PGS Constitution

PERSHORE GOLF SOCIETY

CONSTITUTION

1. Name of Society - The Society shall be known as the ‘Pershore Golf Society’

2. Objectives - The Society will promote the playing of golf at all standards by encouraging members to partake in various arranged competitions, events throughout the season and a golf tour, combined with an enjoyable social environment

3. Membership

a) The committee will set the membership levels each year depending on the attendance numbers for the year just played.

b) New members are admitted between 1st and 31st December when the season renews. Application for membership shall be by considered on the submission of an email to the Chairman (as stated on the website). New members shall be proposed by a member of the society and seconded by a member of the committee.

c) Resignations from the Society shall be by an e-mail to a member of the Committee. Refunds on memberships are not provided unless there are exceptional circumstances.

4. Finance

a) An annual subscription shall be paid by members to the Society Treasurer by the end of November each year to continue membership. New members shall pay their subscription fees by the end of December. This will allow them to participate in any competitions held in December and the following season.

b) The annual subscription amount is decided by the Committee and agreed by a quorum of the members at the Annual General Meeting.

5. Funds

a) In the event of the dissolution of the society, the funds, Assets and Properties of the society shall be distributed as directed by the Committee to the fully paid-up members. The definition of a fully paid-up member shall be a member that has paid full subscriptions by 30 January of the current season.

6. Royal & Ancient Golf Club/English Golf Union

a) The Society agrees to abide by the Rules of Golf as laid down by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

b) The Society recognises that the English Golf Union is the governing body for men’s amateur golf within England and as such recognises its authority to govern the game. Page 2 of 3 Version 1 October 2022

c) The Society will apply the rules of golf in all circumstances, but reserves the right to determine its own ‘local rules’ the aim being to speed up play or address adverse course conditions on golf days and the tour.

• A separate competition and local rules document set out these local rules and all competition rules.

7. Society Officers and Committee

a) The Society shall appoint a Management Committee of Honorary Officers to run the Society by way of proposal and seconding and a vote by the members at an AGM.

b) Officers to be appointed by election shall be Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Handicap Secretary Fixtures Secretary and Competitions Secretary. One of these officers will be appointed as Vicechairman. The current Captain and Vice-Captain are seconded as members of the management committee in the year(s) they serve. six additional members will also be members of the committee but without formal roles. The Committee membership will be capped at 14.

c) The Management committee may appoint other committees as required.

d) The Management Committee meets at least quarterly with minutes recorded and available for inspection on request to the Secretary. A Quorum will be the Chairman and 5 additional officers or committee members

e) The Society Captain shall nominate a vice captain who shall serves as Captain in the following year. The appointment of the captain and vice-captain shall be ratified by the committee.

8. Competitions and Handicapping

a) The Society shall organise its competitions and control handicapping. Membership of the English Golf Union allows handicaps to be administered properly.

b) The Handicap Secretary shall keep full records of competitions and handicaps of members as determined by the EGU and the society’s Handicap Secretary for members without a WHS handicap. These records shall be made available on the society’s website and maintained up to date.

c) Each year the handicap secretary shall present the proposal for any changes the process for the following season to the AGM for agreement.

d) The committee shall determine the conditions that appertain to each competition and supply all members with details of these conditions.

e) No Return (NR) - In relation to the format of the day an NR of a marked card from a playing member to the Captain on the completion of the round will be considered not acceptable as (a), not fitting with the ethos of the society in terms of trying your best even when you are having a poor playing day and (b), not playing on in support of your fellow playing members which may also have an impact on any team format

Only a valid reason will be considered for an NR for example an injury preventing playing on, an emergency or inclement weather where cards are ruined due to rain (list of reasons not exhaustive) and this reason will be communicated to the Captain on the day.

Without a valid and acceptable reason an NR will result in a instant 10% cut of the members playing handicap

9. Discipline/Sanction Procedures

a) All members of the society have a duty to follow the Rules of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the EGU or the Pershore Golf Society.

b) The Society wishes to maintain good relationships at all the courses it visits. Any behaviour at host golf clubs that brings the society into disrepute and any suitable sanctions shall be considered and applied by the committee.

10. Golf Days

a) The committee will agree the venues for the annual events and tour based on the Fixtures Secretary’s recommendations. A full list of events will be displayed on the society’s website.

b) It should be noted that society golf is viewed with mixed emotions at some golf clubs, we aim to ensure that our society will be welcomed back to any golf club visited

c) A maximum of 32 spaces will be available for golf days and the tour. Priority is given to members wishing to attend golf days.

• Preferential access to the annual society golf tour will be given to existing members who have participated in a minimum of two society golf days in the previous year, then members who have not played in less than two events and then guests. This restriction will not apply to new members in their first year. Page 3 of 3 Version 1 October 2022

d) Guests - Should there be any remaining spaces on golf days or the tour, these will be offered to guests. Guests will pay an additional fee of £5 for golf days but the same rates as members for the tour. Guests are allowed to win team, best guest and fun prizes but not society competitions or events.

e) A singles competition will be held each year and managed by the Competition Secretary. All members are eligible and must indicate their wish to be included in the draw by the date set in the invitation.

11. Competition disputes and interpretation of the rules of golf

a) Occasionally circumstances arise during a competition where the rules of golf are broken by one or more members and a decision on the penalties to be applied has to be made. The rules of golf need to be applied but as we are a society and the aim is to enjoy ourselves, there needs to be a degree of pragmatism applied too

• Should it be required, impartial committee members (i.e. not involved in the event under discussion) will make a decision on any action required – honest mistakes will be forgiven, cheating (or gaining an advantage) will be penalised.

Approved at the PGS Annual General Meeting – 25th October 2022