What’s changed?
2024 Changes
Changes to POY Points for Majors
For Major tournaments, points will not be awarded for day 1 play, points will be only awarded for overall major results. There will 2x points awarded.
Changes to Daily Net Winner Major Payout
There will be no longer any payout for best net for day 1 or day 2 for Majors.
HC Changes for New/Irregular players
First Time Player (FTP): A golfer will be considered as a FTP (Cannot break par) if they haven’t played 5 out of last 10 official Dost rounds OR 3 out of last 5 official Dost rounds (DOST Cup/TOC Round is excluded from this).
HC Adjustment for FTP: For one day tournaments there will be no Handicap Adjustment. For two day majors, the player will get 90% of their DOST handicap
Dost Cup (Formerly TOC) Changes
A tournament winner is not granted a spot in DOST cup automatically rather Top 24 in POY list will qualify for DOST Cup (no substitutions) .
Green Fee will be paid by Dost Committee .
This event will be a Trophy Only for Top-3.
Scores in Dost Cup will not impact HCs
POY
Top-5 in POY List will be paid
Closest to the Pin Contest
The closest to the pin contest on each par 3 is back. There will be a $30 payout on each par 3 to the contestant that is closest to the pin.
2023 Changes
Matchplay
Matchplay will return this year.
Registration needs to be completed by May 15, with group matches to be completed in June – Aug. Elimination rounds will start in Sept with Finals in Oct.
Marking your balls for play
As a trial In 2023 for the first three tournaments, each player will ask their fellow cart player to mark the golf ball before play starts. Each time they lose a ball, they will ask the playing partner to do the same. Each player should add a unique marker each time their partner loses the ball. We expect this to eliminate the most common form of cheating, pretending to have found the ball and dropping one from the pocket. We will get feedback after the first three tournaments and then decide for the rest of the year.
Forward Tees v Back Tees:
We will play a single set of tees with total yardage that is appropriate for our members for each tournament. No new player rule regardless of which set of tees you played last year.
Handicap adjustments:
The players who switched to forward tees last year will be adjusted as per the following matrix:
| Handicap between 16 – higher | Add 3 strokes |
| Handicap between 8 – 15 | Add 2 strokes |
| Handicap less than 8 | Add 1 stroke |
No adjustment for players who played Back tees in 2023. So if someone is now a 17 handicap and played forward tees in 2022, they will play as a 20 handicap in 2023. There will be no adjustment if you played back tees.
TOC qualification:
Fixed field of 24 decided by Winners of regular tournaments + Top 3 from the Majors. The remaining spots to even the field to 24 will be chosen from the POY list (those that haven’t qualified). In case of multiple winners qualifying, the next in POY will get precedence not the runners-up.
Pace of Play
The pace of play penalty will be enforced if a group finishes the round more than 20 minutes later than the group in front and outside the course time (announced before the start of the tournament) usually 4:30 – 4:45. Every 5 mins over that the group will be penalized an additional stroke for every 5 minutes.
Players can submit the names of slow players in their group through an anonymous form and consistent offenders will be given feedback privately.
Habitual offenders will be asked to attend ready golf workshops
Penalty for not hitting a provisional:
Even if one player in the group mentions that you should hit a provisional and if you don’t then you get a 1 stroke additional penalty if you can’t find the ball and have to come back to the tee.
Change in deciding tiebreaker for 2-Day events
2nd Day Net, 1st Day Net, 2nd Day Back 9,6,3 (Net)
Cheating penalty
Cheaters will be dealt with harshly, not knowing the rules is no excuse. Play 2 balls if unclear. Comish will investigate all reports of cheating and then strictly at Commish’s discretion, cheating penalties for offending players will be applied as follows:
1st Strike Next 3 Tournaments ban plus DQ the current one; Strike 2 – Ban for the season (next one also if less than 5 tournaments left); Strike 3 – lifetime ban
2022 Changes
Forward/White Tees:
Players will be allowed to play from the Forward Tees (Most Times Called White tees) from where DOST plays (most times called blue tees) under the following rules:
Players have to inform the commission their intention to move to the Forward/White tees for the season. Once they choose to play from the forward tees they will play those tees for the rest of the season.
Any player choosing to switch to the forward tees will be treated as a new player for the season which means that for the first three tournaments they will be adjusted to net even par if they shoot below net par for their index.
Starting index for existing players choosing to play from forward tees will be determined by the following formula
If the starting 2021 Index was,
between 1 – 7, they will give up 1 stroke
between 8 – 15, they will give up 2 strokes
16 or higher they will give up 3 strokes
After the initial 3 tournaments their index will be calculated just as the index is normally calculated accounting for their starting index + scores from the first three tournaments.
Bunker Play
We are reverting to standard Bunker play meaning no placing the ball in the bunker any more unless the ball is in a clear footmark and verified by a playing partner.
No dropping the ball after two lost balls:
We are no longer allowing the provision to drop the ball after hitting two balls into the hazard or lost balls. Basically, we play with standard USGA rules governing lost balls or balls hit into the hazard.
MatchPlay:
All the participants of MatchPlay will play from the Blue Tees regardless of their status in the current year.
New System:
We are switching to a new Tournament/Handicap Management system. This will reduce the dependency on the Excel spreadsheets which served us well for the last decade or so. There’s a one time $16 per player fee per year that will be taken from the Admin costs. It may mean that your handicap may adjust slightly because of the rounding but should not make a material difference.
2020 Changes
We will use playoff for resolving ties for the ‘Win’. The playoff will begin on the 18th hole and if still tied will go to the 10th hole and keep repeating until there’s a winner. Hole handicaps will be used to determine the net winner. All other rules please refer to USGA standard rules.
2019 Changes
Ball at Rest
Ball Moved During Search: No penalty for accidentally moving your ball during search. This is limited if you accidently step on your ball, or move it if you are using a club to move grass, leaves etc. If the ball moves once you have identified it, you will incur a penalty stroke, replace the ball where it originally was and play your stroke.
No Penalty for Moving Ball on the Putting Green: No penalty for accidentally moving your ball or ball-marker on the putting green.
Replacing Ball When Original Spot is Not Known: When the original location of your ball is not known, replace it on its estimated spot. No Closer to the hole.
Ball in Motion
Ball in Motion Accidentally Deflected: No penalty if your ball in motion is accidentally deflected by you, your equipment, or your caddie. Please note accidentally. A deliberate second stoke as being shown on YouTube, will count as a stoke.
Taking Relief
Measuring the Size of the Relief Area Where a Ball Must Be Dropped and Played: Your relief area for dropping a ball is a fixed size of either one or two club-lengths using the longest club in your bag, other than your putter. As a point of reference, a free drop gets one club length relief, any relief where you incur a penalty gets two club lengths relief.
New Procedure for Dropping a Ball: Your ball must be let go from knee height and fall through the air without touching any part of your body or equipment. If you drop from shoulder height, you must correctly re-drop from knee height. For 2019 a penalty will not be enforced for an incorrect drop. This a new rule and players need to be afforded some time to get used to it.
Where a Dropped Ball Must Come to Rest: Your ball must come to rest in the relief area where it was dropped, or else it must be redropped. This means within the one/two club length drop area and must not go forward. You cannot re-drop, just because you do not like the lie you got after the first drop.
Fixed Distances to be Used for Measuring: A fixed distance of the longest club in your bag, other than your putter, is used for measuring.
Time for Search Before Ball is Lost: Your ball is lost if not found in three minutes (rather than the previous five minutes). This means 3 minutes from the time you start your search.
Relief for an Embedded Ball: Relief allowed without penalty for an embedded ball anywhere (except in sand, see rule for taking relief in sand) in the “general area” (a new term for “through the green”).
Procedure for Taking Lateral Relief: In taking lateral relief, drop within two club-lengths of where your ball entered the penalty area. The size of a club-length is always measured using the longest club in your bag, other than your putter. Please note entered, not estimated distance of your shot or ideal yardage for the next shot!!!!!
Procedure for Taking Back-on-the-Line Relief: One of your options for relief from either a red or yellow penalty area is called back-on-the-line relief. You can drop as far back as your like, in line with the flag.
Areas of the Course
When to Replace a Ball That Moves on the Putting Green: After your ball has been lifted and replaced, if it then moves, always replace it on its original spot even if it was blown by the wind or moved for no clear reason.
Repairing Damage on the Putting Green: Repair of almost any damage is allowed on the putting green (including spike marks and animal damage). Please be mindful of time. Repairing every little imperfection on 50 ft putt would not be the way to go.
Touching Line of Play on a Putting Green: No penalty for touching your line of play on the putting green so long as doing so does not improve the conditions for your stroke.
Ball Played from Green Hits Unattended Flagstick in Hole: No penalty if your ball played from the putting green hits the unattended flagstick in the hole. Please utilize this on the long lag putts. It will help us speed up play.
Touching Loose Impediments or Ground in a Penalty Area: No penalty for moving loose impediments, touching the ground, or grounding your club in a penalty area. However, if your ball moves during moving loose impediments, you will incur a penalty stroke, replace the ball where it originally was and play your next shot.
Elimination of Opposite Side Relief for Red Penalty Areas: Relief from a red penalty area no longer allowed on the opposite side from where the ball last entered the penalty area. You must drop on the side of entry. Very rare occurrence.
Touching Sand in a Bunker: Relaxed Rules relating to touching the ground in a bunker. This means accidently during a practice swing or leaning on your club. It does not mean, moving sand from behind your ball with your club while practicing a back swing and building a sand tee.
Unplayable Ball in Bunker: Relief allowed outside a bunker for an unplayable ball for two penalty strokes. PLEASE NOTE: Your must drop behind the bunker, keeping it in play, not sideways. The bunker must be kept in play. You can also drop in the bunker for a penalty of one stroke.
Equipment
Use of Clubs Damaged During Round: A club damaged during a round can continue to be used, even if you damaged it in anger.
Adding Clubs to Replace a Club Damaged During Round: You are not allowed to replace a damaged club during a round if you were responsible for the damage.
New Local Rule
Local Rule: Alternative to Stroke and Distance: A new Local Rule provides an alternative to stroke-and-distance relief for a ball that is lost outside a penalty area or out of bounds. This rule relates to OB and balls lost in trees, tall grass etc.
This will not be in play during official Dost Tournaments. Players will be required to go back to point of the last stroke, and replay stoke with a penalty of 1 stroke. If the player loses the ball again, then and only then, they will drop at the POINT OF ENTRY and, incur a penalty stoke and play from that point. Example: Tee shot OB, 3 of the tee, OB again. Drop at point of entry of second ball and play 5.