FAQ

Dos and Dont’s

1. Do not
   1. talk while somebody is swinging
   2. walk in the putting line
   3. stand in the line of sight or vision while others are putting or hitting the ball (inside 45 degrees)
   4. rattle/fix/adjust their clubs in the back swing
   5. look for your balls for more than 2.5 minutes
   6. disrupt other’s rounds if you are having a bad day of Golf by cursing loudly or persistenly ditract others by your explanations or discussion
   7. take generous line when taking a drop, if your ball never entered the field of play then you may have to take the drop by the tee box
   8. drive the cart when someone in your group is still playing a shot
2. Do
   1. mark all your 2 dozen golf balls at the start of the round, so you don’t have to be reminded every time you lose a ball
   2. hit a provisional when there is even a slight chance you may not find the ball
   3. identify and announce the provisional ball differently from the original
   4. take multiple clubs and range finder when walking to your ball, avoiding going back and forth
   5. rake bunkers/fix Divots – this is civic sense
   6.  help other players look for their ball after playing your shot
   7. check to see if it’s your turn to hit rather than play while someone behind you is also getting ready to hit
   8. play two balls for a hole if there’s a discrepancy instead of arguing about a ruling
   9. use deodrant and be sensitive to body odor
   10. split up your group if you are starting to fall behind in a round

How do you prevent Sandbagging?

We also have the new player rule in place that adjusts a NET minus score to (E)ven through the first 3 tournaments.For details please see the Handicap Rules section. We also use the Equitable Scoring System to prevent inflating of scores.

What is the New Player Rule?

New player rule applies through the first 3 tournaments. Please refer to the New Player Rule section of the Handicap Rules

As a new player do I have a chance to win?

Yes. If you participated in our first few tournaments of 2011 and shot a NET (E)ven score you would have finished in the money. A player has less than 1 in 3 chance to break their handicap. The tournament format adds to the pressure. Additionally tough course setup and condition may make it very difficult to shoot lower than your handicap

How do you set up foursomes in tournament?

We setup foursomes so that the average handicaps are similar. Usually this means one low handicap, two average and one high handicap. This helps with the pace of play. We also make sure that at least one experience DOST golfer plays in every foursome.

Can I request a particular tee time?

Yes you may ask us to send you out early or late depending upon your schedule. We will make every effort to accommodate you. We however cannot send you out with your regular foursome or friends.

What is the maximum handicap allowed to compete?

32. We encourage golfers to participate for green fees if their handicap is higher than 32. We feel having golfers with unusually higher handicaps hurts the pace of play. Higher handicap players playing for green fees only will be asked to pickup their ball if needed.

Can I play for green fees only?

As long as there is a spot, your can. A full fee player however is given preference.

Do you play in bad weather?

Yes. As long as the course is open we will play. The courses give us preferred rates based on our commitment.

What happens if two players have the same score?

We will use playoffs for resolving ties for the ‘Win’. 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. Outside of the first place if two players finishing in the money have tied scores then we use USGA accepted matching scorecard method. The higher place is decided on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If the tying players have the same score for the last nine holes, they check the last six holes, then the last three holes, and finally the 18th hole. When this method is used, one-half, one-third, one-sixth, or one-18th of the Course Handicaps should be deducted. If this method does not resolve a tie then the two players are declared tied for that position and split the earning for that position.

How are payouts calculated?

We will keep 20% for closest to pin prizes and the rest will be paid out according to below matrix, approximately:
# of players – Payout (%)
6 – 66/33
12 – 50/30/20
16 – 43/25/20/12
20 – 37/22/17/13/11
24 – 32/21/17/13/10/7
28 – 30/20/17/13/9/6/5
32 – 25.5/18.5/15/12.5/10/8/6/4.5

Why is the purse low?

Our philosophy is to make it more inclusive for everyone to participate. For that reason we have deliberately kept the purse minimal to keep it interesting yet affordable. During peak season the green fees go up and we will try and keep the absolute purse amount consistent. It’s our goal to keep the event fees under $125 for every event.

What is your no show policy?

In case of an unavoidable circumstance if you cannot make it to the tournament we would use the green fee portion of your tournament fee and apply to the next DOST tournament. However this is not applicable if the golf course charges us your green fees. The prize portion of your fees will be applied towards the total prize money.

What happens when a tournament is not completed due to bad weather?

We make every effort to finish the tournament. As long as the golf course is open we will keep playing. In case all groups cannot finish 18 holes we take the maximum number of holes that all groups have played and declare the results based on that. The minimum number of hole that everybody must however finish is 9.

What happens somebody arrives late for their tee time?

We make every effort to accommodate if anybody arrives late due to unexpected circumstances. However if a player is late, they can join their group on the hole currently being played. On holes missed, the player will be assessed 2 strokes. This is in addition to the handicap that the player receives on the hole. The player must however finish the missed hole afterwards. The player must be accompanied by at least one other playing partner in order to finish the round.