GOLES MEN’s GOLF LEAGUE
BY-LAWS
As amended March 25, 2023

I. General

This is a Monday night men’s golf league with open tee times from 3:00 to 6:00 PM.
The course will be Pebble Brook, South Course.
Phone: 896-5596
League play will begin mid-April and will end the last Monday in September with awards to be paid out in October.
All players will score as individuals, but everyone will be in one of four flights. There is no need to get a substitute if you can’t play. You play against your own handicap and prizes are awarded monthly based upon your lowest two net scores. There will also be a Singles Tournament, a two-man Buddy Tournament , and a Foursome Tournament, all which will run the entire season. In addition an overall League Champion for each flight will be crowned at the end of the season. Please provide names of your buddy and team members by May 1st to Charlie Harris (harris.charlie@yahoo.com). Otherwise you will be randomly assigned a buddy and/or team member(s).

II. Weather Cancellations and Make-up Rounds

We encourage you to make the choice to play or not to play based upon a priority for safety from dangerous storms and/or lightning. It is the golfer’s responsibility to seek shelter for inclimate weater. Players may use our make-up round feature for the following reasons:
i. Weather prevented play on Monday from 3-6pm.
ii. Monday was a holiday.
iii. Pebblebrook scheduled an outing which pre-empts the GOLES tee times.
The make-up rounds must meet the criteria as follows:
i. The make-up round condition must be declared by your commissioners. Notification of a makeup round will be communicated by one of the commissioners, based upon the Noblesville 46062 weather forecast and/or current conditions.
ii. The make-up round must be with at least one other member of the GOLES league.
iii. You must make your own tee-time arrangements for the make-up rounds.
iv. Make-up rounds must be played Tuesday thru Thursday after noon – no morning nor Friday-Sunday rounds will be accepted by Pebble Brook.
The Pebble Brook pro shop has agreed to honor the same fees for make-up rounds as on Monday (i.e. $18 to walk and $23 to ride). You may be asked to show your ID in the Pro Shop to match up with the league roster.

III. Eligibility

This is a St. Maria Goretti - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel – St. Elizabeth Seton and Our Lady of Grace (GOLES) men’s church league, but friends and neighbors are welcome. Subject to a potential membership cap, all men who are registered on https://www.GOLESgolf.com and who have paid their league fees to Bill Kennedy by the first scheduled day of play are eligible to play and may participate in the prize money awards. Although the official tee times are 3:00-6:00 pm, players may play anytime (if tee time is available) on Monday provided he plays with another league member to be eligible for prize money, and to have his score included in the handicap calculation.

IV. League Fees

There is a one-time registration fee of $100 per player. The registration fee covers participation in the buddy tournament, prize money for 5 months, burger and chips on the designated date each month, and the other cash awards.
Each month, starting in June and ending in October, the commissioners will select a date for food to be provided from League dues. Members will be responsible for ordering and paying for their drinks, if any.
Venmo will be optional for players choosing to pay in this manner.

V. Etiquette and Decorum

As this is a GOLES church league, courteous golf etiquette and best decorum are expected at all times.
Speed of play is important to the league to insure all players finish before dark, and as a courtesy to other players. Therefore, please use the following techniques to speed play: play ready golf, don’t look too long for lost balls, gimme putts inside the leather, leave pin in when putting, etc.

VI. Rules

Play winter rules everywhere except bunkers and hazards. That is, you may roll the ball 6 inches anywhere except in a hazard or bunker, no closer to the hole and no change of grass/condition.
We will be allowing GIMME putts “completely within the leather”. That is, if the distance between the outside edge of your ball and the inside edge of the hole is less than the distance between the bottom of your putter and the bottom of your putter grip, pick it up, and count the putt as good.
Those 70 and older may play the forward (red) tees; those 65-69 may play the forward (gold) tees, or the regular (white) tees. Players 64 and younger must play from the white tees at all times. Players must play whichever tee is chosen for the entire season – no switching back and forth.
For timely and easy scoring, all players must enter their week’s gross scores on www.GOLESgolf.com (not Golf Genius) by noon each Saturday. If for some reason you play more than 9 holes, the score from the first 9 holes are to be used for GOLES scoring purposes. Members must declare to another member on the first tee box if the score will count for the GOLES league or not.
If the ball is hit out-of-bounds (white stakes) or lost elsewhere on the course, place the ball laterally from where it went out-of-bounds or where it was lost within one club length, take one stroke, and play your ball.
Players may opt to leave the pin in while putting without penalty. Leave the pin in unless the putter removes or asks someone to revmove the pin. Leaving the pin in should speed up play a bit.
All other course rules apply.

VII. Green Fees and Tee Time Booking

The green fees for 9 holes (including cart with GPS) will be $23. The fees for walking will be $18. Tee times are to be booked via Golf Genius. You may give Pebble Brook a credit card to keep on file and they will charge your credit card if you have booked a tee time on Golf Genius. If you book and decide not to play and have a credit card on file, be sure to contact the pro shop so you are not charged. Alternatively, you may pay each time before you tee off. Please allow enough time to arrive and pay before your scheduled tee time.

VIII. Groups

All players will be designated into one of four flights (A, B, C, and D) with about the same number of active players in each group based upon their handicap. There will be no reallocations to different flights after May 31st .
The commissioners reserve the right to adjust flights for new members who may not have selected an average score or handicap which is representative of their actual scores.

IX. Front and Back

As a general rule, this GOLES league will play front nine for tee off before 5pm and both nines starting at 5pm at the Pebble Brook South Course. On some occasions, the Pebble Brook staff may choose for the GOLES league to play the Pebble Brook North Course or have other arrangements.

X. Handicap

All players’ handicaps will be established after they have posted a minimum of 2 scores.
Handicaps will automatically be recalculated after each score is posted on the website and net scores will be calculated based upon the handicap at the time the round begins.
Handicap is determined by multiplying one’s handicap differential by 0.96. Following is the formula for handicap differential:
Handicap Differential = (Score – Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating
For the purposes of the GOLES league, we will use a course rating of 34.75 and slope of 123 for the White tees; a course rating of 32.8 and slope of 116 for the Gold tees; and a course rating of 35.0 and slope of 120 for the Red tees.
GOLES league uses a modified USGA handicap system. Because we have several new players each year, the following table determines which handicap differentials are used based upon the number of rounds posted. Once a member has at least 20 scores posted, the formula is consistent with the USGA formula of using the 10 best scores of the last 20 posted. Scores carry over from one year to the next.
Rounds Entered Differentials Used
1-3 scores 1 lowest
4-6 scores 2 lowest
7-10 scores 3 lowest
11-12 scores 4 lowest
13-14 scores 5 lowest
15-16 scores 6 lowest
17 scores 7 lowest
18 scores 8 lowest
19 scores 9 lowest
20+ scores 10 lowest

XI. Equitable Stroke Control

The maximum number of strokes that can be recorded for
any given hole (for our handicap system) is set by the Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) system:
Handicap Max Scores
Less than 5 double bogey
5-9 7
10-14 8
15-19 9
20 or more 10
Please be sure that your total score is recorded based upon the ESC system.

XII. Prize Money

Prize money will be paid in October in The Pebble Grill at Pebble Brook for the entire season.
Payout will be for ten positions in each flight. That is, the cash winners will be the players in each flight with the lowest average of two net scores, the second lowest average of two net scores, the third lowest average of two net scores and so on, during the previous month.
Place Amount
1st $40
2nd $30
3rd $25
4th $20
5th $10
6th-10th $5
April scores are combined with May scores to count towards May prize money.
The handicap system will be used to award prizes. Only players with at least 2 recorded scores each month will be eligible for prize money.
In case of ties within a flight, the players in the tie will share the prize money equally. For example, if there is a two way tie for first place the first place prize of $40 will be added to the second place prize of $25 and each player will get $32.50.
The League Champion of each flight will receive a cash award as follows:
Place Amount
1st $40
2nd $30
3rd $25
4th $20
5th $10
6th-10th $5
For each flight, the champion will be determined by the player having accumulated the most points at the end of the season and will be based upon weekly net scores and participation as follows:
5 pts – Lowest net score
4 pts – Second to lowest net score
3 pts – Third to lowest net score
2 pts – Fourth to lowest net score
1 pt - Fifth to lowest net score
1 pt – Score posted on website (i.e. participation)
There may be multiple players achieving net score points at each level.

XIII. Special Tournaments

The Singles, Buddy and Foursome Tournaments will run concurrently with the regular GOLES league. All GOLES members with paid up dues are entered into these tournaments. It will require no special rounds, no special scoring or any record keeping on your part. That is, the monthly winners will be generated by our computer system from your regular weekly scores.
The detailed guidelines and rules are as follows:
1. There will be two players per team for the Buddy Tournament and four for the Foursome Tournament. There will be a play-in in the first round (i.e. April and May), reducing the month of June field to 80 players for Singles, 40 teams for Buddy, and 20 teams for Foursome based upon the lowest net scores. The lowest net scores will advance to the July, August, and September as follows:
a. Singles – Lowest 60, 40, 24 respectively
b. Buddy – Lowest 30, 20, 12 respectively
c. Foursome – Lowest 15, 10, 6 respectively
2. Choose your buddy or foursome or have one automatically assigned to you.
3. No special team play is required. That is, simply play with your usual group or regular time.
4. The GOLES computer system will find your lowest net score for the month, your buddy’s, and foursome’s lowest score for the month and compare other opponents for the month. The winners advance, the losers are out.
5. Winners will advance to the next month. Results will be posted each month on the website.
6. Failure to play and enter at least one score in the month will be treated as a defeat by default for the individual and his team.
7. Final winners will be awarded prize money as follows
Place Amount
1st $40
2nd $30
3rd $25
4th $20
5th $10
6th-10th $5

XIV. Lounge

Pebble Brook has a very nice lounge called The Pebble Grill with very affordable refreshments. Players are invited to come to The Pebble Grill after play to share good fellowship, refreshments and stories

XV. Amendments

Your co-commissioners reserve the right to make additions, corrections and deletions to these by-laws as befitting a smooth, fair and enjoyable operation

XVI. Co-commissioners

John Steeb, Charlie Harris, Bill Kennedy, Brian Reising*, and Bob Zeunik (Co-commissioner Emeritus)*
* - League co-founders in 2008