1. NAME
- The Union shall be called the "Somerset Golf Union"
- The County of Somerset is defined as being the Ancient County as it existed before the boundary reorganisation in 1974.
2. OBJECTS
- To act as a central authority for determining all questions which may arise and generally promote the interests of amateur golf in the County of Somerset
- To monitor the maintenance of a uniform system of handicapping throughout the County and act as the area authority as defined in the Council of National Golf Unions’ S.S.S and Handicapping Scheme (or any modification)
- To promote amateur golf championships and competitions for the various categories of male golfers in the County under conditions laid down by the Executive Committee
- To arrange golf matches with other Counties and Associations including competing annually for the Championship of the English Golf Union and the South Western Counties Golf Association.
- To abide by the Rules of Golf as laid down by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
- To abide by the Rules of Amateur Status as laid down by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
- To abide by the Constitution and Rules of the English Golf Union.
- To take such action from time to time as the Council may consider desirable for the benefit of members.
3. MEMBERSHIP
- The Union shall consist of those golf clubs in the County of Somerset, (as defined in Clause 1b), whose election has been approved and whose Constitution and Rules comply with the basic requirements set out in sub-paragraph b) hereof.
Upon election the Club shall be known as an "Affiliated Club"
The Union shall have no control over the internal administration of any affiliated Club though the Executive Committee may suspend the affiliation to the Union of any Club not complying with any of the laid down requirements in 3b, until such time that they are satisfied that the necessary changes have been effected.
- The following wording must be contained in the Rules of all Affiliated Clubs:
CONDUCT OF THE GAME
- The Club agrees to recognise the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews as the ruling body of Amateur Golf and shall abide by the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status as laid down from time to time by the R&A.
- The Club agrees to comply with the Council of National Golf Unions ‘Regulations and Rules of the S.S.S. & Handicapping Scheme’ (and any conditions imposed within the Scheme by the English Golf Union).
- The Club agrees to comply with the Constitution and Rules of the English Golf Union and of its County Union as laid down from time to time.
SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION AND COUNTY UNION
- The Club shall pay all subscriptions due to the County Union and to the English Golf Union in respect of every male playing member of whatever category.
DISCIPLINARY POWERS
- The Club shall duly exercise the disciplinary powers delegated to them under the English Golf Union Constitution.
ELECTIONS
- The members at the Annual General Meeting or the elected General Committees, whichever is appropriate, shall appoint a Competition & Handicapping Committee (the majority of which shall be elected members) which shall have complete control of handicapping matters in the Club.
Note: Rule (3-b-vi) must be included as written but the Club may wish to expand on its contents in later rules.
REVOCATION
- Rules (3-b-i) through to (3-b-vi) and this Rule shall not be amended or revoked without the prior written consent of the English Golf Union.
Note: Affiliated Clubs shall offer the facilities of their course and part of the Clubhouse to the County Union at reasonable intervals in accordance with usual practice.
4. GOVERNING BODY (THE COUNCIL)
- The Union shall be governed by the Council of the Union constituted as laid down in Rule 4b. The Council shall be empowered to delegate any part of its duties to the Executive Committee constituted as laid down in Rule 7.
- The Council shall consist of:
- The Officers of the Union as laid down in Rule 5.
- Two delegates from each Club whose membership is less than 300 and three delegates from Clubs whose membership is over 300.
- Members of the Executive Committee not otherwise members of the Council.
- Past Presidents are ex-officio members of the Council without the powers to vote
- The election of the Club delegates to the Council of the Union shall be made each year by each Club in the Union in such manner as it thinks fit and each Club shall notify the Secretary of the Union as soon as possible in each year of the names of the delegates for the year. The delegates shall hold office from one Annual General Meeting of the Council to the next such meeting. In the event of a delegate not being able to attend a Council meeting, a deputy appointed by the Club concerned may attend in his place. Thirty shall form a quorum of the Council.
- All Club delegates and members of the Executive shall each have one vote at meetings of the Council. The Chairman shall have a casting vote.
5. OFFICERS
Officers of the Union shall consist of:
- President
- Senior Vice-President
- Junior Vice-President
- Captain
- Vice-Captain
- President of the Junior Section
- Honorary Secretary
- Honorary Treasurer
- Honorary Competitions Secretary
The Secretary, Treasurer, Competitions Secretary and President of the Juniors shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Council after the meeting at which they were elected. The Captain and Vice-Captain shall hold office for two years from the Annual general Meeting of the Council at which they were elected.
The Council shall have power from time to time, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, to elect any person being a member of a Club affiliated to the Union to be the Junior Vice-President. Nomination for the office of Junior Vice-President shall be made by the past Presidents of the Executive Committee and by the Executive Committee to the Annual General Meeting.
The Junior Vice-President will progress to Senior Vice-President, then President in successive years. (Approved 1997 A.G.M.).
6. AUDITOR
An Auditor of the Union shall be elected yearly at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.
7. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of:
- The Officers of the Union.
- Six other members; two of whom are to be elected at each Annual General Meeting with no more than two from any Club serving as committee members at the same time.
- The elected members of the executive Committee shall hold office for three years, two members retiring annually in rotation who shall be eligible for re-election.
- One of the S.G.U. representatives to the E.G.U. if not already serving on the Committee in another capacity.
- The retiring President shall remain a member of the Executive Committee for one year after completion of his term of office.
- The immediate past Captain shall remain a member of the Executive Committee for two years after completion of his term of office.
- Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote at meetings and the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
8. CO-OPTION TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive committee shall have power to co-opt any person, or number of persons, without power to vote to assist them in their deliberations on any particular matter.
9. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
- The Executive Committee shall submit nominations for the Officers of the Union to the Annual General Meeting of the Council.
- The Executive Committee shall conduct the affairs of the Union and deal with all matters arising in the intervals between meetings of the Council.
- The President shall act as Chairman of the Executive meetings. In case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
- Four members of the Executive Committee shall form a quorum.
- A minimum of seven days notice of all meetings shall be given by the Secretary to all members of the Executive Committee and must be called by him at any time at the request of three members of the Executive Committee.
- The Executive Committee shall submit nominations for the ‘representatives of the Union to the English Golf Union’ to the Annual General Meeting of the Council.
- The Executive Committee shall decide the amounts of any honoraria paid.
10. PROCEDURE AND CONDUCT OF DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEES
- The Executive Committee must ensure that all rules contained both in the Constitution and the Regulations governing championships and matches are complied with. The Executive Committee is authorised to deal with any breach of rule or discipline, and to impose sanctions on any Club, player or person deemed to have breached any Rule.
- The Executive Committee of the Union shall be the Disciplinary Committee from whom members to conduct a hearing or appeal shall be nominated.
- Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding sub-clause to appoint and delegate disciplinary powers to a Disciplinary Sub-Committee, such powers are to be exercised in accordance with the terms and conditions for the conduct of Disciplinary Sub-Committees from time to time issued by the English Golf Union.
11. ANNUAL MEETINGS
- The Annual Meeting of the Council shall be held at some place convenient for the President within four months of the end of the financial year, and twenty eight days notice shall be given by the Hon. Secretary to the Officers and Committee and to the Secretary of each Affiliated Club.
- A copy of the duly audited financial statement for the previous year shall be sent with the notice of the Meeting. The financial year shall end on 31st October each year.
- Each Affiliated Club must notify the Secretary of the names of their Representatives (see Rule 4c) and only those Representatives, together with the Officers of the Union and other members of the Executive shall be entitled to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting of the Council, though Past-Presidents may attend and take part in any discussion. The terms of this sub-paragraph shall apply to Special Meetings (see Rule 12).
12. SPECIAL MEETINGS
A Special Meeting of the Council may be convened at any time by the Hon. Secretary:
- by instruction of the President or Executive Committee;
- upon written request of any three Affiliated Clubs, such written request to state the business which the Clubs making the request desire to bring before the Special Meeting.
Twenty-eight days notice of any Special meeting shall be given by the Hon. Secretary to the Secretary of each Affiliated Club and such notice shall state the business for which the Meeting is called.
No other business shall be considered at such meeting.
13. SUBSCRIPTIONS
- Each Affiliated Club shall pay to the Union as its annual subscription a per capita contribution for each male playing member as determined from time to time by the Executive Committee, together with the Club’s per capita contribution to the English Golf Union for each male playing member.
Payments must include Value Added Tax where it is applicable.
- All subscriptions shall become due on 1st January in each year and no representative of a Club whose subscriptions are unpaid shall be entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting or any other meeting of the Council.
14. MINUTES, MEETINGS AND CORRESPONDENCE
The Secretary shall record correctly in the minutes the proceedings of the Council and the Executive Committee and shall produce the minutes file at the meetings thereof.
The Secretary shall summon all meetings of the Council and the Executive Committee.
The Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Union.
15. ALTERATIONS OF RULES OR REGULATIONS
No rule or regulation of the Union shall be made, repealed or altered, save by a majority of two thirds of the representatives present and by voting at the Annual General Meeting of the Council or at a Special meeting of the Council called for the purpose of repealing or altering such rule or regulation.
Any officer or Club in the Union wishing to propose any such new rule or regulation, repeal or alteration, shall give notice to the Secretary not less than 42 days before a meeting of the Council, and the Secretary shall give notice thereof to all Clubs in the Union not less than 28 days before such Council Meeting. Upon consideration of such proposals it shall be competent for the meeting of the Council to pass them with or without modification.
16. CHAMPIONSHIP SUB-COMMITTEE
All questions arising at Championship Meetings shall be decided by such members of the Executive Committee not being less than three in number as shall be immediately available. A Championship Sub-Committee consisting of the President, the Vice-President and the Competitions Secretary shall be empowered to act in all matters concerning the Championship which may occur prior to the Championship Meeting.
The Championship Sub-Committee shall have power to co-opt other persons to assist with the business of the Championship Sub-Committee.
17. COUNTY MATCHES
- The Executive Committee shall have power to arrange matches with other Counties and either to select teams or to appoint a Selection Sub-Committee for this purpose.
- The Captain of the first team shall act as Chairman of that Selection Sub-Committee.
- The County Tie shall be awarded to players by the Captain and may be given only to players who have either represented the County in ten 1st Team representative matches or have represented the County as a player throughout South West Week.
Players representing the County shall be entitled to wear the County Badge and Buttons.
The County Tie is also awarded to the President and the Captain.
The County Badge and Buttons may be worn by past and present members of the Executive Committee.
- The President of the Junior Section shall be responsible for the selection of Boys and Junior teams.
18. STANDARD SCRATCH SCORE & HANDICAPPING SCHEME
The Union recognises the Council of National Golf Unions’ Standard Scratch Score & Handicapping Scheme adopted by the English Golf Union and all Clubs in the Union shall adopt that Scheme and handicap their players in accordance with it.
19. DISPUTES
All disputes between the Union and Clubs being members of the Union shall, if either party so requests, be referred to the Executive Committee of the English Golf Union whose decision on such disputes shall be binding on both parties.
20. REGULATIONS FOR COUNTY COMPETITIONS
- Golf Meetings will be held each year at which shall be decided the Individual Championships for Stroke or Match Play and such other competitions as the Council may decide. The competitions shall be open to all male amateur members of the Clubs in the Union (subject to clause (c) below), but the Council may decide upon a qualifying standard required by all entrants.
- The Inter Club Championships shall be decided annually in such manner as the Council may decide.
- The qualifications of a player for playing in County Meetings shall be as follows:
- He must be of Amateur Status as defined by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
- He must be a member of an Affiliated Club in the County Union or must have been born in the County and be a member of an Affiliated Club in another County.
- He shall not have competed in the Championship of another County or played in a team representing another County during the previous twelve months. A player belonging to more than one Club in the County can only represent his home Club in any calendar year. That is his nominated Club for handicap purposes before 31st January of the year in which the Competition is played.
- The Executive shall decide upon whose courses the Championship Meetings shall be held and the dates thereof and shall have power at any time to change the venue or dates.
- Entrance fees for the Individual Championships and other competitions and for the Inter Club Championships shall be decided from time to time by the Executive Committee. Payment of entrance fees shall entitle the competitors to the privileges of membership for the day of the Club on whose course the competition is being held. All entries shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee.
- All play shall be in accordance with the Rules of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and of the Local Rules for the competition.
- The arrangement for all competitions shall be made by the Competitions Secretary in collaboration with the Secretary and Committee of the Club on whose course the competition is held.
- Ties shall be decided on the last 18, 9, 6, 3 or 1 holes or as the Executive Committee may otherwise decide.
- The make of ball used shall conform to the brands published on the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews current approved list. Non-compliance will result in disqualification.
- A competitor shall not knowingly make use of any drugs to enhance his performance. Attention is drawn to the list of prescribed drugs issued by the Sports Council (a copy of which can be obtained from the County Secretary). Any competitor infringing this condition or, if asked to do so, refusing to take a test may be disqualified.
- Competitors will not be permitted to ride in a buggy cart or any other form of motorised caddy cart.
- In Junior events, parents are not allowed to act as caddies.
- The standard of dress both on and off the course will be governed by the dress rules of the Host Club and must be adhered to at all times.
21. LADY MEMBERS
For all purposes of these Rules, Lady Golfer Members of a Club shall not be included in its membership.
Approved by the Council at the A.G.M. on 18th February 1996
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