Rules & Policies
Everything you need to know from League Policies, Tournament Policies, and Team Rules, to WSSGL Bylaws.
The WSSGL is a voluntary organization founded in 1926. The current membership consists of eight clubs: Cohasset, Duxbury, Halifax, Hatherly, Plymouth, Scituate, Marshfield and Wollaston. Consult this page for all league policies and team rules, available below to read, download and print. Please reach out to our executive board if you have any questions.
League Policies
League Policies Updated 4/2025
The purpose of the WSSGL is to promote friendly inter-club and social relations among women golfers.
The WSSGL is a voluntary organization founded in 1926. The current membership consists of eight clubs: Cohasset, Duxbury, Halifax, Hatherly, Plymouth, Scituate, Marshfield and Wollaston.
Clubs: The association’s member clubs pay annual dues to belong to the WSSGL. Each member club should be available to host one tournament a year.
Individuals: Any female who is a member of a member club’s Women’s Golf Association is also a member of the WSSGL. No individual dues are assessed for membership.
- With the exception of Opening Field Day, to be eligible to participate in and win a tournament prize, a player must have posted eight (8) scores to her GHIN handicap in the 12 months prior to the revision date for the tournament.
- Tournaments are open to all members of the WSSGL.
- “Social” members are not eligible for WSSGL events.
The use of a cell phone to access The Rules of Golf and/or as an approved Distance Measuring Device is permissible provided such use is allowed by the host club. Making or receiving calls, texting, or checking messages is prohibited during team matches and tournaments except to report medical emergencies. Breach of this policy during tournaments is disqualification. Breach of this policy in team play is loss of hole on which the violation occurred for the player and her partner.
GPS devices are allowed during a stipulated round for DISTANCE ONLY in
tournament and team play. If a player uses a device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect her play (e.g., gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc.) the player is in breach of USGA Rule 14-3 for which the penalty is disqualification regardless of whether any such additional functions are actually used. Distance, topography or geographical information is not considered advice and as such may be shared. Sharing of such information is not required but is encouraged.
Club Representatives shall represent their club at all WSSGL Executive Board Meetings. They shall have one vote each on all league matters.
Chairpersons: Shall coordinate all WSSGL dates pertaining to their clubs and shall act as liaison between WSSGL and their club management and Board of Directors.
Team Captains: Shall be responsible for selecting a team and abiding by Team Rules.
Players are expected to wear appropriate golf attire at all times. Tee shirts, tank
tops, denims, gym attire, bike shorts and tennis shorts are prohibited. Some member clubs may have even stricter dress codes and as their guests we will adhere to their rules. Members whose dress is deemed inappropriate by the host club chair, pro or team captain may be requested to change or be denied participation in the tournament.
Players are to display good sportsmanship and play in their assigned foursomes and tee assignments; to respect the golf course and club property; to behave courteously in dealing with other competitors, club members and employees; and to play with proper course etiquette.
- With the exception of Opening Field Day, all players are required to have a USGA For Opening Field Day, players without handicaps will play to a 36.0 index.
- The maximum handicap allowance for tournaments is a 0 index (course handicap 40) and a 30.4 index for team play and the Boros. Players with higher handicaps may enter tournaments and play on team, but their handicaps will be subject to these allowances.
Players shall post their scores as home or away on the day of play for the Boros, Four-Ball and Closing Field Day Tournaments as well as for Team Matches. Captains shall confirm within 24 hours that scores for Team Matches and Boros have been posted.
Score cards are to be exchanged for Four Ball Championship and Closing Field Day. Upon completion of play, score cards must be signed and attested before being turned in to the scorers table. In the event of a partner event, the better ball score used must be recorded next to the appropriate player. Incomplete scorecards will be subject to disqualification by the tournament committee.
It is the entire foursome’s responsibility to maintain pace of play with the group ahead of them. If your score cannot help your team, please pick up and record the score you would most likely have made if completing the hole. Expected time to play is 4.5 hours.
Carts are mandatory for all tournament and team play.
Should a player have a hole-in-one during a tournament or team play they shall be recognized at Closing Field Day with a prize valued at no more than $100. Player is not responsible for drinks on the day of the hole-in-one.
The Annual Meeting is held at Closing Field Day. Old and new business is presented and voted upon as necessary; the Nominating Committee presents the slate of officers for a vote.
Executive Board Meetings are held in Spring and Fall. As voting members, captains & chairpersons are expected to attend all Executive Board meetings and decide all issues before the Board.
Tournament Policies
Tournament Policies Updated 4/25/2024
ELIGIBILITY
- Tournaments are open to all members of the WSSGL
- With the exception of Opening Field Day, to be eligible to participate a player must have posted eight (8) scores to her GHIN handicap in the 12 months prior to the entry closing date.
- Social Members are not eligible for WSSGL events.
ENTRIES
Tournaments are open to all eligible members of the WSSGL. Players must register on the website within the entry period. Payment by credit card is preferred. If paying by check, please bring payment to the tournament.
BOROS: Team Captains shall register their team online and submit payment to the treasurer.
PAIRINGS
Tournament pairings are computer-generated by handicaps. Pairings for 2nd day of Four-Ball are by first-day scores: gross scores for Flight 1 and net scores for all other flights.
WITHDRAWALS
In the event of a withdrawal, the player must notify the Tournament Host immediately. See Refund Policy.
Partner Events: If one of the players has to withdraw, the remaining partner may substitute another eligible player.
Four Ball: If the substitute is not available on both days the remaining player must play one round alone. Each player may have only one partner for the tournament. Contact the Tournament Host if a partner is needed.
TOURNAMENT CANCELLATION – INCLEMENT WEATHER
The decision to cancel or delay the start time will be made at the discretion of the Tournament Coordinator, Club Chairperson, WSSGL President, Host Club Pro or Club Superintendent. That decision should be made no later than 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the tournament. An email notification of cancellation or delay will be sent to registered players. If carts are not allowed, the tournament will be cancelled.
SUSPENDED PLAY After the start of play, should the event be suspended or delayed, players are to stop play immediately and seek suitable shelter until notified that it is safe to resume play.
All scheduled lunches and meetings will be held rain or shine
REFUNDS
In the case of player withdrawal or tournament cancellation, entry fees will be partially refunded following these guidelines. All refunds are subject to an administrative fee as determined by the Board.
PLAYER WITHDRAWALS:
- If a player withdraws before the entry period closes, the player may receive a refund, less an administrative fee.
- If a player withdraws after the entry period closes, the player is not eligible for a refund.
- If a partner withdraws and the remaining partner locates a substitute, the entry fee shall be reconciled between those players.
TOURNAMENT CANCELLATION / SUSPENSION
In case of a Tournament Cancellation or Suspension, any refunds will be determined by any costs incurred by the host club and are subject to the administrative fee.
TIES
Ties will be determined by a match of cards per the USGA recommended method, except for permanent trophy tournaments, which are sudden-death playoffs. Players must be on the premises to compete in playoffs.
BOROS: Each Team Captain shall choose one player from the gross team and one player from each of the net teams to compete in a sudden-death playoff. The team score is the aggregate of all three players.
FOUR BALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Ties for Overall Low Gross and Overall Low Net will be a sudden-death playoff using the aggregate score of partners.
PRIZES
Tournament prizes shall be WSSGL chits good at any member club’s pro shop and expire on November 30th of the current year. The number of prizes available will be determined by the size and scope of the field. Players are eligible for only one prize per tournament.
PHOTO DISCLAIMER
By entering a League event, you are authorizing the League to use your image on our website, literature and any other publications and applications.
Team Rules
1. USGA RULES govern play.
2. FORMAT: Four-ball matches, scored on an 18-point system, one point per hole. Scheduled matches should begin no later than 8:30am
3. ELIGIBILITY
a. Any female who has golf membership at a member club.
b. Players must have a handicap based on the USGA system of handicapping.
– To be eligible for a match, at the time of the lineup exchange, a player must have eight (8) scores posted to her GHIN handicap in the 12 months prior to the exchange.
– Scores must have been posted at the time of play.
c. Players must have posted eight (8) scores to her GHIN handicap in the 12 months prior to Monday of the match week.
d. If a player is a member of multiple WSSGL clubs, she may only play for one club’s summer team and Boros team.
4. HOSPITALITY: Host clubs shall provide coffee and tea prior to play and water must be available on the course. Players are encouraged to support the host club by staying for lunch, at the player’s expense.
5. CELL PHONES: Use of cellular phones to access the Rules of Golf and/or as an approved distance measuring device is permissible provided such use is allowed by the host club. The use of a cell phone to make or receive a call or text is prohibited during team matches, except to report medical emergencies. Penalty is loss of hole for the player and her partner.
6. DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICES: DMDs are allowed in a stipulated team round for measuring distance only. If a player uses a device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect her play (e.g., gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc.) the player is in breach of USGA Rule 14-3 for which the penalty is disqualification, regardless of whether any such additional functions are used. Distance, topography, or geographical information is not considered advice and as such may be shared. Sharing of such information, while not required, is encouraged.
7. HANDICAPS:
a. The maximum handicap index allowance for team matches is 30.4.
b. The player’s index from two days prior to a match shall be used. Handicap indexes will first be converted to the home course handicap and then adjusted to 85%.
c. The lowest handicap of the foursome plays at “scratch”.
8. TEAM CAPTAINS and PLAYERS
a. Each club shall have a team captain (co-captain, if desired).
b. In the event of a course conflict with a scheduled match, the captains shall arrive at a mutually agreed date as close to the originally scheduled match as possible and notify the League President and Web Liaison.
c. Captains will meet with the President after lunch at Opening Field Day to discuss rules and procedures.
d. Captains are responsible for seeing that players are eligible per rule 3. If found ineligible after the match has begun, the player is disqualified. Any points accumulated by the disqualified player will be disallowed.
e. Each club sends 12 players: a core team of six (6) which shall consist of the lowest handicap players who have committed to four (4) or more matches, and the next six (6) lowest handicap players who signed up to play that day.
f. PLAYER POSITIONING: The six (6) lowest handicap players must play in the first three positions, in any order; the remaining six (6) in the last three positions, in any order. The captain shall decide the order within each group.
g. If a sub is needed, the captain will determine the next lowest handicap available to fill the vacant spot. Every effort shall be exhausted to send a full team of 12 players.
h. If a club has less than 12 players any and/or all players may play alone in their position as determined by the captain.
i. The visiting captain is responsible for calling the home captain on Tuesday to exchange mutual lineups.
j. On the day of the match captains and players are responsible for seeing that all players are playing in the correct position. If a player plays out of position, the points for that match will be split 9-9.
k. If a player is late, the matches will tee off as usual. The late player may join the group at any time during the match without penalty.
l. After the match, captains shall collect scorecards from their players. Players shall post their scores (Home or Away) for Team Matches on the day of play. Captains shall be responsible, within 24 hours, to confirm that scores have been posted.
m. Home captains will text or email a copy of the signed results sheet to the Team Coordinator as soon as possible after the match.
n. Carts are mandatory for team play.
9. TEAM COORDINATOR will email the match results to all captains, President, Website Liaison and Historian as soon as possible.
10. DEFAULTS
TEAM: If an entire club’s team defaults, it is disqualified from the remaining matches and all previous points earned shall be eliminated. Any points earned by the opposing teams from any previous matches will be nullified and each team’s aggregate score will be adjusted accordingly.
POSITION: If one position is defaulted (a team of two players), then 9 points shall be awarded to the opposing team for the defaulted match.
11. INCLEMENT WEATHER:
CALLED MATCH In case of poor course conditions or inclement weather, even if the course is deemed open and the course superintendent allows carts, the Captains can mutually agree to call the match. They should agree on a rescheduled date as soon as possible. Notify the league president and website liaison.
POSTPONED MATCH: A match shall be considered postponed if nine holes have not been completed by all players. The postponement of a match is to be decided by the superintendent and/or captains after a one-hour delay. Postponed matches will be replayed on the first available date at the home course. The match shall be replayed in its entirety.
INTERRUPTED MATCH If nine holes have been completed by all players, and the course is still unplayable after a one-hour interruption, the match will be considered complete and the points for any holes not played in each position will be split.
12. PACE OF PLAY
Matches must be completed in four and a half hours (4.5). At the end of the allotted time, all play will conclude. If a hole is started but not completed at that time, the hole should be played and will conclude the match. Any holes remaining beyond the match time limit will be tied. It is the entire foursome’s responsibility to maintain pace with the group in front of them. The Captain of each team must prepare their team to comply with policy and help enforce.
13. PLAYOFF: If two or more teams have equal points at the end of the season, there shall be an 18-hole playoff to determine the winner. Every effort shall be made to play the match at a neutral site.
14. TEAM DECISION COMMITTEE shall arbitrate all problems that may arise concerning any team matches that are not otherwise clarified by USGA Rules of Golf. The Committee shall consist of one team captain from each club and the league president.
15. TEAM PINS: Championship pins shall be awarded to all players who participated in a team match on the winning team.