Rules & Terms
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
ALL LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ARE ADMITTED TO THE SWISS HICKORY OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE SWISS HICKORY MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP:
WHOSE EXACT HANDICAP IS NOT GREATER THAN 36.0
ARE MEMBERS OF THE SWISS GOLF, ASGI OR A CLUB AFFILIATED TO ANOTHER NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS ARE WELCOME
WHO HAVE OFFICIAL AMATEUR STATUS OR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
RULES
PLAY WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF THE R&A ST. ANDREWS, THE SWISS GOLF AND THE LOCAL RULES OF THE HOST CLUBS, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED IN THE SPECIFIC TOURNAMENT RULES.
TEES, HANDICAP & CATEGORIES
MEN & PROS PLAY FROM “YELLOW”, LADIES & LADIES PROS PLAY FROM “RED”.
THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE MAY REPLACE TEE BOXES FOR A FAIRER GAME WITH RESPECT TO THE EQUIPMENT
THE TOURNAMENT IS NOT HANDICAP EFFECTIVE.
THE FOLLOWING HANDICAP REGULATION APPLIES:
Professionals- no shots added, play of scratch
Add 3 shots for scratch to 3.4 handicap
Add 4 shots for 3.5 – 8.4 handicap
Add 5 shots for 8.5 – 14.4 handicap
Add 6 shots for 14.4 – 20.4 handicap
Add 7 shots for 20.4 handicap upwards.
The maximum steel handicap is 18 for men. Therefore, the maximum hickory uplift is + 6 and the total adjustment is 24.
For Women it is 24 and the maximum uplift 7 making the total adjustment 31.
1ST CATEGORY PLAYERS HCP 11.4 OR LOWER (THEY WILL PLAY STROKE-PLAY) & PROS
2ND CATEGORY PLAYERS OVER HCP 11.5
A CATEGORY WILL ONLY BE HELD IF A MINIMUM OF 6 PARTICIPANTS HAVE ENTERED. OTHERWISE THE CATEGORIES WILL BE MERGED TO A SINGLE STABLEFORD CATEGORY FOR THE RESPECTIVE GENDER.
HICKORY CLUBS
PLAYED WITH ORIGINAL HICKORY GOLF CLUBS, THAT
WERE MANUFACTURED BEFORE 1935 AND HAVE A SHAFT MADE OF HICKORY WOOD
ARE REPLICAS OF CLUBS MANUFACTURED BEFORE 1935 AND HAVE A HICKORY WOOD SHAFT
RULE-COMPLIANT HICKORY SETS CAN BE RENTED FROM JBL GOLF AT A PRICE OF CHF 65 PER DAY.
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
THE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP IS PLAYED WITH THE OFFICIALLY VALID INDIVIDUAL HANDICAP INCLUDING HICKORY SUPPLEMENT ACCORDING TO POINT 4.
THE INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION IS NOT HANDICAP EFFECTIVE. THE COMPETITION WILL BE PLAYED BY THE FRONT TEES (YELLOW / RED). PLAYED IS STROKEPLAY (CAT 1) AND STABLEFORD (CAT 2).
MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
- THE MATCH PLAY IS A SCRATCH, NO-HANDICAP EVENT.
- STYMIES WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR ALL KNOCK-OUT MATCHES.
- 4 X 9 HOLES KNOCK-OUT MATCHPLAY – SEEDING BY HCP WITH A MAXIMUM OF 16 PLAYERS.
- 18 HOLES ROUND FOR KNOCKED-OUT AND ENJOYERS – OPEN FOR EVERYBODY.
DRESS CODE
AN OUTFIT CORRESPONDING TO THE TIME AROUND 1930 IS MANDATORY.
LADIES PLAY WITH SKIRT (OVER THE KNEE) OR CLASSIC TROUSERS, BLOUSE OR SHIRT AS WELL AS WITH HAT.
MEN WEAR KNICKERBOCKERS OR LONG CLASSIC TROUSERS, LONG-SLEEVED SHIRT WITH BOW TIE OR TIE, FLAT CAP OR HAT.
IN BAD WEATHER, ANY MODERN RAIN PROTECTION IS PERMITTED.
GOLF CARTS/TROLLEYS/DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICES
TROLLEYS WITHOUT A MOTOR ARE PERMITTED. CARTS AND ELECTRIC TROLLEYS ARE ONLY ALLOWED WITH THE EXPLICIT PERMISSION OF THE TOURNAMENT MANAGEMENT. THIS APPROVAL MUST BE OBTAINED BY THE PLAYER IN GOOD TIME, AT THE LATEST BEFORE TEE 1.
DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICES OF ANY KIND ARE NOT ALLOWED.
THE USE OF CADDIES IS PERMITTED, BUT THEY MUST BE DRESSED IN CLASSIC STYLE AND DECLARED AS SUCH TO THE PLAYERS.
DISQUALIFICATION
THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE HAS THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY AND IMMEDIATELY EXCLUDE PARTICIPANTS WHO VIOLATE ONE OR MORE OF THE RULES FROM THE TOURNAMENT. A DECISION OF THE TC IS FINAL AND CANNOT BE APPEALED. THERE IS NO RIGHT TO A REFUND OF THE ENTRY FEE.
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IS LIMITED TO 80 PERSONS. IF THERE ARE MORE REGISTRATIONS, THE FIRST CHOICE WILL BE GIVEN TO CAT 1 PLAYERS AND PROS, CAT 2 FIRST UP TO HCP 18, CAT 2 UP TO HCP 24 AND LAST CAT 2 UP TO HCP 36. IF PARTICIPANTS ON THE WAITING LIST ARE NOT ACCEPTED IN THE DESIRED EVENT, THE FULL ENTRY FEE WILL BE REFUNDED IMMEDIATELY.
ENTRY FEES / REGISTRATION AND WITHDRAWALS
THE ENTRY FEES FOR THE SWISS HICKORY OPEN AND SWISS HICKORY MATCHPLAY MUST BE PAID LATEST 14 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE TOURNAMENT.
CANCELLATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE ORGANIZER AT LEAST 14 DAYS (18:00 CET) BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT. WITHOUT MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS CANCELLATIONS LATER THAN THIS AND UP TO THE DAY BEFORE, HALF OF THE AMOUNT WILL BE REFUNDED. FOR CANCELLATION ON THE DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT OR NO-SHOW WITHOUT MEDICAL EXEMPTION THERE WILL BE NO REFUND OF THE ENTRY FEE. A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE MUST BE SUBMITTED WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE CANCELLATION DATE.
MEDIA USAGE RIGHTS
THE PARTICIPANTS IRREVOCABLY AGREE THAT SWISS HICKORY GOLF IS ALLOWED TO USE PICTURES AND SOUND RECORDINGS OF THEIR PERSON, WHICH WERE MADE IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE EVENT, FREE OF CHARGE FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES: GENERAL ADVERTISING MATERIAL FOR SWISS HICKORY GOLF AND/OR ITS PARTNERS, FOR ILLUSTRATION OF REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS AS WELL AS FOR PUBLICATION ON THE WEBSITE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN NEWSLETTERS. IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE, THEY MUST NOTIFY THE ORGANIZER IN WRITING AT LEAST TWO HOURS BEFORE THE START OF THE TOURNAMENT SO THAT THE ORGANIZER CAN INSTRUCT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS ACCORDINGLY.
CLOSING DATE FOR REGISTRATION
THIS IS 14 DAYS (12:00 CET) BEFORE THE CORRESPONDING TOURNAMENT DATE.