3a Scratch Competitions

An amateur playing in a scratch competition is allowed to accept any prize, including prize money, up to a limit of £700 or US$1000 in value, per competition, unless the national governing body has set a lower limit.

For the purposes of these Rules, a scratch competition is a competition that does not have a net score element in any part of the competition and handicaps must not be used to separate players into different scratch categories. Any competition that is not a scratch competition is a handicap competition.

3b Handicap Competitions

An amateur playing in a handicap competition is not allowed to accept prize money, but may accept any other prize up to a limit of £700 or US$1000 in value, per competition, unless the national governing body has set a lower limit.

3c General

For a non-monetary prize, the value of that prize is the price at which the item is generally available to purchase from a retail source at the time the prize is accepted.

The prize limit applies to the following:

• Any tee-to-hole golf competition involving a score for a hole, regardless of where that competition is played (for example, on a golf course or a golf simulator).
• Any skills competition where the shot is played during a tee-to-hole golf competition.
• The total prizes accepted in a single competition or multiple competitions being conducted at the same time (for example, individual and team competitions).

The prize limit does not apply to the following:

• The value of trophies and other similar prizes.
• Long-drive competitions, target competitions, competitions involving specific skills, trick shots and competitions that solely involve putting (unless the competition or shot is played during a tee-to-hole golf competition).
• A prize for a hole-in-one made: 
  • Outside a tee-to-hole competition or
  • During a tee-to-hole competition, provided the length of the shot is at least 50 yards.
• Gambling or wagering among individual golfers or teams of golfers.
• Expenses to compete in a subsequent stage of the same competition.

 

 

- Scratch and Handicap Competitions
- Scratch Competitions
- Handicap Competitions
- Currency and Prize Limits
- Meaning of Tee-to-Hole Golf Competitions
- Prize of Expenses Provided by Competition Organizer to Subsequent Stage of Competition
- Deferring or Indirectly Accepting a Prize
- Meaning of Prize Money
- Donation of Prize to Charity
- Policy on Raffles, Prize Draws, etc.
- Team Competitions
- Multiple Competitions Being Conducted at the Same Time
- Order of Merit
- Trophies
- Policy on Mementoes and Gifts
- Testimonial Awards

Scratch and Handicap Competitions

Rule 3 (Prizes) differentiates between the types of prizes an amateur golfer may accept when playing in a scratch competition versus those that may be accepted when playing in a handicap competition. The Rules of Amateur Status treat every competition as either a scratch competition or a handicap competition. A competition cannot be both a scratch and handicap competition for the purposes of applying Rule 3.

Scratch Competitions

For the purposes of Rule 3, a scratch competition must be conducted using scratch (gross) scores only. A player’s handicap or their handicap index may not be used for any scoring-related functions.

• The Rules consider the following competitions to be handicap competitions:
  • Competitions where handicaps are used to divide a larger field into divisions or flights, even though only scratch (gross) scores are used to determine placing within divisions or flights.
  • Competitions using scratch (gross) and handicap (net) scoring in the same competition.
  • Competitions using player handicaps as a method to break a tie.
• But handicaps may be used in a scratch competition to limit who is eligible to enter, such as allowing entry only for players with a handicap index of 5.0 or less.

 

Handicap Competitions

For the purposes of Rule 3, any competition that is not a scratch competition is, by default, a handicap competition. Common examples of handicap competitions include competitions where:

• Handicaps are not applied to player scores, but divisions or flights are created based on player handicaps. While such a competition is played on a scratch (gross) scoring basis, the Rules treat such a competition as a handicap competition.
• The scratch (gross) and handicap (net) competitions are conducted at the same time as part of the same round or rounds.
• One or more rounds of the same competition are played as scratch and one or more rounds are played applying handicaps to scoring.
• Handicaps are applied to scoring at one stage, but not at all stages, of a multi-stage competition.

 

Currency and Prize Limits

Rule 3 refers to prize limits expressed in pound sterling (£) and US dollars (US$). However, the national governing body in a country may set the prize limit for its own country, provided it does not exceed the local currency equivalent of the limit of £700 and US$1000 in Rule 3 at the time the limit is established.

It is recognized that £700 and US$1000 are unlikely to be exactly the same value at any given time. A national governing body has the choice of which currency it uses to align its own limit.

While it is not realistic to realign the local currency equivalent on a day-to-day basis, it should be reviewed regularly to ensure it is not significantly out of line with the limits in Rule 3.

Meaning of Tee-to-Hole Golf Competitions

Rule 3 applies only to a tee-to-hole golf competition involving a score for a hole, regardless of where that competition is played (for example, on a golf course or golf simulator).

Rule 3 also applies to any skills competition where the shot is played during a tee-to-hole golf competition. For example, longest drive or nearest the hole competition when it is contested while playing a hole from tee to green as part of the competition round.

However, Rule 3 does not apply to competitions that are not part of a tee-to-hole golf competition, even when they take place on a golf course or a golf simulator. Common examples include, longest drive competitions, nearest the hole competitions, putting competitions and skills competitions where the stroke or strokes do not count as part of a round of golf. These competitions, where Rule 3 does not apply, can be conducted in conjunction with a tee-to-hole golf competition.

Prize of Expenses Provided by Competition Organizer to Subsequent Stage of Competition

When a competition organizer awards a prize for the winner or a select number of participants to receive expenses to play in a subsequent stage of the same competition, the prize limit in Rule 3 does not apply.

All or any portion of actual expenses may be paid on behalf of the player or reimbursed, including, but not limited to, entry fees to subsequent stages, travel, accommodation, meals and caddie fees.

In addition to covering actual expenses, a competition organizer may also award prizes provided they are within the limits set in Rule 3.

Deferring or Indirectly Accepting a Prize

An amateur golfer may not defer or delay the acceptance of a prize that is not allowed under Rule 3 in order to retain their amateur status. Deferring or delaying acceptance would be treated as if the prize had been accepted at the time it was won.

Additionally, an amateur golfer is not able to avoid losing their amateur status by indirectly accepting a prize through another person or redirecting a prize through their golf club or business. However, in certain circumstances the donation of a prize to charity is allowed (see “Donation of Prize to Charity”)

Meaning of Prize Money

For the purposes of Rule 3, prize money may come in many form

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