The BTU Golfing Society (1926)
Origins in the "Golfing Circle" of the Institution of Heating and Ventilating Engineers
F
Rules of the Society
1. Membership shall be open to all golfers, whose application for joining the Society
needs to be approved by the Committee. No correspondence will be entered into, either
with the candidate or his sponsors, if the application is unsuccessful. Applications
for membership shall be dealt with by the Honorary Secretary through the Committee.
Applicants shall complete an Application Form supported by a Proposer and Seconder. These
shall be sent to the Honorary Secretary who will advise applicants of the rules for
membership and ensure they are a member of a recognised Golf Club with an official
handicap index. The subscription payment and tie must be paid by BACS before applicants
can play in any event.
Non affiliated club golfers may be members of the BTU Society provided they adhere
to pay the yearly subscription costs for use of England Golf’s igolf app, have a
minimum of 3 rounds on the England Golf igolf app already certified. agree to enter
all scores at BTU events plus a minimum of 3 scores a year into igolf app, and have
a handicap index of 24 or less. Their Proposer and seconder must confirm they have
played with the prospective member and that their current England Golf handicap index
matches their golfing abilities.
2. The Management of the Society shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting
of the Captain, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Vice-Captain, Immediate Past
Captain, Handicap Secretary and up to three other members invited by the Honorary
Secretary. Four members of the Committee are required to form a quorum.
3. The Captain, Vice-Captain and Members of the Committee shall be elected at the
Annual General Meeting. The method of election to the Committee shall be as follows.
The Committee shall review other retiring and new members before the AGM and circulate
the relevant information to the membership in advance of the AGM.
a) There may be a President and/or Vice President who shall be an ex-officio member
of the Committee. He will be nominated by the Committee and elected at a General
Meeting for a period of three years and may stand for re-election.
b) Any casual vacancy occurring in the Committee, among the Officers of the Society,
in any year, may be filled by the Committee, subject to confirmation by the next
Annual General Meeting.
4. The Annual General Meeting shall be held at a time to be determined by the Committee,
generally at the first meeting of each year, at which an audited statement of accounts
shall be presented, made up to the preceding 31st December.
5. Alterations of the Rules shall only be made at a General Meeting of the Society
which can be called by the Committee at any time on the signed requisition of ten
members. Fourteen days’ notice shall be given of such General Meeting of the Society,
the notice being accompanied by a Statement of the business to be transacted.
6. The annual subscription and tie cost shall be as determined by the Committee,
payable in advance by BACS on 1st February each year.
7. Competitions and Matches shall be held at such times and places and under such
conditions and for such prizes, as the Committee shall from time to time determine.
8. With the approval of the Committee, Members of long standing or on overseas postings
may become Non-Playing Members of the Society.
They shall be entitled to vote at Meetings and may be invited to become Playing Members
by the Committee should their circumstances change.
9. In all competitions a Member shall play off his BTU Playing Handicap
10. Whenever it is desired to recognise the distinguished services to the Society
of any Member, he may be elected Life Honorary Member at a General Meeting after
nomination by Committee. Any person so elected is entitled without payment of subscription,
to enjoy all the amenities of the Society with full voting power at meetings.
11. Members may bring guests to meetings as advised by the Honorary Secretary. Visiting
Members of the other branches of the Society and Guests may play for prizes at our
Meetings at the discretion of the Captain but are not eligible to play for trophies.
12. Members are expected to pay their yearly subscriptions except in exceptional
circumstances with the agreement of the committee. (Exceptional circumstance would
cover being overseas for a period of time or long term medical issues.)
If they fail to renew their membership, they cease to be playing members. For the
first 12 months they will be copied into member’s emails and included on the membership
renewal email in the hope they re-join in the following year. If they then renew,
they don’t have to reapply.
If they do not renew after 12 months they are excluded from correspondence and if
they wish to join at a later date will have to go through the usual application process
with proposer/seconder and pay the new joiner’s fee.
RULES FOR COMPETITIONS
1. The Day Steward shall be a Committee member, and may appoint a Deputy to act for
him who need not necessarily be a Member of Committee. The facilitator of the day
will liaise with the Captain.
2. All Competitions shall be played under the Rules of Golf, approved by the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, subject to the local Rules of the Course upon
which the Competition is being played and the following rules: -
a) Whenever the word 'Committee' is used in the Rules of Golf, the words 'The Captain
or his duly appointed representative' shall be substituted.
b) No member whose subscriptions are in arrears can play and members and guests must
pay for the golf day in advance on the date specified by the Honorary Secretary.
c) in fairness to all members, golfers must putt out on every hole
d) The Handicap Secretary shall have the right to revise the BTU Playing Handicap
of any Member at any time. If a members club handicap index is reduced/increased
at any time, he shall notify the Handicap Secretary.
e) All Members must pay their meeting fees via BACS as advised in the Meeting Notices
issued by the Honorary Secretary on the prescribed date.
f) All cards must be handed to the Day Steward at the conclusion of each competition.
g) At all scheduled Members' fixtures, winners of a Singles Competition shall automatically
have their Course Handicap reduced by two strokes for those Members with a Handicap
Index of 12 and over, and one stroke with a Handicap Index of 11 or under. In Pairs
Competitions, the winners shall have their Course Handicap reduced in all cases by
one stroke. All reductions to take effect immediately after the cards have been checked
by the Day Steward.
h) In the case of a tie, the decision shall be on the last 9, 6 or 3 holes, whether
Stroke, Bogey or Stableford Competitions. Should a decision not be possible on the
last 9 holes, it must be calculated on the first 9, 6 or 3 holes.
i) In the Tigers and Rabbits competition the equal split will be based on the players
Paying Handicaps on the day.
SCORING RULES
A Competitor must bear in mind that he is not only playing against his playing opponents,
but against all other Competitors and therefore, in fairness to all, the marker must
be particular to see that the Rules are strictly enforced.
Where a Competition is played over a Course of which any BTU player or players are
actual Members, the said player or players to be penalised two strokes on their Playing
Handicap.
1. STROKE OR MEDAL:
a) Singles: Deduct full BTU Playing Handicap.
b) Foursomes and Greensomes: Deduct half-combined BTU Playing Handicaps.
2. STABLEFORD (Points): Players record the number of points for each hole.
a) Singles: To determine a Playing Handicap each member’s Handicap Index will be
used to determine the Course Handicap via the slope index, adjusted for the past
winners BTU adjustment and then 95% applied to give the Playing Handicap.
b) Foursomes: Partners receive half of their combined handicap allowance and points
are scored as in singles.
c) Other Forms of Competition: The rules for other forms scoring will be notified
in the invitation to play.
HANDICAP ADJUSTMENT
1. The Course Handicap adjustment after a win is one shot for those with a Handicap
Index of 11 or less, and two shots for those with a Handicap Index of 12 or more.
2. The adjustment is abandoned at the same meeting number 2 years later, or, after
playing in 4 meetings (whichever is sooner).
3. Additional adjustments can be made by the Handicap Secretary if the member has
more than one win while playing with an adjustment.
TROPHY INFORMATION
Maiden Trophy
This was presented by E L Maiden with the intention that it should be awarded each
year to the player with the lowest (gross score-age). To speed up play, we now adopt
Stableford scoring. To calculate the lowest (gross score – age) result while playing
with Stableford scoring, it is assumed that the worst score on any hole is a net
double bogey. The equivalent best result then becomes the highest (Net Stableford
Score-Playing Handicap+Age)
The Golfer (presented by John Kilner)
In ‘Victor Ludorum’ tradition, The Golfer is awarded at the end of the season on
the following basis: -
1. A system of points is given at each Meeting.
2. The Winner in a singles competition will receive 10 points, runner-up 9 points,
third 8 points etc., down to one point for tenth position.
3. The Player with the highest number of points from four qualifying cards will be
the winner.
4. Where there are two trophies to be played for at the same time, i.e. Tigers and
Rabbits, the ten best cards from the Singles Competitions will be taken as one and
points awarded accordingly.
5. In the event of a tie, additional cards above four, will be added, after which
should a tie still exist, a count back will take place considering the best three,
two or one card.
BTU National Team Selection Method
Two members will be the Captain and Honorary Secretary – they represent the society
at a meeting of all the regional societies and need to be present.
Towards the end of a year preceding a National Competition, members will be asked
if they would like to be considered for the National Team to be held during the following
year.
Eight team members will be chosen from amongst the top attendees during this preceding
year and the year before it. For the 2020 selection for example, members will be
asked in August 2019 if they wish to play. The 8 will then be selected from the
best attendees during the calendar years 2018 and 2019.
Two team members will be jointly picked by the Captain and one other appointed by
the Committee.