Policies and Procedures

Updated Covid-19 Rules - 01/01/2023

The Tour is not responsible for items stolen, lost or damaged at any practice facility or host golf courses.

Appeals: Any appeal of a penalty must be referred to the Tournament Administrator immediately upon completion of the player in question's round. The Tournament Administrators decision shall be final.

Attire: Slacks or Bermuda length shorts are permitted. No denim is permitted. All shirts must have a collar and remain tucked in at all times. The Tour is a soft spikes only tour, no metal spikes are permitted. Players shall present a neat appearance in both clothing and personal grooming. The Tournament Administrator or Host Professional shall interpret this regulation.

Returned Payments: All costs for returned payments will be charged to the player.

Cell Phones: Must be on vibrate during play. They may be used for checking live scoring, calling for a ruling or emergency purposes.

Credit Cards: Credit Cards may only be used as payment via The Minor League Golf Tour website www.MinorLeagueGOLF.com.

Host Club: Players will be expected to treat the staff at each host club with respect.

Pairings: Pairings will be based on the Official Money List and the discretion of the Tournament Administrator.

Player Conduct Policy: The Minor League Golf Tour will maintain a strict no tolerance policy on any behavior unbecoming a professional for all tour members, including amateurs. This includes but is not limited to vulgar language, club throwing and damage to the golf course or golf course property. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the forfeiture of all tour membership rights. Conduct unbecoming a golf professional will not be tolerated and will be dealt with as the tour sees fit given the circumstances.

Gambling: MLGT members are not permitted to place a wager on themselves or another player in an MLGT event. If you are caught doing so you will be suspended from the MLGT and forfeit your membership dues.

Alcohol Policy: The consumption of Alcohol during the play of MLGT Tournaments is prohibited.

Practice: Range balls are included in the entry fee for use prior to the round.

Practice Rounds: Practice rounds will be available at all tournament sites on a case by case basis. Players are responsible for practice rounds including reserving tee times and any fees that may apply.

Official Tournament: The goal of The Minor League Golf Tour is to complete scheduled events. The tournament committee and players will make their best effort to complete each round and tournament as scheduled. If the entire field completes at least 50% of the scheduled event (9 holes of an 18 hole event, 18 holes of a 36 hole event) it will be considered an Official Tournament. The total number of holes counted will be equal to the number that the final group completes.

After exhausting all feasible options, the tournament committee may suspend or cancel a round in the event unplayable conditions occur. In the event a tournament cannot be completed due to weather the purse portion of the entry fee will be refunded/distributed evenly to all the players in the field. Refunds of course costs will be decided on a case by case basis by the host club.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy: If a player leaves due to reasons other than performance, causing the field to be reduced, the purse will also be reduced. Refunds of course costs will be decided on a case by case basis by the host club. If a player withdraws after 4pm the day before the tournament there will be a $25 no show fee for a 1-Day event and a $40 no show fee for a multi day event. Every player receives 1 free pass per calendar year. If a player withdrawals or no shows for the tournament the day of the tournament there will be a $50 penalty and the remainder of their entry fee will be refunded. Majors and other big tournaments have a 7 day payment deadline and if you withdraw after the deadline there will be a $100 penalty.

Playoffs and Ties: The only ties which will be broken by a playoff are those to decide first place when possible. All other ties will remain as ties and the purse for those positions will be divided equally. A sudden death playoff will immediately follow play on a hole or holes chosen by the Tournament Committee.

Prize Money Distribution: Earnings will be paid within 24 hours via the Players selected choice in their online account settings. It is the players responsibility to keep their payment selection and address up to date with the tour. All players must submit a W-9 with a US Social Security or Tax ID number on it or be subject to 30% withholding on all earnings. A 1099-MISC will be sent in January for the previous years earnings to players that earned over $600 during the year.

Player without a US SSN: Players without a United States Social Security Number will incur any fees related to receiving earnings and submitting Tax Forms.

Starting Times: Starting times will be posted on The Minor League Golf Tour website www.MinorLeagueGOLF.com and available at 561.598.9630 the evening before the round after 7pm. A player will not receive a starting time if their entry fee is not paid by 7pm EST.

Official Time: The responsibility of being ready to play at the appointed time lies solely with the individual player.

Late to the Tee: Rule 5.3a Provides: The player shall start at the time laid down by the Committee. A player must be present and ready to play (present on the teeing ground with a club and ball) when the 1st player of the group is instructed to play. The order of play is not relevant. Exception 1 - Player Arrives at Starting Point, Ready to Play, No More Than Five Minutes Late: The player gets the general penalty applied to his or her first hole.

Suspension of Play Due To Dangerous Situation: If lightning is in the area ALL PLAY MUST CEASE IMMEDIATELY and ALL Players MUST seek shelter. Additionally, each individual has the right to determine the conditions are dangerous and suspend play as per USGA Rule 5.7a. One long air horn blast means play must cease immediately for dangerous conditions. Hitting a shot after one long air horn blast will result in disqualification. Three short air horn blast means play is being discontinued for a non dangerous situation and players have the option to finish the hole they are on. Play will resume when the tournament committee says it is all clear to resume.

Player Responsibility: It is the players responsibility to make sure their contact information is current and they understand the rules of play and policies and procedures of the Minor League Golf Tour. The Minor League Golf Tour reserves the right to evaluate and modify policies, procedures, rules of play, player requirements and tournament scheduling. The Minor League Golf Tour and the memberships best interest will be considered before modifications of any kind will be made. Players will be notified of changes. The most current version of each is available on The Minor League Golf Tour website www.MinorLeagueGOLF.com.

Rules of Play

Golf, for the most part, is played without supervision of an umpire or referee. It is each players responsibility to abide by and enforce the rules to protect the integrity of the game and of the competition.

United States Golf Association (USGA) Rules Govern All Play: All play is governed by the 2023 USGA Rules of Golf. Local rules on the host courses scorecard DO NOT APPLY to the event. Range Finders and GPS devices are allowed as long as the slope feature is not used.

Rules Interpretation: If there is any question of how to proceed during tournament play, please invoke rule 20.1c and play two balls.

The One Ball Rule Is In Effect: During a stipulated round, the balls a player uses must be of the name brand and type as detailed by a single entry on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls.

The Committee: The committee is comprised of the Director of Tournament Operations, the Tournament Administrator, the Tour Owner and the designated host professional where applicable.

Scoring Area: The scoring area is defined as the golf course property.

Amateur Policy: All amateurs participating in a Minor League Golf Tour event must have a USGA handicap no higher than 6.0 or a letter from a PGA Professional verifying their ability.

Penalty Area Boundaries: In the absence of stakes or painted lines the change in cut of grass will be used as the edge of the hazard. If this is not apparent, the waters edge will be used.

Out of Bounds Boundaries: In the absence of stakes or painted lines the change in cut of grass will be used as the boundary line. Exterior surface roads define out of bounds. Land on the opposite side of a penalty area (non-golf course property side) is out of bounds unless otherwise noted on the conditions of competition.

Player Conduct Policy: The Minor League Golf Tour will maintain a strict no tolerance policy on any behavior unbecoming a professional for all tour members, including amateurs. This includes but is not limited to vulgar language, club throwing and damage to the golf course or golf course property. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the forfeiture of all tour membership rights. Conduct unbecoming a golf professional will not be tolerated and will be dealt with as the tour sees fit given the circumstances.

Pace of Play: The Minor League Golf Tour is a developmental tour for those looking to gain competitive experience. Pace of play is an issue at all levels of competition and needs to be enforced to maintain good relationships with our host courses and to prepare players for what they will most certainly experience in higher levels of competition.Rule 5.6b states a round of golf is meant to be played at a prompt pace. The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid down by the Committee. The following pace of play guidelines have been adopted:


Definition of "Out of Position": A group will be considered out of position if at any time during the round there is an open hole in front of them and they are exceeding the allotted time based upon the pace of play guidelines.

Monitoring Groups: It is the responsibility of each player to be aware of his groups position on the golf course.

Timing: Timing will only occur when a group is out of position and has failed to keep pace with the pace of play chart or a specific player is blatantly slow. Timing of a player's stroke will begin when it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction. Any time spent determining yardages will count as time taken for the next stroke.

On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to mark, lift, clean and replace his ball, repair his ball mark and other ball marks on his line of putt and remove loose impediments on his line of putt. The committee has set the maximum length of time to play a stroke when a group is in position at 90 seconds.

A player will have 40 seconds to play a stroke when being timed. An extra 10 seconds will be allowed for the first player to play:
a stroke on a par-3 hole, a second stroke on a par-4 or par-5 hole, a third stroke on a par-5 hole on or around the putting green.

1st Offense, 1 timing exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke = notification of a bad timing
2nd Offense, a total of 2 timings exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke = 1 stroke penalty
3rd Offense, a total of 3 timings exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke = disqualification

Any player in a group being timed, who exceeds the applicable time to play a stroke, will be informed as soon as practical.
In the administration of these pace of play guidelines, a member of the Rules Committee shall not tolerate abuse, oral or otherwise, by a player. Such abuse may constitute conduct unbecoming a professional.

Appeals: Any appeal of a penalty must be referred to the on-site Tournament Administrator immediately upon completion of the player in question's round. The Tournament Administrators decision shall be final. If the player in question does not appeal immediately upon conclusion of his round all penalties shall stand.

Revised (01-01-2023)