE ROUNDS

Competitors should make their own arrangements with the Secretary of the Host Club. A practice round may be a courtesy offered by the Host Club but competitors should be prepared to pay a green fee if required.

PRACTICE

In stroke-play, Rule 5.2b, and in match-play, Rule 5.2a, are each modified such that a player must not practice on the competition course before, between rounds or before a play-off.  Exception - All recognised practice areas within the bounds of the course may be used by players for practice on any day of competition.

WITHDRAWALS

Any player who -

(a) withdraws from an event after the draw has been published,

(b) fails to register with the Kent Golf registration desk prior to play on the day of an event,

(c) fails to appear on the tee at their appointed tee time or

(d) in a multi-round event, having qualified to continue in such event, fails to do so

shall not be entitled to any refund of entry fee.

A player who is not fit to play a round MUST inform the Golf Manager/Assistant to the Secretary.

Any player failing to adhere to this rule will be reported to the Championship Committee, who will consider each case on its merit, but their decision could lead to that player being banned from Kent Golf competitions in the future.

RESERVES

Kent Golf may maintain a reserve list for events that are oversubscribed. Should places become available, reserves will be invited to play in the order that they are listed on the reserve list. To ensure a full field, Kent Golf reserves the right at its discretion to offer places to those who can be contacted or who are present at the venue on the day, irrespective of their place on any reserve list.

CADDIES

Caddies may only be used where permitted by the conditions of a specific event. Where caddies are permitted, PGA registered professionals may not be used.

DRESS CODE

Competitors must conform in all respects with the dress rules of the host club both on and off the course.  Where a prize giving takes place after play, competitors are expected to change.

KNOCK-OUT MATCHES

For all Kent Golf knock-out events: (a) within two weeks of the draw date and, thereafter, within one week of the ‘play by' date or end date of the previous round, the Home team should make contact and offer at least three dates, spread over not less than two weeks. Should the Home team not contact the Away team within the period specified and offer dates, it will concede home advantage and the Away team may then contact the Home team and choose the venue, but must at the time of contact offer three dates, spread over not less than two weeks; (b) a player can only play represent one Kent club during the course of any team competition, (c) where a match has been arranged and the host course is open for play (whether or not with temporary greens in play or with hole closures) the match shall be played on the agreed date (as a courtesy, the home player/team should advise the visitor(s) in advance) (d) matches shall usually be played from the relevant gender’s medal tees of the host club (where this is not possible, the home player/team shall advise the visitors in advance) and (e) the result of a match shall be notified to the Kent Golf office or nominated event manager by online results form, email or by telephone as soon as is practicable after play and, in any event, by 2359 on the ‘play by’ date for that tie. Failure to notify the result by such time shall result in neither player/team progressing to the next round. 

NB Where a hole is or holes are closed, those holes shall be treated as having been played and halved and stroke indices shall be played as per the card of the full course.

ADVERSE WEATHER

If poor weather might interfere with or delay play, competitors should check the Kent Golf website and the host club website or telephone the host club or number notified by Kent Golf before travelling.  Kent Golf events cancelled due to course closure or unplayable conditions will not normally be rescheduled. Kent Golf reserves the right, at its discretion, to vary the format of an event in order to achieve a result in the time available with the intent that a result is determined with all players having played the same and same number of holes.

COUNTBACKS

Where a competition or championship specifies that countback shall be applied for tied scores, this will be by way of second 18 in a two round competition and then, or in an 18 hole competition, back 9, then, if still tied,back 6, back 3, and last hole. Thereafter, if still tied, back 10, back 11 etc through to back 17.  In the case of wholly matching cards, positions shall be determined by lot. Countbacks will apply fractions of handicap allowance for medal rounds and stableford points scored in stableford competitions.

RETURNING OF SCORECARD

A player’s scorecard is officially returned to the Committee when the player has left the administration area/scorer’s desk with both feet.

RESULTS / COMPETITION CLOSED

In match-play, the result is officially announced when it has been recorded by the Kent Golf Officials at the event or, where applicable, the County Office. In a strokeplay event, subject to the Rules of Golf, when the trophy is presented to the winner, the results of the competition are officially announced and the competition is closed.

Updated March 2025