Rules and Regulations

Local Rules and Terms of the Competition
Version 2.14.23

The Rules of Golf effective January 1, 2023, govern all play on the APT & WAPT Tours, subject to the following modifications. See the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf for Model Local Rule references. See the applicable weekly “Notice to Competitors” for Additional Local Rules. Unless otherwise stated in the Rules of Golf, the penalty for breach of a Local Rule is the general penalty.

1. Out of Bounds – Rule 18.2

a) A ball that comes to rest beyond a road defining out of bounds, is out of bounds, even though it may lie on another part of the course.
b) Boundary Objects: When defined by stakes or a property fence, the boundary edge is defined by the line between the course-side points of the stakes or fence
posts at ground level, and those stakes or fence posts are out of bounds. When defined by a road, the inside edge closest to the golf course defines the
boundary.
c) Lines: When defined by a painted line on the ground, the boundary edge is the course-side edge of the line, and the line itself is out of bounds. When a line on
the ground defines the boundary edge, and stakes may be used to show where the boundary edge is, but they have no other meaning.

2. Abnormal Course Conditions – Rule 16.1

a) Ground Under Repair includes:

1. Areas completely encircled with white lines or otherwise specified.
2. Drainage ditches filled with stones (French drains).
3. Sod seams (but no relief for stance), under Model Local Rule F-7.

b) Immovable Obstructions include:

1. White-lined areas tying into an obstruction.
2. Landscaped or garden areas completely encircled by an obstruction.
3. Bunker Liners. A ball lying on an exposed liner, or where an exposed liner interferes with the area of intended swing, may be treated as ground under repair (but no relief for stance).

3. Immovable Obstructions Close to Putting Greens

Model Local Rule F-5 is in effect and is modified as follows:
For a ball in the general area, relief is allowed when both the ball and obstruction lie in an area cut to fairway height or less. The obstruction must be: i) within two club lengths of the putting green, and ii) on the player’s line of play, and iii) the ball must be within two club-lengths of the obstruction.

4. Limiting When Stroke Made from Putting Green Must be Replayed

Model Local Rule D-7 is in effect and modifies Exception 2 to Rule 11.1b.

5. Integral Objects

a) The portion of supports, cables, wires, wrappings, poles, or antennas where closely attached to trees or boundary objects.
b) Artificial retaining walls and/or pilings located within penalty areas.
c) Gates. Model Local Rule F-26 is in effect.

6. Permanent Elevated Power Lines
Model Local Rule E-11 is in effect. If it is known or virtually certain that a player’s ball hit a power line (or tower or a wire or pole supporting a power line), the stroke does not count. The player must play a ball without penalty from where the previous stroke was made.

7. Temporary Immovable Obstructions (TIOs)
Scoreboards, advertising boards & materials, and tents are considered TIOs. Banners and flags, where easily movable, are considered movable obstructions. Model Local Rule F-23 is in effect. Either side relief is available as an extra option for line of sight. Note: This does not apply to a player with only physical interference.

8. Clubs and Balls

a) Replacing Club that is Broken or Significantly Damaged – Model Local Rule G-9 is in effect.
b) List of Conforming Driver Heads – Model Local Rule G-1 is in effect.
c) Groove and Punch Mark Specifications – Model Local Rule G-2 is in effect but is modified as the Exception to G-2 does not apply.
d) List of Conforming Golf Balls – Model Local Rule G-3 is in effect.

9. Pace of Play – Rule 5.6b(3)
The 2022 APT/WAPT TOUR Pace of Play Policy is in effect as posted on the APT/WAPT websites.

10. Stopping Play; Resuming Play – Rule 5.7

Model Local Rule J-1 is in effect as follows:
a) One long blast of horn: Immediate suspension for a dangerous situation. Play must stop immediately. Failure to stop immediately will result in disqualification. Note: During an immediate suspension for a dangerous situation, all practice areas are closed until the Committee declares them open.
b) Three short blasts of horn: Suspension for a non-dangerous situation.
c) Two short blasts of horn: Resume play.

11. Practice – Rule 5
a) Before or between rounds in stroke play – Model Local Rule I-1.1 is in effect and Rule 5.2b is modified as follows: A player must not practice on the competition course but may practice at the designated practice areas.
b) Between holes in stroke play – Model Local Rule I-2 is in effect and Rule 5.5b is modified as follows: A player must not make any practice stroke on or near the putting green of the hole just played or test the surface of that putting green by rubbing the green or rolling a ball.

12. Transportation

Model Local Rule G-6 is in effect and is modified as follows: A player or caddie must not
ride on any transportation, except as authorized or later approved by the Committee. A
player operating under a stroke and distance penalty is always authorized.

13. Missing Player or Marker Certification

Model Local Rule L-1 is in effect.

14. Green-reading Materials Restrictions
Model Local Rule G-11 is in effect. Approved materials include Committee approved yardage book, Committee approved hole location sheets and a map of the entire course no larger than Letter or A4 sized paper. Note: Yardage books and green-reading materials produced prior to 2023 are likely to be in breach of this Local Rule and should not be used.

15. Scorecard Returned
A player’s scorecard has been returned to the Committee when the player has exited the defined scoring area with both feet. Prior to returning the scorecard, a player that leaves the scoring area must inform the scoring official of their intention to immediately return.

16. When Result of Competition is Final
The result of the competition is final when the winner has been announced at a prize- giving ceremony or if there is no ceremony when all scores have been posted and a winner declared by the Committee.

Office Number – 817-567-3654

Chad Ginn – 601-750-3171
APT Director of Rules and Competition

Simon Todd – 817-228-0855
WAPT Director of Rules and Competition

WAPT – Pace of Play Policy | Version: 4.9.23
All players are expected to play within the stipulated time allowed for a round, as stated in the Terms of
Competition. The standard time allowed per shot is 50 seconds for the first player in the group, and 40 seconds
for subsequent players.

Out of Position
First Group: At any time during the round they exceed the allotted time to play.

Subsequent Groups: If, a) all players in the group have not hit tee shots on a par 3 before the preceding group has
arrived at their second shots on the next hole and will not have to wait to play to the green/landing area, or b) all
players in the group have not hit tee shots on a par 4 before the preceding group has holed out, or c) all players
have not hit second shots on a par 5 before the preceding group has holed out. Note: A reachable par 4/5 may be
treated as a par 3/4.

The Committee reserves the right to time a group when the Committee deems it necessary. Further, if a player is
determined by the Committee to be unreasonably slow, she may be timed individually at the Committee’s
discretion regardless of whether her group is out of position.

Timing

All players in a group that is out of position will normally be warned. However, timing may commence without a
warning.

A group will be warned only once in a round. If possible, after a warning, a group will be monitored to determine
if a player(s) need to be timed individually. Timing could occur on any hole, including the finishing holes of a round
or the next hole.

Other than on the putting green, timing of a stroke begins when it is the player’s turn to play and she can play
without interference or distraction. Time spent determining yardage counts in the time taken for the next stroke.

On the putting green, timing begins after a player is allowed a reasonable amount of time to mark, lift, clean and
replace their ball, repair ball marks and remove loose impediments on their line of play.

A player has 40 seconds to play a stroke. However, a player has 50 seconds when first to play. Tour officials may
make allowances depending on the exact circumstances of the shot.

A player being timed, who exceeds the applicable time to play a stroke, will be informed as soon as possible.

Penalties During Round

• First Offense – Final warning
• Second Offense – One (1) Penalty Stroke
• Third Offense – Two (2) Penalty Strokes
• Fourth Offense – Disqualification

NOTE: These penalties are accumulative over all rounds of a tournament. This means that if a player has incurred their
first offence on Day One, and they commit another offence on Day Two, this will be considered their Second
Offence.

In addition, when a group has been warned, the entire group may be penalized if the group has not made any
improvement versus the allowed time per hole, or, in the opinion of a rules official, the group has made no
reasonable effort to make up time.

Appeals

Any appeal of a penalty must be referred to the on-site Director of Rules and Competition immediately upon
completion of the player in question’s round. The Tournament Manager’s decision shall be final. If a player who
has been penalized does not appeal immediately upon conclusion of their round, any penalties shall stand.

If you have questions about the WAPT Pace of Play Policy, please contact:
Simon Todd
WAPT Director of Rules and Competition
[email protected]
817-228-0855

Green Reading Materials – Old Yardage Books

The APT|WAPT is adopting similar policies as the PGA and LPGA Tours regarding green reading books and materials.

The APT|WAPT Rules Committee is offering this reminder on the correct application of the Local Rule G-11 (see each tour’s Hardcard) that restricts both the materials used for green reading and more specifically, the handwritten notes kept by a player or his caddie.

Handwritten notes must be those of the player or the caddie he is using in that competition, and those notes are restricted if they could help read a line of play on the putting green. Please note these key restrictions on those handwritten notes being kept:

• Notes must NOT be made by copying information or data from a greens book or previous APT Official Yardage Books
• Notes must NOT be made by using a device, such as a level or a phone app

In very basic terms, yardage books and green-reading materials produced prior to 2023 are likely to be in breach of this Model Local Rule G-11 and should not be used.  You also cannot copy or use any information from yardage books or green books that were produced before 2023.

A breach by a player or caddie who is circumventing this Local Rule by keeping notes that are gathered in a way not in accordance with the Rule will be penalized as set out in Rule 4.3 in the Rules of Golf: General Penalty for the first breach; Disqualification for the second breach. 

Furthermore, in accordance with our on-site protocols for equipment, please be advised that yardage books are subject to review by a member of the Rules Committee at any time.

Please direct any questions to Chad Ginn, Director of Rules and Competition, [email protected], 601-750-3171 c

The WAPT is a women’s professional Tour.  We are open to female professionals and amateurs meeting the eligibility requirements below.  Foreign players are required to be internationally recognized in order to play on the WAPT.  The WAPT reserves the right to refuse participation to anyone.

* Female Professionals who are 16 years of age or older by the 1st round of any WAPT event they register to play

* Female Amateurs who are 15 years of age or older by the 1st round of any WAPT event they register to play.  For Priority entry, Amateurs must be in the top 75 on the current Golfweek Collegiate Ranking, or in the top 150 on the current WAGR.  Amateurs not meeting the previous criteria will be eligible to play on a space available basis only, and must have a World Handicap System Index of 4.0 or less

All players MUST be female and incoming freshmen to rising seniors with a college golf program to be eligible for the Collegiate Series.

Tournament registration is available through our website under WAPT Info > 2023 Schedule or through the BlueGolf App called ‘Pro Golf’.  Simply click on the registration button next to the tournament you wish to sign-up for.  Registrations open by series, approximately 2 months prior to the first event in each series. Registration opening dates are on the schedule.

In order for players to register for tournaments early, entry fee payments will not be processed until 14 days prior to the first round of each tournament.  Once a player registers, her status will show “pending approval” until her entry fee payment is processed, or until the number of registered players reaches 120.  If the tournament fills before the 14 day priority deadline, players will be moved to the waiting list according to the Priority List below.

Entries will be taken by registration date in the following order of Priority:

• Category 1: Top (50) Fifty WAPT members on the 2022 PXG Race to Stage II Points List (2022 list used until 5/1/2023)
• Category 2: Up to 10 Top Amateur Players (Eligibility – Top 75 Golfweek Collegiate Rankings or Top 150 on the current WAGR)
• Category 3: WAPT Professional Members
• Category 4: Epson/LPGA Tour Guest Players
• Category 5: WAPT Amateur Members
• Category 6 : Non-member Professionals
• Category 7: Non-member Amateurs

Tournament registration is available through our Collegiate Series website www.collegiateseries.golf. 

Simply click on the registration button next to the tournament you wish to sign-up for.  Registrations open by series, approximately 2 months prior to the first event in each series. Registration opening dates are on the schedule.

In order for players to register for tournaments early, entry fee payments will not be processed until 14 days prior to the first round of each tournament.  Once a player registers, her status will show “pending approval” until her entry fee payment is processed, or until the number of registered players reaches 120.  If the tournament fills before the 14-day priority deadline, players will be moved to the waiting list according to the Priority List below.

Entry Priority: 2023 Collegiate Series fields are limited to 36-48 players. All players must register at least 14 days prior to the event to be prioritized. Priority for entry will be as follows:
* Category 1: Top 150 on current WAGR (as of the entry deadline)
* Category 2: Top 75 on current Collegiate Rankings
* Category 3: All other players in order of registration

WAGR points are available at each event of the Collegiate Series based on the strength of the field. 

The series leading points winner will earn an Epson Tour start at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic, August 18-20 in Pendleton, Oregon

Tournaments will consist of 72-holes of stroke play (weather permitting). The maximum field at most events is 120 players, including 1 host exemption. 

Open fields will be cut after 36 holes to the top 40% of the starting field, including ties. Amateurs are included in the cut number, but ineligible for any prize money. At the conclusion of the tournament, all pros making the cut will be awarded prize money. 

Collegiate Division fields will be cut after 36 holes to the top 24, including ties. No prize money or certificates are available.

Should there be a tie for 1^st place, the tie will be broken by a sudden-death playoff after all scores have been officially approved and posted.  The designated starting hole for a playoff will be hole #18. All subsequent holes will be determined on-site.

88 RULE APPLIES: Any player shooting 88 or higher during the first or second round will be cut from the field. The committee does have the right to waive this rule under extreme conditions.

Events are walking. Players may carry their own bag or use a push cart during tournament rounds. Should a player bring or hire a caddy,  the caddy may use a push cart, but must wear a caddy bib. The WAPT officials reserve the right to amend this policy during tournament play should golf course conditions be unfavorable (i.e. wet/saturated areas that may be affected by push carts). All players will be notified of any change prior to the start of a tournament round.

Electronic Score Card – Live Scoring
In addition to the official paper scorecard, all players must download the Blue Golf TD app and enter hole-by-hole scores after each hole is completed during a tournament round.

Penalties for breach of this policy are as follows:
First breach – Warning
Second breach – One penalty stroke
Third breach – Two penalty strokes
Fourth breach – Disqualification and subject to dismissal from Tour

All penalties are annually accumulative

This policy may be waived by the Committee on a case-by-case basis for any international or other players who do not have internet connectivity on their cell phones.

The WAPT expects all players to conduct themselves as professionals. Club throwing, offensive language, destruction of property, and any other conduct deemed by the Tournament Committee to be unbecoming of a professional will not be tolerated. The following is a list of the possible offenses and penalties:

Offensive language (per tournament)

• First Offense: Warning
• Second Offense: DQ warning and $100 fine
• Third Offense: Disqualification and subject to dismissal from Tour

Club Throwing (per tournament)

• First Offense: DQ warning
• Second Offense: Disqualification and $100 fine

Destruction of Property (annually accumulative)

• First Offense: DQ warning
• Second Offense: Disqualification, $100 fine, and Tour expulsion warning
• Third Offense: Tour expulsion

Striking a Tour Tee Marker (annually accumulative)

• First Offense: DQ warning and $100 fine
• Any Subsequent Offense: $100 fine and Disqualification

Failure to Rake Bunkers (per tournament)

All bunkers must be raked properly and thoroughly after a player has played from it. Raking with a club or foot is not acceptable. The bunker should be left in better shape than when the player entered it in order to create equal conditions for all participants. If a caddy fails to rake a bunker, the player is held responsible for his caddy’s actions. Failure to rake a bunker, penalties are as follows:

• First Offense: DQ warning
• Second Offense: Disqualification and $100 fine

Alcohol Consumption (per tournament)

Alcohol consumption during tournament rounds will not be tolerated. Up to a $100 fine will be assessed for each violation with possible disqualification from the tournament. This will be the sole discretion of the Tour Officials.

Excessive alcohol consumption during a practice round, Pro-Am, and/or alcohol abuse during a Tour function will not be tolerated. Up to a $100 fine will be assessed for each violation with possible disqualification from the tournament. This will be the sole discretion of the Tour Officials.

In the administration of these player conduct guidelines, a member of the Rules Committee shall not tolerate abuse, oral or otherwise, by a player or caddy. Such abuse may constitute conduct unbecoming of a professional. Any excessive behavior deemed unprofessional is grounds for disqualification or tour expulsion, and is at the sole discretion of the Tour Officials. Players disqualified or expelled are not entitled to a refund or credit for their entry fee or Tour membership fee.

Any fines incurred must be paid before the player will be allowed to tee off for the next round. Our conduct policy will be strictly enforced and applies to all competitors

Here is the link to the 2018 WADA prohibited substances list – https://www.wada-ama.org/en/content/what-is-prohibited

Pull/push carts are allowed during all tournament rounds unless otherwise stated for a specific tournament. Players and Caddies may use pull/push carts during tournament rounds. Any motorized pull/push cart designed and appropriate for golf may also be used.

APT|WAPT officials reserve the right to amend this policy during tournament play should golf course conditions be unfavorable (i.e. wet/saturated course where damage may occur with the use of push/pull carts). All players will be notified of any such change prior to the start of a tournament round.

Purse payments will be made by Direct Deposit to the player’s US bank account  approximately 5 business days following the final round of each event.  Players making a cut for the 1st time will receive an email from Intuit Quickbooks to set up an account.  The player will follow the link provided to enter W-9 and direct deposit information.   All future direct deposit payments will be made to the bank account set up in the Quickbooks account.  Contact the WAPT Office at 817-567-3654 with  any problems or changes that need to be made.

Unfortunately, direct deposit is not available for our foreign players without a US social security number, TIN or ITIN, and  US Federal Law requires the WAPT to withhold 30% of foreign players’ winnings for US taxes..  Purse payments can be mailed to foreign players with a US mailing address, or payments can be wired to the foreign player’s bank account.  A wire authorization form will be sent instead of the Quickbooks link to all players that do not provide a US Social Security Number, TIN, or ITIN on the registration form.

Note: A player must complete all rounds of the event, as played, to receive a purse payment. However, should a player need to withdraw after the cut due to a medical or family emergency, she would receive the last place check.

After a tournament field has reached 120 players, a waiting list will be established.  If spots become available, players on the WL will fill the field in the order of priority by registration date.  The Tour will contact the player to let her know that a spot is open. It is the player’s responsibility to provide a good contact number and email, as well as to let the WAPT know if her plans change and she wants to be removed from the waiting list.

Withdrawals will be accepted for any reason, when notice is given by 5:00 PM, 7 days before a tournament’s first round. There will be a $50 administrative fee for all refunds. Players MUST call the tour office at 817-567-3654 to withdraw. For withdrawals after the deadline, the player will waive her entry fee to the tournament. Medical and personal withdrawals after the  deadline will be evaluated  on a case-by-case  basis and, if accepted, there will be a $50 administrative fee. No Shows will NOT receive a refund or credit for any reason. No refund or credit will be given for any reason once a player has teed off.

Players who are scheduled to play in a WAPT event, but qualify or become eligible to play in either a LPGA or Epson Tour event that same week, will receive a full credit for their WAPT tournament entry fee. Players need to notify the tour office/staff of their desire to transfer their entry to another tournament as soon as they gain access to the LPGA/Epson field. If the player wants a refund, there will be a $25 administrative fee. No refunds are issued once a player tees off at a WAPT event.

Players only need to stop by the WAPT trailer to check-in at their first tournament of the year. Members will pick up their membership packet at the first tournament they play. Player Profile pictures will also be taken at their first event.

Check-in Days/Times: Normally Monday – Check tournament information page for times each week.

Pairings are based on player standings. Official tee times will be posted by 5:00 PM, two days prior to the first round. Pairings will be posted at the tour trailer, on the WAPT website,  and on the Pro Golf by BlueGolf app. Tee-times will also be texted to each player, so it is the player’s responsibility to provide a contact number and enable text messages on  the registration form. Tee times are NOT available at the tour office.

The player must start at the time established by the Committee. The tour encourages players to be present on the tee box of their designated starting hole at least five minutes before scheduled tee time. The Tour incorporates the note under Rule 6-3b, thus if the player arrives at her starting hole ready to play, within five minutes after her starting time, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes at the first hole. After five minutes, the penalty for breach of this Rule is disqualification. The clocks on the starting tees are the “Official Time”.

Official practice round days are 1-2 days before each tournament’s first round and are listed under the schedule of events for each tournament. The practice rounds are FREE to all participants when walking. Players will have to pay for a cart, if used, during practice rounds.

• Players need to call the host course to arrange tee times.
• There will be NO practice rounds available during any pro-am tournament.

Players are expected to dress and present themselves in a professional manner and reflect a positive image to the public (e.g. fans, sponsors, club officials, charities, junior golfers, etc.) when participating in WAPT events. Proper golf attire is required, and the LPGA dress code will apply at each event. 

Player clothing and shoes shall always be clean and neat. Length of shorts and skirts/skorts and shirt necklines should be in good taste and portray a professional image. Undergarments may not be visible. Racerback tops with collars are permitted, and no other racerback tops are allowed.

The following articles of clothing are strictly prohibited during play: jeans (all colors), cut-off shorts, work-out gear, joggers, leggings (unless under shorts or skirt/skort), t-shirts that are not produced as part of a golf clothing line, tank tops, and tops with low-cut necklines or that show midriffs. (Note: Nice jeans are acceptable to wear during Pro-am functions; however, jeans with stylized holes, rips, tears, etc. are not acceptable.)

Use of the Preferred Lies Local Rule

We will always put the notice that we are playing preferred lies in the starter box.   Although we will instruct the starter (a volunteer) to notify each group, it is the players’ responsibility to check the starter box for the notice of play. 

Through the years, two principles have been entrenched in the game of golf;

• Play the course as you find it and,
• Play the ball as it lies

As a professional golf tour, the WAPT strives to honor these principles. However, adverse weather conditions can make a course nearly unplayable under the rules of golf due to temporary water on the greens, in bunkers and the general area (fairways).

Under Temporary Water, if a player takes relief in the general areas, he must take full relief at the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole. When a course is extremely wet, the nearest point of complete relief from temporary water may be in the rough or behind a tree, etc.

At that point, we believe it is unfair to play in conditions where players may frequently be forced to drop their ball in the rough after having driven it in the fairway. In an effort to continue to play in less than ideal conditions, the rules committee may utilize a Local Rule allowing Preferred Lies, which provides a player an additional option in dealing with temporary water.

This local rule is to be used One Round at a time and it will be discontinued for the next round if the course can be played under the rules. 

It is Important To Note, the Rules Committee will not use this local Rule simply because the ball may have a tendency to pick up mud. But rather, this Local Rule will only be used in extreme situations when it would be impossible to play the course fairly under the Rules.

WAPT pro-am pro participation is reserved for top point earners and those players requested by tournament sponsors and teams. The WAPT wants to showcase the top players and local tournament sponsors want to play with those players. The number of professionals needed varies per event.  The pros assigned to the Pro-Am will be posted on the website on the Friday before the tournament week. A $500 – $1,000 purse will be provided at each pro-am with 15 or more teams.  Should the pro-am have less than 15 teams, then each pro will be paid $35 for participating in the pro-am. Players will be allowed to miss a maximum of two (2) pro-am tournaments over the course of the year. If a player needs to miss a pro-am they need to notify the Tour by 5:00 PM on Friday before the tournament week.

Most Clinics are held on Monday or Tuesday afternoon. Each clinic will need 5-10 professionals to conduct. Players are asked to volunteer for clinics each week. Clinic information will be posted on the trailer message board and the tournaments Schedule of Events.

NOTE: Every WAPT player is required to help with one clinic a season. It is the responsibility of every player to attend the clinic for which they volunteer or find a replacement. Players failing to attend are subject to discipline by the Tour.  In addition to these participants, professionals playing in or near their hometown are expected to participate in the junior clinic if possible. It is very important for local players to represent the WAPT and give back to their local communities.

Range balls will be provided each week for the WAPT pros to hit. Range hours will vary at each site and will be posted on the trailer message board. The range may also be temporarily closed during the day for additional picking and special events. As daylight permits, the range may remain open later during some events. Players must cooperate with the closing hours of the range so that the balls may be picked, cleaned, and readied for the next day. A fine will be incurred if a player does not comply with the facility or tournament staff concerning the temporary closing of the range.

NOTE: Due to the restricted nature of some facilities, the length and width of the range may dictate the use of irons only or small number of hitting stations.

 The tournament course will be marked by the tour staff prior to the event. In addition to the normal course markings, the staff will place a small dot on the front each green to indicate where pin location will be measured from. All tee boxes will be marked with a BLUE line and flag, indicating the longest a hole may play. Yardages will range from 6,200 – 6,600. On all par 3’s, the yardage will be marked on the back of any tee box that may be used during tournament play. This number represents the distance from the line on the back of the tee box to the dot on the front of the green. All other holes will have a line indicating the longest that hole may play.

Immediately after completion of a round, the players are to bring their scorecards to the designated scoring area, check and sign them, and return them to the scoring volunteer. (It is the player’s responsibility to verify her hole by hole scores, as well as those of the player for whom she was the marker.)  Once the player has turned in her scorecard and left the boundary of the scoring area, the scorecard is considered returned.

During the round, at specific scoring checkpoints, the player may be asked for her scorecard by a tour official or volunteer in order to update the on-line leaderboards. These requests will be made as unobtrusively as possible, and the cooperation by the player is required and greatly appreciated.

Scoring checkpoints are generally as follows:

Round 1 & 2 – 1, 7, 10, 13, & 15 Tees
Round 3 & 4 – Live scoring for each group

To help ensure that players competing in the Tour tournaments use equipment which conforms with the USGA Rules of Golf, players are encouraged to:

• Confirm with equipment manufacturers that new equipment or samples have been approved by the USGA.
• Have any altered or unusual clubs checked out by a Tour Rules Official before tournament use.
• Verify that the ball chosen to be played is on the USGA’s Conforming Golf Balls list.

If a player fails to submit her equipment prior to competition, she assumes all risk of a ruling should the equipment NOT conform with the USGA Rules of Golf.  Additionally, if required by a tour official, a player is obligated to surrender any equipment if it is determined that additional off-site testing is necessary to rule on conformity.  Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

Electronic Devices

The use of distance-measuring devices will be permitted in all WAPT events.  The device must be used to ONLY measure distance.  If a player uses a distance-measuring device to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g., elevation changes, wind speed, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 4.3a(1).

Mobile cell phones may be used to contact a Tour official, check the leaderboard, check the weather forecast or used as an electronic distance-measuring device.  

Examples of uses of an electronic device that may assist the player in her play and therefore in breach of Rule 4.3a(1): Using the device to ask for or give advice, or Listening to music or a broadcast for prolonged period might assist the player in her play by eliminating distraction or promoting a good tempo.

.

Employment of a caddy is optional. (Players may carry their own bag or use a push cart during tournament rounds) Should a player bring or hire a caddy, the player is responsible for the conduct and behavior of their caddies at tournaments. 

   The following shall be adhered to in all tour tournaments:

• Players are responsible for calling host courses for the availability of local caddies. Local caddies shall be paid promptly.  The fee is to be resolved early in the week between the player and caddy.  A good rule of thumb is $40 per round.
• Caddies MUST wear a tour supplied caddie bib during each tournament round – No Exceptions
• Caddies may use pull/push carts during tournament play. If the Tour authorizes the use of golf carts due to the host course terrain or weather, caddies must walk.
• Caddies may not wear jeans or cutoffs.  Hemmed shorts, skirts, and capris are permitted.
• Caddies must wear a collared shirt at all times.
• Caddies shall wear smooth rubber-soled shoes preferably tennis or basketball shoes.  Golf spikes and flip flops are prohibited.
• Caddies shall assist in maintaining the course by REPLACING DIVOTS AND RAKING BUNKERS as soon as possible after their players have played.
• Caddies shall not hit shots or putts anywhere on the practice areas or course except in specially approved competitions.

For any violation of these regulations which affect play, a fine will be levied against the player of the caddy.

• The request for the use of the cart must be made by the tour member and must indicate the name of the person, the nature of the disability, and if requested by the tour, provide medical reports or other data indicating the extent and nature of the disability.
• A request must be made for each individual tournament and must be made no later than the Tuesday of the tournament week.
• Carts will be made available only to family members who have a disability that prevents them from walking along with their players.  The Tour Director’s decision shall be final.

If a cart is issued to the family member, the following rules relating to the use of the cart shall apply:

• Cart use shall remain on paths at all times.
• Carts will NOT be permitted in designated practice areas (e.g., range, putting green, etc.) at any time.
• If in the Tour Director’s opinion, use of the cart could potentially damage the playing surface of the golf course (e.g., due to wet course conditions), the Tour Director shall have the right to deny the use of the cart.

With the exception of caddies, all spectators need to stay out of the fairways and off of greens and tees during play. It is ok to gather near tees and greens to watch, but we ask that spectators stay on the cart paths or rough while walking the course.