This page summarises those rules that have been passed at AGM's and various committee meetings which only apply to FFGS.

Rules

Gimmees

There are no "gimmees" allowed in society competitions and all putts MUST be holed.

Hole-In-One

The current prize fund is capped at £1000. Once won, the prize money will return to £500 and rise each month by £20 until the £1000 cap is reached.

You must be a member of the society for at least a year before qualifying for the Hole-in-One prize.

In the event of two "holes-in-one" at the same event, the prize money will go to the member who recorded the shot on the earliest hole as opposed to the earliest time. The second member will receive £500. In the event of "holes-in-one" on the same hole, then the two members will share the sum of the prize fund and £500. ( N.B. This rule is currently under review by committee )

Handicaps

The maximum society handicap is 28

The winner of the league championship will not be deducted the automatic 2 shots from his handicap.

As above for the winner of the matchplay championship.

The society champion is to be deducted a maximum of 2 shots from his handicap plus any adjustment due on his best score. At the society championship, shots will not be deducted from handicaps for winners of individual days/competitions.

The maximum shot deduction, at any one time, is 4 shots.

Etiquette

Whether we care to admit it or not, the Society has a problem with SLOW PLAY. This is especially of concern during winter play when this could mean that groups that tee off later might be unable to finish due to bad light. All members of the Society should read the following narrative and take it on board. It is all about giving consideration to your fellow golfers.

TIPS TO AVOID SLOW PLAY

If every person could play each hole just 20 seconds quicker, then we could probably save half an hour in time, meaning everyone gets home that little bit earlier. Tips to avoid slow play are as follows:

It is essential that everyone plays quickly, without delay and PICKS THEIR BALL UP when they can no longer score any stableford points on a hole. Know how many shots you have taken at all times, don't finish the hole then add up your strokes. This is the easiest and simplest way to speed things up.

It is a group’s responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If it loses ground on the group in front and is delaying the group behind, it must invite them to play through.

Players should be ready to play as soon as it is their turn to do so. When playing on or near the putting green, they should leave their bags or carts in such a position as will enable quick movement off the green and towards the next tee. If you are not sure where the next tee is, simply watch the group in front and see the direction they walk.

When the play of a hole has been completed, players should immediately leave the putting green. You should not mark your scorecard until you reach the next tee. If you are the first to play, mark the card after you have teed-off.

If a player believes his ball may be lost or is out of bounds, to save time, he should play a provisional ball. Players searching for a ball should signal the players in the group behind them to play through as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not easily be found. They should not search for five minutes before doing so.

Keep an extra ball in your pocket so you don't have to walk back to your bag if you need to hit a provisional.

When on the green, putt out whenever possible instead of marking the ball. The first person that putts out should tend and replace the pin for other players.

Watch other shots, as well as your own, to help pinpoint the position of their ball and try to 'mark' the finishing position by using a nearby tree or landmark.

If one of your partners has played from a bunker but is still further away from the hole than you, offer to rake the bunker for him, so he can play his next shot quickly.

Reserve giving instruction for the driving range, not on the course.

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Famous Golf Sayings

I'll always remember the day I broke ninety. I had a few beers in the clubhouse and was so excited I forgot to play the back nine - Bruce Lansky

They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. It's more complicated than that - Gardner Dickinson

I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them - Harry Tofcano

Golf! You hit down to make the ball go up. You swing left and the ball goes right. The lowest score wins. And on top of that, the winner buys the drinks - Anon

I play in the low 80s. If it's any hotter than that, I won't play - Anon

Putts get real difficult the day they hand out the money - Lee Trevino

The best wood in most amateurs' bags is the pencil - Unknown

 I'd like to see the fairways more narrow. Then everybody would have to play from the rough, not just me - Seve Ballesteros

If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball - Jack Lemmon

Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into a even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose - Winston Churchill

Golf is like chasing a quinine pill around a cow pasture: Winston Churchill

It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course: Babe Ruth

Columbus went around the world in 1492. That isn't a lot of strokes when you consider the course: Lee Trevino

If you're caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron: Lee Trevino

The people who gave us golf and called it a game are the same people who gave us bag pipes and called it music: Anon

I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose: Gerald Ford

After all these years, it's still embarrassing for me to play on the American golf tour. Like the time I asked my caddie for a sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham on rye: Chi Chi Rodriguez