The primary purpose of the TPMGC is to run tournaments for our members at the Torrey Pines golf courses. Because there is limited availability to the Torrey Pines courses, we also run several away tournaments each month. Each year, the President appoints a Weekday Chair and a Weekend Chair to have overall responsibility for all club tournaments. The Weekend and Weekday Chairs will appoint a Tournament Coordinator to run each club tournament. This document summarizes the rules and procedures used for each of our tournaments.

Eligibility

Members in good standing are eligible to sign up for tournaments. Guests are not allowed. In addition, the website will check the status of a member’s account and any penalties or fines that are outstanding. Any additional eligibility requirements will be listed in the tournament information on the website.

Tournament Sign Ups

Players sign up for tournaments at the club website: www.tpmgc.org. In most tournaments, you may sign up as a single, twosome, threesome, or foursome. The sign-up period typically lasts for two weeks and begins approximately three weeks prior to the tournament date. The exact dates for each sign-up period can be found on the TPMGC website. For most tournaments, you may also request the time range you prefer to play in, but it is typically not possible to honor all requests. 

Tournament Capacity

TPMGC has a five-hour window for tee time events at Torrey Pines. Because of the different tee time separations on the two courses, our tournaments have a maximum of 124 players on the South course and 144 on the North course. For shotgun tournaments, we are allowed 128 players on both courses.

Player Priority

Almost all tournaments at Torrey Pines have many more members sign up than can be accommodated. In order to be as fair as possible to our members, we use a Player Selection System that objectively determines who plays in each tournament. Higher priority is assigned to members who did not play in the previous tournament. Members not selected to play in a tournament will be placed on a wait list. Those who remain on the wait list for the previous tournament will have high priority for the next tournament. In the event that an away tournament is oversubscribed, the board will determine a fair method to assign members to the tee sheet or wait list.

Player Fees

Each player is responsible for paying his/her own green fees and cart fees (usually optional). In addition, each player must pay a $15 tournament fee. This fee is collected from the player’s Member Account. It is the member’s responsibility to ensure sufficient funds are in his Member Account each time he plays in a tournament.

Tournament Flighting

The field is typically separated into 3 or 4 flights based on the index as defined by the tournament rules, usually current or low. A playing handicap is then produced by Golf Genius when two or more flights use the same tees the same playing handicap will play in the same flight, and the Tournament Chair will balance the flights as best possible.  

Tournament Day

Arrive at the course at least 30 minutes before your scheduled tee time. On many occasions we tee off before the official tee time. Also, the starter at Torrey Pines may give your spot to a member of the public on the waiting list if you do not check in a half hour prior to your tee time.

The club uses Golf Genius software to run its tournaments. Each member is expected to download the free Golf Genius app to their mobile device. One member of the foursome is expected to keep the official score on Golf Genius while another member should keep score on the scorecard which is emailed to each player prior to the tournament. The member keeping score on Golf Genius can log into Golf Genius on their mobile phone by enter the unique six-character code (GGID) for each group found on the scorecard. Scores should be entered after each hole so the leaderboard is accurate at all times. After completing the round, the scores on Golf Genius should be compared to the scores on the scorecard. The score on Golf Genius is the official score and once the players leave the course, the score cannot be changed. If an incorrect score is recorded for one or more holes, that could result in a disqualification. See local rules for any exceptions.

Do not post your score. The tournament committee posts scores for all players.

Cancellations and No Shows

You may cancel your tournament entry by following the instructions on the website. The deadline to cancel without penalty is 6:00pm, 8 days prior to the tournament. Check the tournament information to confirm the date for each tournament. This is a firm deadline and the consequences for those who cancel after this deadline are explained below.

If you cancel your tournament entry after the cancellation deadline, you will be fined $25 and will be suspended from playing the next tournament held at Torrey Pines GC. If you cancel after noon on the day before the tournament or if you fail to show up for a tournament, you will be fined $50 and also be suspended from playing the next tournament held at Torrey Pines GC. If you have multiple occurrences of either, there are additional penalties which are explained on our website under Penalty Info.

Pace of Play

Focusing on pace of play is important at all TPMGC tournaments. In order to track the pace, each group must record the start, turn and finish times on their scorecard in the designated area when this data is requested. Occasionally, a time clock is provided to record the time. Our Pace of Play standard for all tournaments is for each group to finish in no more than 4 hours 20 minutes and within 10 minutes of the group ahead but no later than 15 minutes behind. Players who demonstrate poor pace of play on multiple occasions may be subject to penalties, including later tee times and suspension from play.

Tournament Results

Each flight within a tournament is competing separately. Approximately the top 40% of finishers in each flight are awarded prizes. In addition, in individual tournaments, the low gross score in each flight is also awarded prize money. The club uses a payout calculator to ensure awards are consistently determined. Ties are not broken unless it is necessary to determine an overall champion (for example the Club Championship).

The total prize fund for each tournament is made up of tournament entry fee (normally $15) collected from each player plus a subsidy determined by the board.

Results are sent to players via email and are posted on our website.

Prizes

A Member Account is established for each member. When you win prize money it is added to your Member Account. You may access your balance at our website under the Member Account tab by entering your name and GHIN. 

Eligibility for Board Tournaments

Certain tournaments carry greater importance and are labeled as Board Tournaments. To be eligible to play, you must be an active member for 1 year on the date of the event and have played in at least three club tournaments during the prior 12 months.

Team Events

When your group has a missing player in a team event, the tournament chair will do a blind draw using another member’s score from that tournament to complete your team.

Rules

All tournaments will be operated under the USGA Rules of Golf. Unless otherwise informed by the Tournament Coordinator, the Local Rules of the golf course being played will also be in force. These will include Local Rules listed on the course scorecard or posted by sign on the course. Local Rules as posted on the website will apply to all men’s club tournaments. If there are any special conditions, such as Lift Clean and Place during wet conditions, members will be informed by the Tournament Coordinator either via email or signs on the course. 

Tournament Games The game being played in each tournament will be identified on the web site. The tournament will be played and scored in accordance with the game rules posted on the website.