Golf Digest Open Official Rules
Below, you'll find the official rules of the Golf Digest Open.
The eight qualifiers and the National Championship will be two-person best-ball stroke-play events with two divisions: Gross and Net. All teams will be automatically entered into both divisions of this stroke play competition. Each player plays their own ball with the best score of the two counted as the team score on each hole.
For the Gross division, each player will play their own ball and card their own individual score for each hole. The team’s score will be the best gross score between the two players on each hole.
For the Net division, the number of strokes received will be based off of 85% of your course handicap. The team’s score will be the best net score between the two players on each hole. If the difference in handicap indexes among teammates is greater than 10, the handicap of the higher handicap index will be adjusted to exactly 10 strokes greater than the lower handicap index. Also, the Golf Digest Open retains the right to select handicap indexes from any date within 12 months of the qualifier, and, further, may adjust handicap indexes for the National Championship as we see fit.
Each event will be contested according to the USGA rules of golf. Local rules will apply and be communicated to participants prior to each event.
Participants may play in more than one qualifier if they wish. Once a player qualifies for the 2023 Golf Digest Open National Championship, they are ineligible from qualifying again this year.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Event Overview: The Golf Digest Open is a nationwide tournament consisting of eight regional qualifiers that culminate in a 36-hole national championship. Each regional qualifier will be a one-day golf tournament featuring two-person teams playing in a four-ball format, with all participants automatically entered into both Gross and Net divisions, and the National Championship will be a two-day golf tournament.
Participation Eligibility: The Golf Digest Open will accept registrations from prospective participants aged 21 and over. An official World Handicap System-sanctioned handicap is required to participate, and you must provide your handicapping service name (GHIN, Golfnet, CDGA, etc.) and unique identifying number at registration. Any employees of Golf Digest and/or the U.S. Am Tour are ineligible to receive any prizes.
Rules of Golf: The Golf Digest Open will be contested so as to enable all participants to retain amateur status. Each participant must assume personal responsibility for making sure that their amateur status is not adversely affected by participation in the Golf Digest Open. All play will be administered by the USGA Rules of Golf, with exceptions only for each host course’s local rules. Any rules questions or disputes will be settled by a Golf Digest Open representative present at each event, whose decisions will be binding.
Participant Obligations & Acknowledgements
Each participant is required to provide true, accurate, complete and current information about themselves and their WHS handicap and information related thereto.
Each participant acknowledges that the Golf Digest Open has the right to suspend, refuse access to, or refuse to pay any potential prize money if it is determined that a Participant has provided inaccurate, untruthful, or misleading information about themselves or their WHS handicap, or has violated these Terms and Conditions in any manner whatsoever.
Cash prizes are void where prohibited.
Each Participant winner shall be solely responsible for reporting and paying any and all applicable taxes relating to the prize.
Any Participant winning over $600 in prize winnings will receive an IRS form 1099 at the end of the calendar year and a copy of such form will be filed with the IRS.
Equipment: Each participant will be responsible for providing their own equipment (including, but not limited to golf clubs and golf balls). Participants are responsible for ensuring that their equipment conforms with the USGA Rules of Golf. Golf Digest and the U.S. Am Tour cannot represent that equipment will be available for rental or purchase at any of the event locations.
Privacy Policy and Use of Personal Information: Golf Digest, The U.S. Am Tour, and/or BlueGolf may collect personal data about participants online and use such data in accordance with Golf Digest’s privacy policy (the “Privacy Policy”), California Privacy Notice (where applicable), Golf Digest’s Visitor Agreement (the “Visitor Agreement”), and the Terms and Conditions herein. Please carefully review these Terms and Conditions, the Visitor Agreement and the Privacy Policy carefully. By participating in the Golf Digest Open, all participants hereby agree to such collection and use of their personal information by Golf Digest, the U.S. am Tour and/or BlueGolf, either collectively or individually, and acknowledge they have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions, the Visitor Agreement and the Privacy Policy.
Participation Waiver: Upon registration and/or arriving onsite for an event, each participant will need to sign a participation waiver, wherein they must acknowledge Assumption of Risk, Financial Obligations, Cancellation Policy, Conduct, Recording of Events, Marketing Opt-Ins, the Visitor Agreement, Privacy and Cookies Notice, California Privacy Notice, and Governing Law.
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