1. It is each players’ responsibility to make themselves aware of all Rules, Conditions of Competition & Eligibility for the Holden Scramble, including rules, policies of the R&A and Golf Australia. Details are available on the Holden Scramble website thescramble.wpengine.com

2. All players qualifying for the Regional Finals or the Championship Final in 2017/18 must have completed a minimum of five (5) legitimate, eligible, single handicapped competition rounds between 1 June 2017 and 28 February 2018. Handicap checks will be carried out across all levels of the event.

Penalty for breach of Condition: A two (2) stroke penalty will be applied to the team score on the first hole on the score card for every player who has not met the requirements.

3. All Regional Final qualifying teams must provide a non-playing scorer to the Regional Final event.

Penalty for breach of Condition: A half (.5) stroke reduction to the team’s Daily Handicap.

4. A team member may be substituted if he/she is unable to play in the next level of competition. Prior to the next stage of competition, the decision should be made in writing and submitted to your Holden Scramble Coordinator as to whether the substitute will accompany the team to the next stage of the Holden Scramble should they be successful, or whether the original member at Local Event level returns to the team for the next level of competition. If written notification is not submitted prior to the next stage it will be the right of the Substitute player to proceed to the next stage of Competition.

The current GA Handicap of a substituting amateur must be equal to, greater than or up to a maximum of two (2.0) strokes less than the approved GA Handicap (the handicap that was in effect when the team played at the Local Event) of the original team member. For example, if the original team member had a GA Handicap of 12.3 for the Local Event and the substitute’s GA Handicap is 15.7, then the substitute player will use a GA Handicap of 12.3 at the Regional Final to determine their Daily Handicap. If the original player had a GA Handicap of 12.1, and the substitute is off 11.2, then the substitute will use a GA Handicap of 11.2 to determine their Daily Handicap for the Regional Final.

Only two (2) substitutions will be allowed for the duration of the tournament (Note: these two substitutions cannot occur at the same stage of the tournament e.g. the substitution of a Local Event player for a Regional Final and a further substitution following a Regional Final team’s qualification for the Holden Scramble Championship Final is acceptable – the substitution of two Local Event players for a Regional Final is not permitted). More than two substitutions over the duration of the tournament will not be allowed, as the team will no longer have the identity of the team that played at the Local Event.

5. There will be NO upward adjustment of the Team’s aggregate GA Handicap or individual GA Handicaps established at any level of the Event. For example, if a team member’s GA Handicap increases between qualifying at the Local Event and playing in the Regional Final, then they must use the GA Handicap they qualified on at the Local event to determine their Daily Handicap. If a players GA Handicap decreases between Local and Regional Events, then they must use the current lower GA Handicap to determine their Daily Handicap. Should team members lose strokes from their GA Handicap then their team’s aggregate Daily Handicap is to be reduced accordingly.

6. The PGA of Australia adheres to a refund policy whereby if a participant withdraws from either a Regional Final or a Championship Final within seven (7) days of the official event date, no refund will be given for loss of event related expenses. Event related expenses may include, but are not limited to registration fees and interstate travel expenses for both players and accompanying guests.

7. An amateur player may attempt to advance to the Regional Final by playing at more than one Local Event. However, once that amateur has qualified for a Regional Final he/she is no longer eligible to compete for prizes or Regional Final qualification in any further Local Events. Competing in any subsequent Local Event for prizes or Regional Final qualification will result in the automatic disqualification of that team, and the original qualifying team may also be subject to disqualification (at the discretion of the Holden Scramble Rules Committee).

It is the responsibility of the Team to notify the coordinator of their Holden Scramble Event that their team entry is deemed social and they cannot accept any prizes or further Regional Final qualification on that day.

Please Note: The Holden Scramble and the Women’s Holden Scramble are separate events and so it is permissible for an individual to qualify for both the Holden Scramble Regional Final and the Women’s Holden Scramble State Final.

8. A handicap verification process will take place at all Regional Final events. Photo ID may be required to be provided by each team member to verify their Golf Australia Handicap.

Failure to provide photo ID when requested: Team Disqualification.

9. Should the Holden Scramble Rules Committee become aware of a breach of the Tournament Rules or Conditions of Competition by an individual or team after a Local Event has been completed, but before the Regional Final has commenced and a penalty to the team score is to be made, this penalty must be applied and may result in a change to the provisional results posted on the day, with a different team progressing to the Regional Final.

If, after the Regional Final commences it is reported to the Holden Scramble Rules Committee that a handicapping, Rules or Condition of Competition breach occurred by a team during the Local Event that would have resulted in a team failing to qualify for the Regional Final, the team concerned will be disqualified from event.

10. All teams that qualify at a host venue, regardless of how many qualifying events may be conducted at that host venue, must play in the same Regional Final. Any variation to this Condition will be at the discretion of the Holden Scramble Rules Committee. For example an exception to this may be when the club hosts a Local Event for a Golf Australia bona- fide club or a club hosts a large number of Local Events.

11. Teams who qualify for a Regional Final are required to play on a neutral course, other than at the venue which hosted the Local Event. Any variation to this Condition will be at the discretion of the Holden Scramble Rules Committee.

12. The PGA of Australia reserves the right to suspend teams or individuals from competing in the event pending investigation of handicapping discrepancies. An amateur who is found to misrepresent his/her handicap or who breaches a Holden Scramble Tournament Rule or Condition of Competition may be disqualified from further play.

13. The Holden Scramble Rules Committee reserves the right to suspend those players who breach Handicap Conditions, Tournament Rules or Conditions of Competition from future tournament participation. Where necessary, amateur infractions shall be reported to the applicable State or National bodies.

14. If, during the current or previous Holden Scramble season, an amateur player has had their Holden Scramble handicap (HSH) assessed to a lower figure by the Holden Scramble Rules Committee and this HSH adjustment has been accepted by the player, they will be subject to the same assessed HSH for events in the current season. However, should the player’s Golf Australia handicap be reduced to a figure lower than the assessed HSH, the revised Golf Australia handicap will be used. It is the amateur player’s responsibility to inform the coordinator of their Holden Scramble Event of this adjustment.
After the period of the HSH adjustment, the amateur player must reapply to the Holden Scramble Rules Committee, who at which point will confirm the official Holden Scramble handicap that will apply.

15. The PGA of Australia may, in its absolute discretion, determine whether to accept or refuse a player’s entry into the Holden Scramble at any level of the competition.

16. If an amateur player’s tournament playing privileges are suspended by a facility, he/she shall be considered ineligible until the suspension has been lifted, or until he/she has ceased to play at the facility for a period of one year, or whichever comes first. In either case, a new handicap must be established through an approved Golf Australia method.

17. If an individual wishes to make a claim or request an appeal against a ruling that has been made, such claim or request must be received in writing by the PGA no later than seven (7) days after the event or ruling of concern and must be submitted using the appropriate claim form. This form and an outline of the claim process can be obtained by contacting the PGA Events Division on holdenscramble@pga.org.au.