Updated November 2005
1. The League was formed initially in 1971, by representatives of Calcot Park, Goring & Streatley, Newbury and Crookham and Reading Golf Clubs. Subsequently enlarged by the addition of Henley and Sonning, and more recently by East Berkshire Golf Club, with the primary aim of fostering greater incentive and keener competition between the Clubs in the area. In 1998 a 2nd Division was formed with Bearwood Lakes, Castle Royle, Sandford Springs, West Berkshire and Windlesham. In 1999 the 2nd Division was expanded to seven teams with the addition of Sand Martins and Wokefield Park. In 2000 a 3rd Division was formed with East Berkshire 2nd Team, Aspect Park, Badgemore Park, Harleyford and The Lambourne clubs joining. In 2001 the 3rd Division was expanded for the 2002 playing season to include Parasampia and Caversham Heath Golf Clubs.
2. Each year there will be an annual dinner and the winning club shall be given the opportunity of arranging the dinner at their own club premises unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Numbers to attend to be governed by available facilities and additional to Team Captains, Club Secretaries and team members, other guests shall be invited where possible in accordance with established custom. The Trophies and team prizes will be presented at the dinner.
3. Each year a Summer Meeting will be held at the various clubs on a rota basis, the format to be determined on an annual basis depending on the facilities available at the host club and the number of teams in the League. Teams could include Club Captain, Secretary, Professional, Junior and President.
RULES
1. (a) Clubs will play each other twice in a season, once during April - June, and once during the period July - mid October.
(b) The League will consist of three Divisions each containing seven Clubs. The Winners and Runners-Up of Divisions Two and Three are promoted each season. The bottom two Clubs of Divisions One and Two are relegated each season. In the event that any club has more than one team in the League no team can be promoted into a division in which a team from that club already exists. The next qualified team in the lower division shall be promoted instead. In the event of a team being relegated into a division in which a team from the same club already resides then the latter team shall also be relegated, unless it has qualified for promotion, instead of the higher placed of the teams which should be relegated. Any prizes will be awarded in accordance with placement in each division regardless of promotion.
(c) The League Trophies will be awarded to the winners of each Division with other team and individual prizes being awarded as agreed at the Annual General Meeting.
2. (a) Matches will be on Saturday afternoons, on neutral courses, on dates and times agreed with the Host Club, who will ensure that the tee is reserved for a suitable period prior to the start of play. The Host Club will not play matches on their own course. The remaining teams will play at the Host Club in accordance with a match programme prepared by the League Secretary. Each match will be between 2 teams comprising 3 pairs playing scratch foursomes over 18 holes, the result being determined by holes up or down in each match. The starting time of the first match will be as stated in the match programme, and thereafter matches will start at 6 minute intervals.
(b) It is the responsibility of Captains of competing teams to ensure their readiness to start play at the appropriate time. However, "an unjustified no show" will be dealt with on a Yellow card/Red card system. The first no show will result in 7 points being deducted from the offending teams total score at that time as well as awarding the opposing team 7 points. Should any team fail to show on a second occasion they will given a Red card and be removed from the league. The match programme shall be adhered to, as shall the team pairings and order of play of individual matches once details are in the hands of the starter. Any team pair which is incomplete, or any pair unable to comply with the order of play shall forfeit their match, the margin being one hole up or such number of holes as is sufficient to enable the opposing team to win the aggregate point by the margin of one hole. If a team as a whole is not ready to play at the agreed time, the opposing team shall be awarded the relevant winning points deemed to have won each individual match by one hole.
3. (a) Points for each team shall be awarded as follows:
(i) Two points for each winning pair
(ii) One point for any halved individual match
(iii) One point for the team with the highest aggregate of holes up taking all three individual matches into account. If the aggregate total is tied each team will be awarded a half-point.
(b) League matches are to be played from back medal tees when available, otherwise from tee of the day.
(c) Matches to start from first tee unless instructed by the Host Club to start elsewhere.
The winners of the League Trophy shall be the team with the highest number of points over the whole series. In the event of a tie for first place, in any division, a play-off will take place on neutral ground by 31st October (the format for a play-off will be three scratch foursomes matches all played to a finish - net holes up do not count). In the event of a tie for second or a lower place, then any prize will go to the team with the highest number of 'net holes up' over the whole series. If the 'net holes up' measure fails to determine the winner then the games between the teams which are still equal shall be taken to ascertain the winner of second or lower place using firstly the points gained by each team and then, if still equal, the 'net holes up'. Teams that fail to send a representative to the annual dinner to collect prize monies will forfeit their right to receive the prize and the monies, will be returned to the leagues fund.
5. To participate in League matches a player must be an amateur male playing member of the club in question. A player may not represent more than one Club during any League season. In the event of one club having more than one team in the League; a player cannot represent the team in the lower division after he has played more than once for a team in a higher division in any season.
6. If a player is taken ill or meets with an accident after a match has started, the opposing pair shall be deemed to win each of the remaining holes to determine the result of the individual match, provided that the holes awarded after a player has ceased to play shall be no more than are sufficient to win both the individual match and the aggregate point by a margin of one hole.
7. (a) If after play has started in the first game of the first match, because of adverse weather, a course becomes unfit to play, the play shall be temporarily suspended, but if it is clear that the course will not become playable while waiting on the course, then the match shall be abandoned and the result decided by reference to the position of each individual match after the finish of its last completed hole. Play shall not be suspended unless absolutely necessary and the decision to abandon the match shall be taken by the Host Team Captain, when it is clear there is no realistic chance of the course becoming fit to play in the immediate future.
(b) In the event of the postponement of a fixture, because a course is unplayable due to adverse weather, the League Secretary shall re-arrange it as soon as possible with the Host Club.
8. (a) Any dispute as to local rules will be settled by the Host Club Team Captain or Secretary or other authorised nominee of the Host Club, whose decision shall be final.
(b) A dispute as to any other matters affecting the match must be notified by the Captain making the complaint to the Captain of the other team immediately after the match. It is hoped that any dispute can be settled by the Captains but, if not, this must be referred forthwith to the Host Club Team Captain for decision, subject to the right of reference to the President and League Secretary whose decision shall be final.
9. A match result sheet must be completed after the end of play, and a copy thereof (if possible) handed to competing teams and copies forwarded to both the League Secretary and the Sponsor (currently The Reading Chronicle).
10. Committee. To consist of the League President and Secretary and a representative of each Club. The representative should be the League Captain or any other person nominated by the respective Club.
11. (a) Each year there will be an Annual General Meeting held at an appropriate venue early in November.
(b) Representatives of each team may attend and if a decision is needed on any matter then each team shall have one vote. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
(c) The meeting will elect annually a President and Secretary/Treasurer. Both Officers normally serve a term of two years. The Past Presidents Committee will put forward Nominations for the post of President for ratification at the Annual General Meeting. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be the Secretary of the President's home Golf Club.
(d) Finance. The meeting will settle the amount of the levy to be paid by each Club to meet the administrative costs of the League, including the provision of prizes for the winning teams, the latter taking account of the terms of the 'Tom Evans Legacy'. The Secretary/Treasurer will produce the financial statements for examination by John Campbell (Past President) prior to distribution.
(e) The Chairman of the meeting shall be the President or, if unavailable, the Captain of the winning team.
(f) The Rules may be changed by Committee or at the Annual General Meeting by simple majority.
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