Starting Official
1.A Starter shall arrive at the facility in a timely manner (please be ready to meet with the Official in Charge at the time noted on the reminder sheet). Review the local rules for the day and discuss questions with the staff. Please be in position on the appropriate tee 15 minutes before the first tee time.
2.Each Starter will receive a starting kit, a three drawer box which should contain (Please check your kit to make sure that all items listed are available and inform a staff member if they are not):
- Starter’s list of starting times
- Copies of the local rules and hole locations
- Scorecards and pencils
- Scotch tape
- Several Sharpie markers
- RDGA Hard Cards
- Lightning poster
3.At the Start of Play the Starting Official should:
- Call the players for starting instruction 10 minutes before their scheduled tee time. Example – You have just had the 7:30 players tee off, and they are walking off the tee. At this point you should announce “Next on the #1”, or “#10 tee is the 7:40 group of player Peterson, Martin and Smith.”
- Please stay on time but do NOT get ahead of scheduled times. Occasionally, there may be circumstances that warrant having a tee run behind schedule. If this happens, please inform the staff and revise your tee sheet for the new starting times.
- Coordinate with staff and keep them informed regarding pairing changes necessary at the starting tees, i.e., WDs and No Shows.
- Call the players attention to the notices on the starting table and to any local rules established for the day.
- Distribute official scorecards so that each fellow competitor has another fellow competitor’s scorecard.
- Remind players to count the number of clubs in their bag and to mark their ball for identification purposes.
- Instruct the player to play away in the order listed on the starting sheet, unless otherwise instructed.
- Mark the Starter’s list with the actual time for each group (i.e., the time the first player tees off), Withdrawals (WD’s) and Did Not Shows (DNS’s).
4.Late appearance for start of play
- The Committee has provided that the Note to Rule 6-3 is in effect for all RDGA Tournaments. The Note reads as follows: that, if the player arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in absence of circumstances which warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is loss of the first hole in match play or two strokes at the first hole in stroke play instead of disqualification.
- The determination as to whether a player has a valid excuse for being late is the sole responsibility of the Committee, and all officials must refer such matters to The Official in Charge.
5.After starting responsibilities are finished each Starter should proceed with Checkpoint responsibilities and:
- Check the time listed for each group to finish the hole and record the actual time.
- Request the scorecards from each group that comes through your checkpoint and record those scores on the materials provided.
- Return the scorecards to the players as quickly as possible. At no time should the players have to wait to have their scorecards returned. The players can continue their round, and an official will make sure their cards are returned to them as quickly as possible.
- Radio the Chief Rules Official using Channel #1 for any group that hasn’t reached the checkpoint at the proper time or earlier. The time listed will be the time to finish the 4th and 13th holes.
- Radio the scores to the Scoreboard Official using Channel #3 so those scores can be entered into “Live Scoring.”
6.We need our Starting Officials to be strong in their knowledge of the Rules of Golf. The following are the Rules and Decision that a Starting Official must fully understand. Please take the time to read them prior to each event that you work.
- Rule #6 and all related decisions
- Rule #33 and all related decisions
- All information contained in Appendix 1
Dress Code
The RDGA Uniform for consists of Khaki Pants/Shorts and White Shirt with the RDGA Logo. You should bring appropriate clothing to cope with harsh weather (hat, sunglasses, umbrella, etc.). Only hats with a RDGA Logo may be worn. RDGA Volunteer Hats are available at the Golf Office and are free of charge to the Volunteers.