Constitution

1.   Title

The League shall be known as The Avalon Golf League  

2.   Objective

The objective of the League shall be to promote the game of golf and create a League of friendly yet competitive companionship for amateur players within its member clubs.

3.   Membership of the League

3.1 Unless otherwise agreed by the AGM, membership of the League shall be open to any Club that is affiliated to the Somerset Golf Union that can provide the following facilities: –

·    One or more 18-hole golf course(s) on which to play League matches.

·    If a Club with 9-hole course apply for League membership, the application shall be considered by the committee to put forward to the AGM.

·    Changing facilities with showers.

·    A meal for all participants, at reasonable cost.

3.2   Application for membership shall be made in writing to the League secretary. On receiving such application, the secretary shall notify all existing team captains of the application and request a response even if that response is an abstention. No response within 21 days shall be deemed to be support for the application.

3.3   Applicant clubs that receive a majority vote in favour of acceptance shall be admitted to the League at the start of the following season, provided that their annual subscription is paid. In the event that an application is rejected, any fees collected from the applicant club shall be refunded and the applicant club shall be advised of the reason for rejection.

3.4   All member clubs are to pay their annual subscription before the commencement of the playing season in each year. See section 6.

4.   Committee

4.1 The committee shall be responsible for: –

  • The smooth running of the League.
  • The arrangement of other competitions for the member clubs.
  • The resolution of disputes between member clubs.
  • The presentation of an annual set of audited accounts at each AGM
  • The selection of an auditor.
  • Updating the website.

4.2   The members of the committee shall be elected for a three-year period of office at an AGM of the League. Members of one-member club may not fill more than two seats on the committee.

4.3   The committee shall consist of the following: –

·    Chairman

·    Secretary

  • Treasurer

·    Up to 5 (but not less than 2) other members.

4.4   Club representatives that are other than playing members of a club shall not be eligible to sit on the committee.

5.   Protests & Disputes

5.1 Any protest or dispute between member clubs or individuals, who are members of member clubs, shall be made in writing to the secretary within 7 days of the event leading to the protest or dispute.

5.2   Within 7 days of receipt of a written notification of protest or dispute, the secretary shall call a meeting of the committee to discuss the matter. Any committee member who is also a member of one of the clubs in dispute shall absent himself from the discussion.

5.3   The committee is empowered to call on any participant or witness to attend the meeting such that all of the relevant facts can be obtained.

5.4   In making its findings, the committee shall be empowered to: –

  • Impose fines.
  • Add or deduct points.
  • Suspend, for a period of up to one year, or expel a club or player.

5.5   Any appeal against a decision of the committee shall be made in writing within 14 days of the date of the notification of such decision to the Chairman 

5.6   In the event of an Appeal, an Appeals Committee shall adjudicate all appeals. The Appeals Committee shall consist of 3 club representatives from teams neither in the same division or from any club involved in the protest or dispute. Any decision made by the Appeals Committee shall be final and binding.

The appeals committee shall be appointed by The Chairman and shall be provided with copies of all papers relating to the initial appeal.

The outcome of the appeal shall be communicated to clubs affected by the decision at the individual discretion of the League Secretary or Chairman.

6.   Finance

6.1 The committee shall raise funds by means of an annual subscription from each team in the League. See section 3.4. The funds will be used for administration costs, purchase of trophies and such other proper expenses incurred in the running of the League.

6.2   The amount of the annual subscription for the season immediately following the meeting shall be decided at the AGM.

6.3   The Treasurer shall present an audited statement of accounts at each AGM. An auditor is to be appointed by the committee.

6.4   The Treasurer will administer a bank account for all League funds and will be authorised to sign all cheques or electronic transfers drawn against the League account.

7.   General Meetings

7.1 The AGM will normally be held in November each year. At least 21 days’ notice in writing of such meeting shall be given to all member clubs. Such notices shall include copies of Resolutions, amendments to the Constitution, papers relating to agenda items to be presented at that AGM and all relevant papers from the preceding AGM.

7.2   Any member club wishing to move a resolution at the AGM shall give notice in writing to the chairman or secretary by 1st October.

7.3   Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) may be called by: –

  • The committee.
  • At least five member clubs.

In either case, a written Resolution clearly stating the reason(s) for the meeting shall be submitted to the secretary. The meeting shall take place within 35 days of the initiation of the procedure. The meeting shall restrict any and all discussion and decisions to the business for which the meeting was called.

7.4 Voting shall be by a show of hands or, at the discretion of the chairman, by a secret ballot. Each member team present shall have one vote.

7.5 Constitution based rules may only be formally altered or amended at a General Meeting. The quorum for a binding decision at the AGM shall be a majority of member clubs present.

7.6 Any changes agreed at a properly constituted AGM shall be deemed to have been correctly authorised and shall be incorporated into an updated Constitution for immediate adoption.

8.   Matches

Definitions: –

  • A Game is the competition between two pairs of players from opposing teams.
  • A Match is the overall competition between two member teams.

8.1 Teams will comprise of at least 5 players and no more than 10. If a team has fewer than 10 players some games will be contested by 1 player from that team.

Two playing reserves may visit with the teams by mutual agreement between the Captains, however, the score of the reserves game shall not count in the Match.

8.2   The arrangements for each match shall be confirmed by the home captain at least 14 days prior to the date of the match.

8.3   Players must be male and 14 years of age or over on 1st January of the current year. Only 2 players between the ages of 14 and 16 may play in any one team.

8.4   Matches will be 4-Ball Better Ball Matchplay with 90% of Course handicap and then full difference from the lowest handicap player.  All games shall be played from the white tees or equvilant.

8.5   All matches shall be played at weekends unless otherwise agreed by both clubs, with the exception of the Seniors’ Leagues where matches may be played at any time by agreement of the teams involved. 

Once fixtures have been confirmed in writing to the secretary, a fixture may only be changed by mutual consent of both teams.  Any such change(s) must be notified to the secretary, in writing, by both teams within 14 days of the original fixture date.

8.6   If a team does not fulfil a fixture for whatever reason under Clause 8.5 the following penalties and format will apply: –

  • The team defaulting and not able to fulfil the fixture on the agreed date is deducted 20 points in their division that season.
  • The opposing team, will be awarded a 3 – 2 victory – i.e. 8 or 11 points depending upon whether the affected team is the home or away team.
  • All teams are reminded that fixtures should not be changed if a team is unable to field their strongest team.

8.7   Should a match be abandoned because of unexpected circumstances, all games still in progress at the time of abandonment shall be considered to be halved with the home team receiving 1 point and the away team 1.5 points. All completed game results shall stand.

8.8   No matches may be played after the 1st Sunday in September, unless agreed by the Secretary or one of his appointed 2 “results” deputies.

Fixtures should be confirmed to Secretary by 30/11 to enable website to be updated with all fixtures by year end,

8.9   Points will be awarded as follows: –

  • The winning pair in each game will receive 2 points for a home win and 3 points for an away win. In the event of a halved game the home pair will receive 1 point, the away pair 1.5 points.
  • The team winning the Match shall receive 2 points; in the event of a halved Match each team will receive 1 point. (The Match result is by number of Games won and halved.)

8.10 The completed result sheet, signed by both team captain’s and including all players’ names and handicaps, shall be scanned and communicated to the league results inbox following the match, by the home team.

8.11 All results must be sent by email in the format set out in 8.10 to the central results mailbox results@avalongolf.org   promptly following completion of the match. 

8.12 The home team captain is responsible for placing his team names and appropriate handicaps on the result sheet and handing the sheet to the away team captain who will decide his order of play. All payers’ handicaps must be entered on the sheet.

9.   Divisions

9.1   Divisions may not extend beyond 6 teams per division, unless decided by the AGM. Should a point be reached whereby approved applications to join the League would take the number in a division beyond 6 teams, an appropriate number of divisions shall be reduced to 6 teams and a new division formed, the new division having a minimum of 4 teams.

The principles outlined here shall also apply where teams withdraw from the league resulting in the need to review the number of teams in a division.

9.2   Any club joining the League shall commence its 1st season in the bottom division.

9.3   The maximum handicap index allowable in each division is as follows: –

  • Division 1     10.0
  • Division 2     12.0
  • Division 3     14.0
  • Division 4     16.0
  • Division 5     18.0
  • Division 6    20.0
  • Division 7    22.0
  • Division 8    24.0
  • Senior’s leagues – 20.0

Players with a handicap greater than the maximum appropriate to the division shall be deemed to have the maximum permitted handicap for that division.

9.4   The bottom team in division 1 will be relegated to Division 2 and the top team in Division 2 shall be promoted to Division 1.

All other promotions and relegations shall be on the basis of 2 teams per promotion / relegation unless otherwise decided by the Committee in exceptional circumstances such as teams withdrawing from the league.

In the event of any tie on points the following criteria will be used to ascertain the higher team.

  • The most match wins
  • The fewest match losses
  • The most away points scored

In the event of teams still tied the order will be decided by a playoff which will be arranged by the committee at a neutral venue at the first available date prior to finals day.

The winners of each division will be awarded a trophy. All trophies shall remain the property of the League.

It is the responsibility of the teams / individuals winning trophies to have their details engraved and for the engraved trophies to be returned at the following AGM.

10.   Additional teams

10.1 Clubs may run extra teams in the League. A player may move from 1 team to another but may not switch back during the season.

10.2 When there is more than 1 team from a club within the same division, fixtures between the teams must be completed before the end of June.

10.3 No more than 2 teams from any club may operate within any except the lowest division, even if this precludes promotion. In addition, should it occur that a team’s relegation would increase the number of teams from the same club to 3 in any division other than the lowest, the lowest of the club’s 3 teams is to be relegated to the next lowest division in place of the highest placed team that would otherwise be relegated..

11. Match Fees: –

1.   The amount of the match fee is decided at the AGM each year.

2.   The basic fee is for the team (excluding reserves or extra players) regardless of how many fewer than 10 team players attend. For each reserve or extra, a sum equivalent to one tenth of the Match Fee is payable in addition to the Match Fee.

3.   The full Match Fee (plus any extras as noted) is payable on the day of the Match.

4.   In the event of a Match cancellation no Match Fee is payable

12.   Dissolution of the League

In the event of dissolution of the League any remaining funds and assets shall be distributed equally among member clubs.