The Flights

Your team is in the Championship flight (potential score of 73 or less) if any of the following apply:

• Your team has shot 72 or lower within the past 4 years
• Your team has won the Competitive flight within the past 2 years
• The better player has a handicap index of 12 or less
• Both players have handicap indexes of 18 or less

Your team is in the Competitive flight (expected score 74 to 80) if any of the following apply:

• Your team has shot 78 or lower within the past 4 years
• Your team has won the Recreational flight
• The better player has a handicap index of 16 or less
• Both players have handicap indexes of 22 or less

Otherwise you are in the Recreational flight (expected score > 80).

• You are allowed to compete in the Championship or Competitive flights even though you don't "qualify"
• Any new team that scores 71 or lower is kicked into the Championship flight
• Any new team in the Recreational flight that scores 74 or lower is kicked into the Competitive flight
• We reserve the right to modify the break point between flights as the makeup of the field dictates

Whipplefest Modifications to the Rules of Golf

You should follow the USGA rules of golf; however, the following local rules apply to the TOC:

Two-person scramble - Both players hit every shot, the team then selects the best shot to play next. This continues until you have finished the hole (including putts).

• Men play from the white tees
• Women play from the red tees

Playing the Ball Up - "Bumping" your ball up to one club length is allowed to improve your lie. This includes fairways, rough, sand bunkers, unmarked areas, and hazards. You cannot move out of a sand trap, out of a hazard, back from OB, or from the fringe to the green.

Double Bogey Rule - Nothing over a double bogey is allowed. Please pick up when you can no longer score a bogey on a hole.

Gimme Rule - Putts less than 2 feet are considered good.

Never a 4 Putt - All 3rd putts are considered good, so you don’t even need to putt them.

Balls in Penalty Areas, Lost Balls, Unplayable Lies, and Out of Bounds - The change instituted in 2014 remains; these situations must be played per USGA rules. An exception is touching the ball in a hazard.

Special Contests

• Closest to the pin (separate divisions for men and women)
• Longest drive (separate divisions) - ball must be in the fairway
• Longest putt (one division)