LAGUNA WOODS SKINS GAME
OFFICIAL RULES
Approved March 3, 2009

Skins Committee    Paul Burry, Chairman; Marc Bayer;  Dave Johnson;  Marv Lemmon;  Dick McGrath; Verne Smutz: Al Tirre; Jerry Williams
Committee Meetings   Players are welcome to attend meetings of the Skins Committee.  The Committee will announce special meetings in advance if rule changes are to be considered.  Players in attendance will be permitted to address the Committee.

Eligibility & Rules Laguna Woods Village resident with golf privileges; 55 years old; SCGA/USGA Handicap of 30 or below.  (Exceptions to the handicap rule may be granted by vote of the Committee), and a player must play and post a minimum of 12 games a year.  Each player may invite a guest two times per year.  The host must be able to verify the handicap of the guest.   USGA Rules shall govern situations not specifically covered by these policies. The 14-club rule shall not apply.

 Prize Awards   Captains must have a team member available to accept awards.  If no team member is present, the award will be returned to the Skins Bank Account.  Prizes awarded for: Skins; closest to the pin (measure to nearest inch); low front, back, and total.  Low total will be paid in games with 48 or more total players. Prize awards are divided evenly between the two flights.

Entry Fee & Format   4- man teams. -- $25.00 per man plus green fees. 

1st; 2nd, and 5th Tuesdays:  Two groups:  (A-Flight) - A and B players.   (B-Flight) - B, C, and D players.  Each group is sorted separately according to the sorting formula.  No required number of tee shots.  On Courses 1 & 2, A-Flight hits from White Tees.  B-Flight hits from the silver tee area.  On Course 3: A-Flight hits from blue tee markers; B-Flight from the silver tee area. The Par 5 Rule applies to the A-Flight.  On Par 5 holes, the person whose tee shot is selected may not hit the second shot.

3rd Tuesday:   CARDS MUST INDICATE WHICH PLAYER’S TEE SHOT WAS USED ON EACH HOLE (both flights).  A-Flight:  Three tee shots from each player.   A-Flight teams play from blue tee makers on Course 3 and from white tee markers on Courses 1 & 2.  The Par 5 Rule is in effect.  B-Flight:  Two tee shots for each player, except that: 3rd and 4th players may have 4 tee shots between them.  B-Flight hits from the silver tee area on all courses.   The Par 5 Rule does not apply to the B-Flight.
4th Tuesday:  Two groups.  Selection of Captains by handicap from left to right; 2, 3, and 4 players from right to left.  A, B, C, and D player on each team. Two tee shots from each player except that: (3 and 4 players can have 4 tee shots between them). All teams play from blue tee markers on Course 3 and from the white tee markers on Courses 1 & 2.   Exception:  3rd and 4th players hit from red tee area (gold tee area on Hole #1; Course 3) until players 3 & 4 have a total of 4 tee shots.  At that point, Player 4 continues to hit from the red tee area, but Player 3 will hit from the same tee area as players 1 & 2.  The Par 5 Rule is in effect.
Note:  These formats may be modified, or alternate formats substituted at the discretion of the Committee.
       
Deadline  Call Verne Smutz- 830-4637  anytime during the week, but before 4:00 pm on Monday (the  day  before  the game).  Dick McGrath or Frank Buday will organize the game on a schedule to be announced weekly.  Entry may also be by E-mail.  An advance sign-up sheet will be available on Tuesdays for those who wish to sign up a week in advance.  Players signing must call to cancel before 4:00 p.m. on Monday if they decide not to play.

Scoring  Each Captain is responsible for the accuracy of scorecards, and must turn in two cards to the Committee promptly at the end of play.  The cards must be signed by the Captain and attested by all team members. The cards will be reviewed at the outside scoring table, and returned to the Captain for correction of format or obvious errors.  The outside scorekeepers do not add the scores.  After review, one scorecard is sent to the Official Scorekeeper.  If the Captain leaves the premises before signing the card, the team may designate another player as “acting” captain for purposes of this section.  Failure to record required drives will result in team disqualification. If the recorded score is higher than the actual score (determined by adding the numbers on the card), the team is required to take the higher score.  If the recorded score is lower than the actual score, the team is disqualified from that Nine, and from winning the low Total.   A team may not win a skin, closest to the pin, or double eagle on a Nine from which it has been disqualified.  The individual award for a hole-in-one will not be disallowed because of a team disqualification

Picking Teams  Each team will consist of 4 men, the Captains being those with the lowest indices. Teams are selected by index to the first tenth. Players are first sorted according to the formula below, which shall be used by the Game Organizer as a guideline.    The Game Organizer shall have the discretion to place players on teams in a manner, which he believes will make teams competitive  by  considering hitting power of team members as well as playerindexes.The Game Organizer may shift players to another team in order to avoid repeating the same player combinations in succeeding weeks.
              
1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8
16  15  14  13  12  11  10  9
24  23  22  21  20  19  18  17
32  31  30  29  28  27  26  25

Relief Rule     The ball may be placed a driver length from the ball, no nearer the hole.  The captain may direct that the ball be hit from the right or left side of the ball, or he may leave that choice to each individual player.  (the ball may not be placed on the green from the fairway).  On the green, the ball may be moved only 6 inches (either direction), no nearer to the hole. If the captain doesn’t specify which direction from the ball, the choice is left to the individual player.  The hole is complete when the ball is in the cup. (DO NOT TAP IN UNTIL EVERYONE HAS PUTTED).  DO NOT MAKE TEES IN THE FAIRWAY. (Do not use the divot of a teammate in placing the ball).

Rain/Darkness           In rainy weather, players are not required to appear if there are cart path restrictions on ALL holes.  Those who are willing to play when ALL holes have cart path restrictions, should be there at the regular time.  If there are a sufficient number of players, a game may be constructed on the spot.  Unless ALL holes are restricted, players are expected to show up.  The decision to begin play will be based on a vote of players in attendance. If play begins, and  has to be  stopped  because  of  rain,  the  low total for the front  nine  (if completed by all teams)  will  be  awarded front nine  money.  Back nine and eighteen hole money will be returned to players, unless all teams have completed 16 holes.  In the case of rain, or darkness, the game may be considered complete if all teams have completed 16 holes.  In that case, back nine and total money will be paid based on holes completed by all teams.   Skins will be paid for the holes completed by all teams. If all teams can’t finish nine holes, the entry fees will be returned to all players.  Stopping play due to rain will be determined by a majority of the Captains.  The award for a hole in one, or a double eagle will not be cancelled due to a shortened game under this section.
Illness/Injury  If a player is injured, ill, or is a “no-show”, another player will hit/putt twice:  Captain absent (#2 man hits twice);  #2 man absent (Captain and #3 man alternate hitting twice); #3 man absent (#2 man and #4 man alternate hitting twice); #4 man absent (#3 man hits twice).  Three-man teams will be paid 75% of the award shown on the game sheet.  Regular players recovering from surgery,  serious  illness,  accident,  and similar disabilities are eligible to  be  considered  for  a  temporary  adjustment  to  their handicap.   Players who experience a serious physical disability should contact the Game Organizer in order to work out a temporary handicap adjustment.  The handicap of any player may be adjusted to reflect what the Committee believes is his current level of ability.  In a format requiring a specified number of tee shots for each player, the players designated to hit in lieu of an absent player, will also hit the number of tee shots, which would have been required of the absent player.

Annual Game  Ten percent ($2.50), will be deducted from each player’s entry fee and placed in an account to support the Annual Skins Game.   The money in the account will be credited toward the entry fee of each player  EXAMPLE:  If a player plays 30 times during the year (30 x $2.50 = $75.00)  he would then owe only $25.00 to play in the Annual Game
In order to be eligible to participate in the  Annual  Game,  a  player  must  have played in 10  regular  skins  games  during  the  preceding  year  (from August 1 through July 31). Exceptions to this rule may be granted by vote of the Committee to residents who begin playing in the game after April 1 (provided that they meet the 10 game requirement before the entry deadline for the Annual Game.  Funds which  have been  credited  to  occasional  players  (less than 10 games per year) will remain in the Account and be expended for support of  the  Annual  Game.

A regular player (10 or more games) who is physically unable to participate in the Annual Game may attend the Annual Dinner with his guest, at a cost of $50, and apply his accumulated contributions to that cost.  If he is unable to attend the dinner, he may receive a refund of one-half of those contributions, which exceed $25.  Refunds must be requested on or before September 15. 

Hole in One  A hole in one is not a team award - it is an Individual Award.  If a player makes a hole in one, each player will pay that player $5.00. If there are more than one holes in one, they each will be paid $5.00.  If the holes in one are made on the same hole by two different players, they  are  each  to  receive their $5.00, but the skin is void. Players from all flights will pay the $5.00.

Double Eagle If a team makes a double eagle, each player will pay that team $5.00.  If a double eagle is made  on the same hole by two different teams, they are each to receive $5.00 from each player(in all flights), but the skin is void.

Elections   Elections for new Committee members shall be held each year, in February.  The date of the election shall be announced at least two weeks in advance. The term of office for Committee members is three years. When a member does not complete his term, the Committee may appoint a member to serve the balance of the term.  Six Committee members are elected at large. 
The Game Organizer is appointed annually by the Committee, and shall be a member of the Committee.  He may be reappointed to additional one-year terms at the option of the Committee.  The Skins Group will pay Green Fees of the Game Organizer. The Assistant Game Organizer is appointed annually, and serves as a member of the Committee.  The Treasurer and Cash Manager are appointed annually and serve as members of the Committee. If the Organizer of the Annual Dinner Dance is not an existing member of the Committee, he may be appointed by the Committee to a one-year term.
The Captains group is guaranteed representation on the Committee.  In a year when the normal election and appointment process does not result in a Captain serving on the Committee, the Captains Group may elect a representative to serve for the balance of that year.   The “Captains Group” is defined as those players who served as Captains during the preceding year.
The Committee Chairman shall be elected annually at the first meeting following the February election.

Starting Times and Player Cancellations  Players are expected to arrange for team fees to be paid at the upper putting green at 10:30 am.  The Game Organizer will assign starting times. When a player cancels after the Game is organized, or is a “No-show”, $22.50 will be taken from the Skins Bank Account to replace the award money for the lost entry fee.  The player may be required to reimburse the $22.50 if the Committee believes that he did not have a reasonable excuse for the cancellation.  If the Committee determines that there was a compelling reason for the cancellation, the player may be reinstated without penalty.  The player will not be placed in another game until the Committee has reviewed the circumstances of the cancellation.

Code of Conduct       Players  in  the  Game  are  expected  to  treat each other as gentlemen, and are obligated to give their best effort.

Ladies Day  Tuesday is LADIES DAY at the golf course. Players are encouraged to observe an extra degree of courtesy and consideration for the ladies -  on the golf course,  and to recognize their priority in the snack bar area.  The golf course has requested that Skins Players remain on the upper putting green until their tee time.