The Greater San Fernando Valley Golf Club
Club Information
The Greater San Fernando Valley Golf Club was originally founded in 1982. It is a men’s traveling golf tournament club, dedicated to providing a quality golf tournament experience and social activities to golfers of all abilities.
Tournament Reservations: Active Club members have priority for the spaces available at Club’s monthly tournaments. Member priority ends on the due date for registration and payment for a tournament, which is noticed by the treasurer and is typically two weeks prior to the date of the tournament. Members must be paid in full for the tournaments by the due date or they may lose the opportunity to play. After the due date, all remaining tee times are distributed to any applicants or guests who wish to play.
Tournament Fee: All tournament fees are due by the date noticed by the treasurer for each tournament, which is typically two weeks prior to the tournament. This includes all active members, applicants and guests. Failure to pay the tournament fee on time will result in the requirement to pay a late fee. If a member, applicant or guest fails to show up for a tournament for which he is scheduled to play, his fee is not refundable unless a replacement golfer is found. The Board of Directors will make every effort to find a replacement golfer, and save the player the cost of the tournament, if advance notice is received in a timely manner.
Scorecards: The official scorekeeper for each two-man cart will keep the official score for each player in the other cart, recording both actual scores and number of putts per player, per hole. The scores for only two players will be kept on a single scorecard. The scorekeeper for each cart must also keep the score for each player in his cart on a separate scorecard as well, which can be used to verify the official scorecard. All official scorecards must be signed by the scorer and attested by both players whose scores are on the scorecard. Inaccurate or unsigned scorecards may result in disqualification. A player’s score is final once the official scorecard with his score has been submitted to the Tournament Director following the round. All scorecards must be legible.
Tournament Champion: For each Club tournament, the championship and trophy are awarded to the player who shoots the lowest net score during the tournament. If a tie occurs for lowest net score, the championship and trophy are presented based on results of a card-off between the tied players.
Card-Off: The winner of a card-off will be the player with the lowest net score on the last nine holes. If still the players are tied based on the last nine holes, the last six holes will be used, followed by the last three holes and then the low handicap hole (one through 18), until a winner can be declared. If the players remain tied through all 18 holes, co-champions are declared and the prize fund is split evenly.
Rules: The Club strictly follows the USGA Rules of Golf, including any local rules adopted by the Club, during tournament play. Penalties and/or disqualification under the Rules of Golf are enforced. In instances where a player is unsure how to play his next shot under two possible alternative rulings scenarios, the player should advise his playing partners, play two balls (one under each alternative ruling scenario) and record the scores for both balls for the hole. The Tournament Director should be consulted on the proper ruling and score following the round and before the player’s score is finalized. Following this procedure can save the player a penalty or disqualification. If a player is disqualified from a tournament, he loses all rights to positional prize funds, points in the season-long competition, and side pots.
Club Dues: Annual Club dues are due prior to each member’s anniversary with the Club. The Club dues are used to pay for membership in the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) and other Club expenses, such as positional prize funds, trophies, and other expenses in operating the Club. Timely payment of Club dues is required for membership to remain active and for members to remain eligible for positional prize funds and points in tournaments. Late fees may be assessed if dues are not paid by noticed due dates.
Handicap: Membership in SCGA includes provision of an official handicap index through the GHIN system. Members are required to maintain a current, accurate handicap index by posting all acceptable scores (defined under the World Handicap System) in a timely fashion following all eligible rounds played. Club tournament scores will be posted by the Tournament Director for all active members (guests should post their own tournament scores and applicants should post their own scores or keep their scores to be used later). Scores should be posted following the procedures of the World Handicap System (i.e., based on “net double bogey” limits). The Club’s Handicap Director will publish a report on posted rounds by each active member on a monthly basis for peer review. Members can post scores, track handicap indexes and calculate course handicaps through the GHIN app as part of their SCGA membership.
New Member Handicap Index: To allow new members without an official handicap to participate in Club tournaments while protecting the integrity of the tournaments, the Handicap Director will calculate a New Member Handicap Index for each such new member. Specifically, until a new member has an official GHIN handicap index after an applicant plays in three Club tournaments and is voted into the Club by the Board of Directors, his Handicap Index will be calculated based on the Club tournament scores (adjusted following the World Handicap System procedure for posted scores), and potentially additional adjusted scores if deemed acceptable by the Board of Directors. In the case where only three adjusted scores are available, the lowest of the three adjusted scores relative to par will be used. If four or five adjusted scores are available, the two lowest adjusted scores relative to par will be used. This procedure to identify used scores will be followed until ten scores are available. The used adjusted scores minus par will be multiplied by 0.7 to arrive at the new member’s handicap index. Any questions or concerns about handicap indexes should be directed to the Handicap Director or any member of the Board of Directors.
Applicants and Guests: Members who know someone interested in applying for membership in the Club should contact the Club’s Vice President. Members who would like to bring a guest to play in one of the Club tournaments should contact the Tournament Director and Treasurer. Any available tee times will be assigned to applicants and guests on a first come, first served basis after the registration and payment due date for active members for a tournament. An Member is able to bring a single guest out twice in a single year. Applicants are required to play three Club tournaments before they are eligible to be voted on for membership by the Board of Directors. It is the responsibility of the applicant’s member sponsor to ensure the applicant completes the Club’s Application for Membership form to receive credit towards the three tournaments that applicants are required to play. The application may be downloaded from the Club’s website (www.GSFVGC.com). The Club’s Vice President will assist with the application process and present candidates for membership to the Board of Directors once all application requirements are met.
Tournament Positional Prize Fund: Prize funds are awarded to active members participating in Club tournaments based on finishing positions (e.g., first place, second place, etc.) based on net scores in each Club tournament. The number of positions receiving prize funds will be based on the number of members playing in a tournament and represent approximately 25% of the members playing in the tournament. The total amount of funds awarded in a tournament will vary based the total number of participants in the tournament. Tournaments identified by the Club as “major” tournaments will have larger total prize funds.
Club Championship Points: There is a season-long competition to determine each year’s Club Champion. The competition is based on a system that awards points to each participating member based on position finishes in Club tournaments, with the Club’s four “major” tournaments awarding a higher amount of points. At the end of each year, the member with the most points is declared Club Champion. The Club recognizes the top ten finishers each year at the Club’s annual awards banquet. A player must play in at least ten (10) Club tournaments during the season to be eligible to be Club Champion.
Closest-to-the-Pin Contest: There is a closest-to-the-pin contest held at each Club tournament. Participation is automatic and included in your tournament fees. All members, guests and applicants participate in this contest. The prize is awarded to the participant who hits his ball closest to the pin on any of the par-3 holes as designated by the Tournament Director. A tape measure and “score sheet” are provided near the designated greens. Measurement is made from the pin to the leading edge of the ball.
Skins Game: There is an optional skins game held at each Club tournament. The fee to participate is currently $5.00. Participants are given one-half the number of stokes provided by their course handicap for the tournament. Guests or applicants may participate and receive strokes if they have a current SCGA handicap index. If a guest or applicant does not have a current SCGA handicap index they may still participate in the skins game but must play to a course handicap of zero (0). A player participating in the skins game must declare their participation and pay the fee before the tournament to the member coordinating the skins game.
Putting Contest: There is an optional putting contest held at each Club tournament. The fee to participate is currently $2.00. The contest usually pays three places for the low number of putts during the tournament. Only putts from on the green are counted. All members, guests, and applicants may participate in the putting contest. A player participating in the putting contest must declare their participation and pay the fee before the tournament to the member coordinating the putting contest.
Long-Drive Contest: There is an optional long-drive contest at each Club tournament. There are two divisions for the contest: Open (no age restrictions) and Senior (limited to participants age 55 and up). Participants can choose to participate in one or both divisions if eligible. The fee to participate in the long-drive contest is currently $1.00 per division. The winner of each division will be the participant hitting the longest drive on the hole designated for the contest by the Tournament Director. A player participating in the long-drive contest must declare their participation and pay the fee before the tournament to the member coordinating the long-drive contest.
Tournament Pairings Sheet: The Tournament Director will create and distribute a tournament pairings sheet via email up to one week prior to a Club tournament. It provides pairings for the upcoming tournament, tournament information, notifications of upcoming tournaments, past tournament winners and other information as needed.
Volunteers Wanted: The Club is a non-profit organization run and supported completely by volunteers. If you feel you have time and talent you can contribute to the operation of the club, please contact a board member.
Special Events
Fall Classic Tournament: The Club organizes an annual tournament normally held over a weekend at a resort-type location away from the LA area but within a reasonable driving distance. The Club fee for this event normally covers only the cost of golf, with the cost of lodging, food and beverages handled separately by each participant on their own. The official Club tournament is held on Saturday and is the same format as other Club tournaments. The golf competitions on Friday and Sunday are team formats and not included in the season-long points competition.
Annual Awards Banquet: The Club organizes an annual awards banquet at a local restaurant or banquet hall, typically held during the first half of January. The annual awards are presented at this social event.
Two-Day Shoot-out: Once each year the Club holds a two-day event with Club tournaments on both Saturday and Sunday. Each tournament is operated as a separate tournament but there are also prize funds and a trophy for performance cumulatively over the two tournaments. The two-day tournament trophy is a perpetual trophy that is retained by the winner for one year, after which it is presented to the following year’s winner.
General Membership Meeting: General membership meetings are held twice a year directly after two of the normally scheduled Club tournaments. This is a chance for all active members to voice their opinions about the way the club is run and make suggestions for improvement and for active members to vote on Club matters presented by the Board of Directors. The Club’s Secretary will provide notice of upcoming general meetings.
Special Awards
Good Fellowship Award: The Good Fellowship Award is presented to the member who best represents the spirit of Good Fellowship as voted by the Club membership. It is based on how well a member represents the Club at events and how well fellow members enjoy playing the game with a member. It is not based on how well a member plays the game. Voting for the Good Fellowship Award is held by secret ballot in November and December and presentation of the trophy is made at the annual awards banquet. The Good Fellowship Award has a perpetual trophy that is retained by the winner for one year after which it is presented to the following year’s winner.
Major Championship Tournaments:
Croucher Memorial Trophy ~ Bradley Memorial Trophy ~ Fall Classic Trophy ~Presidents Trophy
The trophies are presented at the major tournaments of the year. These trophies are all perpetual trophies that are retained by the winner for one year, after which they are presented to the following year’s winner.
Club Champion: The Club Champion is the member who wins the most championship points during the Club’s official tournaments of the year. The Club Champion is awarded the Club Championship Trophy at the Annual Awards Banquet held in January of the following year. The Championship Trophy is a perpetual trophy that is retained by the winner for one year after which it is presented to the following year’s winner. The winner must have participated in at least ten (10) of the Club’s official tournaments during the year.
Putting Champion: The Putting Championship is awarded to the member that has the lowest average putts per round at the end of the year. The winner must have participated in at least ten (10) of the Club’s official tournaments during the year.
Top Ten Golfers: The members with the most championship points determine the top ten golfers of the year. If there is a tie for tenth place, all tying members will be included in the top ten and will receive trophies. The winners retain the Top Ten Trophies permanently. A player must compete in a minimum of ten (10) tournaments to qualify for the top ten golfer.
If you have any questions about our Club Information/Rules please reach out to our President Mike Smith.
