2009 eGolf Professional Tour Policies

FORMAT

All eGolf Professional Tour tournaments will consist of 54- and 72-hole events. All 54-hole events will be contested over two golf courses, with the cut coming after 36 holes and being either the low 70 players and ties or 30 percent of the field, whichever number is higher. All 72-hole events will be contested over one golf course and will feature a 156-player field. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties.

TOUR MEMBERSHIP

There is a one-time membership fee of $1,750, if paid before December 1, 2008. If paid between December 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009, the fee is $2,000. After January 1, 2009, the fee is $2,250. This fee is non-refundable after January 20, 2009.

TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEE

54-Hole Events

$1,075 (members)
$1,275 (non-members)
$750 (PGA “Class A” Members)*
$500 (amateurs)

72-Hole Events

$1,150 (members)
$1,350 (non-members)
$950 (amateurs)

(All payments are subject to a 2% administrative processing fee. Players wishing to pay with a check MUST include the 2% fee. No exceptions.)

*PGA of America rate may be used by a “Class A” member ONE TIME during the 2009 season. Player must provide their PGA of America member number and be a full-time employee at a PGA-recognized facility.

PURSES

Purses for all 72-hole events will be $300,000
Purses for all 54-hole events will be $220,000*
As in the past, EGOLF expects to introduce performance bonuses at various points in the 2009 season.

* Purses will be increased if participation warrants. In no case will payout for any series be less than 103 percent. Payout for tournament purses for the 2009 season will be a minimum of 103 percent. Any bonus pools will increase this amount.

ELIGIBILITY

54-Hole Events
- All professionals and amateurs with a USGA handicap index of 2.0 or less may play on a space available basis. eGolf Professional Tour members will be allowed to sign up at any point on a first come, first serve basis until Monday, the week prior to the event, at 6:00 PM. After this point, all non-members and amateurs will be granted entry on a space available basis, in the order in which their entry was received. The maximum field size for a 54-hole event is 288 players.

72-Hole Events
Each 72-hole event will be feature a 162-player field, broken down as follows:

140 eGolf Professional Tour Members
- For qualifications, please see below
10 Monday Qualifiers
- Monday qualifier will be open to members and non-members and will be played on the Monday of tournament week.
Top Six (6) Non-Members in Earnings From the First Two Events of Each Series
- Based on money accumulated from each of the first two events of a series
Six (6) Sponsor Exemptions
- Exemptions are at the discretion of the eGolf Professional Tour staff

The 140 member spots will be filled as follows for the first 72-Hole Event:

eGolf Professional Tour winners from 2007-2009 who are current members
Any member making the cut in each of the first two events the series
Top 70 members, in order, from the 2009 money list
Top 70 from the 2008 money list who are current members
Nos. 71 through 120, in order, on the 2009 money list who are current members
Nos. 71 through 120, in order, on the 2008 money list who are current members

The 140 member spots for each 72-Hole Event thereafter will be filled as follows:

eGolf Professional Tour winners from 2007-2009 who are current members
Top members, in earnings, from the first two events of that series
Top 100 members, in order, on the 2009 money list
Top 100 members, in order, on the 2008 money list who are current members

MONDAY QUALIFIERS

Players not otherwise exempt for a 72-hole event may try and Monday qualify for one of 10 available spots for that event. The fees for each Monday qualifier are as follows:
Members: $150
Non-Members: $225
Players who successfully qualify will have the Monday qualifier fee put towards their entry fee for the event.

ENTRY DEADLINE (No Exceptions to this Policy!!)

The payment deadline for all events is Monday at 6:00 PM the week prior to any event. All contestants who have not paid their entry fee in full by the Monday deadline will be considered not entered and will be added to the waiting list. Members and Non-Members may enter any event as far in advance as they wish. The Non-Member waiting list will be built according to when payment is received. Non-Members will be entered into events after the Monday deadline has passed in the order their payment was received. Any non-member who does not gain entry into an event will be given a full refund or at his or her request will be placed on the non-member list for the next event. Any player who qualifies for a PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, Champions Tour or European Tour event before the first day of play will be refunded his or her entry fee if the events coincide. All players who sign up after the Monday deadline will be charged a $75 late fee. Players can check the field list online to make sure that they are entered into an event.

It is solely the responsibility of the player to know whether or not he is in the tournament field.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

All players must pay using a credit card or debit card on the official eGolf Professional Tour website. Should you face difficulty with this process, you may send a check to the address located on our contact page. Check must be accompanied with a completed entry form and MUST include the 2% administrative processing fee.
Direct Deposit Payment: The eGolf Professional Tour will once again offer direct deposit payment to all players of the tour. This means that instead of being paid with a check, players will have their earnings directly deposited into their bank accounts. All direct deposit payments will be made within seven (7) days of the tournament’s final round. Players can sign up for this service by printing out the Paychex form off of the website and faxing it to Paychex with a voided check or by bringing a voided check to the tournament site and filling out the form there.

Players only need to fill out the box marked (1) worker required information, (2) the name of their bank in the box marked complete for direct deposit, and (3) sign and date the bottom of the page. Once the form is complete fax it and a voided check to (704) 588-9700 attention Shemeka Gaines.

All players are required to have a W-9 tax form on file with eGolf:

A sample form is available here. After reading the form carefully, please complete each of the following five steps:

Print full name
Print complete address
Fill in Social Security Number
Sign and Date
Fax to Egolf Professional Tour at 704.295.3905

NO SHOW/WITHDRAWL

No-shows will not be tolerated. Any player who no-shows for an event will forfeit their entry fee. A player may withdraw without penalty up until 6:00 pm Friday the week before the event. A player withdrawing after the deadline and before 6:00 pm Sunday will be charged $200.00. Players who withdraw after 6:00 pm Sunday will be considered a No-Show and will not be refunded for any reason. A life or death circumstance will be the only situation that could alter this policy.

PRACTICE ROUNDS

Practice rounds for all 72-hole events, played on the day prior to the tournament unless otherwise noted, will be paid by the eGolf Professional Tour. Practice rounds for all 54-hole events are to be paid by the player. Players will receive reduced practice round rates for all 54-hole events. In either case, the player is responsible for calling the host golf course and arranging his practice round tee time.

PACE OF PLAY

Rule 6-7 states, in part: "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 and slow play penalties and fines, except during match play competitions, has been adopted. 1. Definition of "Out of Position" The first group to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, the group exceeds the time allotted per hole, as detailed on the applicable course's Local Rules Addendum. The second and third groups, and additional groups as determined by the Rules Committee when play is in pairs, to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they (a) exceed the allotted time to play or (b) reach any place where there is an open par-3 or par-4 hole, or when the preceding group is on the putting green of a par-5 hole when the group in question is on the teeing ground. Any subsequent group will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they reach any place where there is an open par-3 or par-4 hole, or the preceding group is on the putting green of a par-5 hole when the group in question is on the teeing ground. 2. Monitoring Groups It is the responsibility of each player to be aware of his groups' position on the golf course. Rules officials are required to warn groups prior to be timed. A group will be subject to being timed until back in position with the group ahead or back on TIME PAR. 3. Timing The 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 the line of his putt. A player will have 40 seconds to play a stroke when being timed. NOTE: An extra 20 seconds will be allowed for: A. The first player to play a stroke on a par-3 hole. B. The first player to play a second stroke on a par-4 or par-5 hole (when attempting to reach the putting green). C. The first player to play a third stroke on a par-5 hole. D. The first player to play on or around the putting green. 4. Fines and Penalties - Penalty Phase Any player in a group out of position will be subject to being timed. Any player who exceeds the allotted time to play a stroke will be notified of such. Any player that has received notification of a bad time is considered to be in the Penalty Phase of the Pace of Play Policy. Players in the Penalty Phase of the Pace of Play Policy exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke will be penalized in the following manner. 5. Summary of Fines and Penalties during a Round First Offense: One timing exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke -- one stroke penalty. Second Offense: One more timing (a total of two) exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke -- two stroke penalty. Subsequent Offense: One more timing (a total of three) exceeding the allotted time to play a stroke -- disqualification. Note: In the administration of these paces of play guidelines, a member of the rules committee shall not tolerate any form of abuse, by the player. Such abuse constitutes conduct unbecoming a professional.
Any player who is put “On the clock” five times over the course of the 2008 season will be fined $200.00. Each subsequent timing will result in an additional $200.00 fine for the offending player. 6. Appeals the player in question immediately upon completion of his/her round must refer any appeal of a penalty and/or fine to the Tour Director. The Tour Director's decision shall be final.

CONDUCT

Any conduct unbecoming of a professional will not be tolerated. Such behavior includes abusive profanity, club throwing, and any act that results in personal or private property damage. Players are responsible for the conduct of their caddies and will be responsible for any fines incurred. Breech of professional conduct may result in warnings, fines and or disqualification.

First Offense - $100
Second Offense - $200
Third Offense - $400

All offenses thereafter - $500 plus a possible suspension.
Fines will be deducted from a player’s check for that tournament. Should a player not make a check, a bill for the fine will be sent to that player online. All fines must be paid in full before the player is allowed entry into another eGolf Professional Tour event.

SCORING

All players are required to return their scorecards to the scoring area immediately following the tournament round. Players are required to remain in the scoring area until all players in their group have returned their scorecards to the tournament staff. A breach of this rule will be considered unprofessional conduct and will be subject to discipline under the eGolf Professional Tour’s conduct policy.
Any player who does not return a scorecard (i.e. no-cards) will be fined $50 per offense for the 2009 season. All fines must be paid in full before the player is allowed entry into another eGolf Professional Tour event. A medical emergency will be the only exception to this policy and must be verified with a doctor’s notice.
Any player who returns a score above 85 more than two times in a season will have their status reviewed by the tour for the remaining events of the season. The tournament committee reserves the right to suspend this rule due to inclement weather or playing conditions.

ALCOHOL and ILLEGAL DRUGS

Any player who drinks alcohol or uses any illegal drugs during an official tournament round or practice round will be disqualified from the tournament. A second offense will result in loss of playing privileges for the remainder of the 2009 season.

DRESS CODE

No jeans or denim allowed. Shorts may be worn but must be of Bermuda length. Collared shirts are required at all events. Soft spikes are mandatory at all events.

MOBILE PHONES

Cell phones may be used on the golf course to contact a rules official only. Phones must be turned completely off at all other times. Players with phones on for any other reason other than calling a rules official will be disqualified.

ELECTRONIC MEASURING DEVICES

Electronic measuring devices may be used during any event. Players may use devices that measure slope, wind or factors other than distance, but that feature must be turned off during official tournament competition. Breach of this policy will result in immediate disqualification from the event in which the infraction occurs.

PLAYOFFS & TIES

Ties will be decided by a sudden death playoff, immediately following regulation play. Tour officials will decide the starting hole.

PRIZE MONEY

Non-Resident Alien players must have an IRS W-8 BEN form on file and according to IRS regulations, must submit to the Tour withholding 30% for taxes. Players are responsible for correct Names, Social Security Numbers and Addresses. Players that absolutely cannot utilize direct deposit will be mailed a bank check no later than 14 days after each event with the exception of the last event, which will be no later than 21 days. All prize money issued in the form of a bank check must be cashed within 180 days or the check will be cancelled and the prize money considered forfeited. Players wishing to be paid via a hard check will be deducted $10 due to processing fees.

SUSPENSION OF PLAY (Due to Dangerous Situation)

Play may be suspended due to dangerous situations. After a horn or siren has sounded, players must immediately halt play and may not resume again until the Committee has ordered to do so. Under suspension, the entire golf course, driving range, putting greens and all practice areas are closed. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification. Suspension of play due to fog, excessive rain, ice, wind or any other reason is not considered dangerous. After the horn sounds, players have the option of finishing the hole they are on or marking the ball position and stopping play.

REDUCTION OF ROUNDS

The eGolf Professional Tour will do everything within reason to complete 54 holes in a 54-hole event and 72 holes in a 72-hole event. In such a case 54 or 72 holes cannot be completed, a 54-hole tournament is final after 18 or 36 completed holes. A 72-hole tournament is final after 36 or 54 completed holes. Partial rounds will not count. Every effort will be made to complete a round. If less than 18 holes of a 54-hole event are completed, refunds will be given less $30.00 for course costs. In the case that only 18 holes can be completed in a two-course event, the purse will be split in half with the 18-hole results from each course sharing their half of the purse. The money earned will count as official money, but no champion will be determined. If less than 36 holes of a 72-hole event are completed, refunds will be given less $60.00 for course costs.

The rainout policy is very specific. If play is suspended at any time during the first round, play will resume later that day or the next day. The same procedure will be followed for each ensuing round, with the following exceptions:

In a 54-hole event, if the second or third rounds are cancelled, the tournament will be deemed final after the first round. If the second round must be completed on the third day, it must be finished in time for the third round to start and finish on that day with a maximum of 18 players left on the course at the end of that day. If 18 players or less did not finish the third round on the third day, those players will finish the round the next morning. If play cannot finish on the fourth day the tournament will be deemed final after the second round.
In a 72-hole event, if the third and fourth rounds are cancelled, the tournament will be deemed final after the second round. If the third round must be completed on the final day, it must be finished in time for the final round to start and finish on that day with a maximum of 18 players left on the course at the end of that day.