Each Mass Golf Championship has its own specific tournament eligibility criteria (i.e., maximum Handicap Index®, age requirements, etc.). Please reference the specific Championships for further details. In general, to be eligible for a Mass Golf Championship, all applicants must meet the following criteria:
*Exceptions – Open Championship, Ouimet Memorial Tournament, Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship (Junior-Mite Division ONLY) & Young Golfers’ Championship.
(please reference the Conditions & Regulations for further details)
Except for the Massachusetts Open, all Mass Golf Championship events are open to amateur golfers only.
Amateurs awaiting reinstatement (A/R) are permitted to compete in the Mass. Open provided they do not play as a professional, do not accept any cash prizes or any prizes reserved for an amateur golfer.
Amateurs awaiting reinstatement (A/R) are permitted to register for Mass Golf administered amateur only competitions (i.e. Mass Amateur, Mass Mid-Am, etc.), but may only compete if officially reinstated (by the USGA) on or before the date of the sectional qualifier they are competing in; or in the case of an exempt player, on or before the date the championship proper is scheduled to begin.
The R&A and the USGA updated the Rules of Amateur Status on October 26, 2021 with the new changes going into effect on January 1, 2022.
Individuals looking to be reinstated as amateurs or with questions about the Rule of Amateur Status should contact Kevin Eldridge, Director of Rules & Competitions, directly at 774-430-9103 or visit the USGA’s Amateur Status page for more information.
All players, including those who are exempt, must apply through the Mass Golf Online Entry process at: http://www.massgolf.org. Late, incomplete or inaccurate entries will not be accepted. Each Mass Golf competition has a designated field limit. Excluding specific Championship policies, entries for Mass Golf Championships and Qualifiers are accepted on a first come, first served basis until the entry deadline. The Mass Golf Championship Committee reserves the right to reject an entry at any time.
Entries and fully paid entry fees must be received through the Mass Golf Online Entry process by 5:00pm EST on the published entry deadline.
A player who wishes to request an exemption into a Mass Golf Championship must do so by submitting a formal request. Exemption requests must be submitted to the Mass Golf Championship Department Staff (e-mail; keldridge@massgolf.org) no later than 10 days prior to the published ENTRY CLOSE DATE for the specific Championship. All submitted exemption requests will then be reviewed by the Mass Golf Championship Committee and only granted under exceptional circumstances.
Players will be notified of the status of their exemption request as soon as practicable and are encouraged to register for a sectional qualifying site for the specific championship as their request is pending.
All exemption requests MUST include the following:
Applies to: Open, Amateur, Junior Amateur, Amateur Public Links, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, and Super Senior Amateur
Competitors withdrawing from a championship/qualifier should notify a member of the Mass Golf staff as soon as practicable. Refunds may be processed based on the following criteria:
Applies to: Women’s Championships, Four-Ball, Mixed Four-Ball, Senior Four-Ball, Ouimet Tournament, and Young Golfers’ Amateur
Competitors withdrawing from an event should notify a member of the Mass Golf staff as soon as practicable. Refunds may be processed based on the following criteria:
Mass Golf Qualifiers:
Mass Golf Championships Proper (without qualifying; excluding all Four-Ball Championships):
Shortly after close of entries — or after the last qualifier concludes for Championships — competitors will be notified via e-mail of their starting times and player information (including the availability of practice privileges). Courtesy practice privileges are at the discretion of the host club(s).
For all Mass Golf Championships Proper (with qualifying) an alternate pool will be formed that includes ALL players from each qualifying site with the next best score after the cutline.
After sectional qualifying, all players in the pool will then be randomly selected and ranked by number as alternates. The alternate list for each Championship Proper will be published, posted online and updated as players are added to the Championship Proper.
An alternate can be placed into the Championship Proper field in two ways;
NOTE: This alternate policy will only be enforced if the Championship Proper field becomes less than the maximum number of competitors permitted per championship.
The qualifying number and ties will gain entrance into the Championship Proper. There will be no play-off for qualifying spots and/or 1st & 2nd alternates.
Example: If there are 10 qualifying spots available at a particular Mass Golf Qualifying site, and 12 competitors finish with a score of 76 or lower, all 12 competitors advance to the Championship Proper without a play-off.
The Rules of Golf as approved by the United States Golf Association and the R&A given play. Questions will be settled by the Committee in charge of the competitions consisting of staff and officials officials assigned by Mass Golf, whose decision shall be final.
A player may use devices that measure or gauge distance only (see Rule 4.3a(1)) in all Mass Golf competitions.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 4.3:
FAQ:
Q: “Can I use a range finder, golf app on my smartphone and/or GPS watch to measure distance?”
A: “Yes, as long as the device is measuring distance only”. Please CLICK HERE to view what types of devices are permitted and what information is permitted and not permitted from those devices.
A player may use green reading materials in all Mass Golf competitions.
However, if the materials/book will be used to read the line of play on the putting green while playing from the putting green, all materials/books must meet specific size and scale requirements. Please CLICK HERE to view these requirements and other FAQs regarding the use of green reading materials.
A player using materials not meeting these requirements will be in breach of Rule 4.3a.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 4.3:
In events where carts are permitted per the conditions and regulations, no more than 2 carts will be permitted per starting time regardless of the number of players and/or caddies in a group. Caddies are permitted to ride in a player’s cart if there is an available seat.
*Mass Golf reserves the right to limit a group to only 1 cart in the case of a group of two competitors in order to limit cart traffic and/or reserve carts for subsequent starting times.
Note: Per the Rules of Golf (10.3a(1)) any other person who walks or rides along with the player or who carries other things for the player (such as a rain-suit, umbrella or food and drink) is not the player’s caddie unless he or she is named as such by the player or also carries, transports or handles the player’s clubs. Additionally, Rule (10.3a(1)) states that a player may have a caddie to carry, transport and handle his or her clubs, give advice and help him or her in other ways allowed during a round, but with these limitations:
Penalty for Breach of Rule 10.3a:
Spectators are welcome at all Mass Golf championships, qualifiers and administered events and are expected to walk. For any mobility impaired spectator wanting to request the use of a spectator cart – please view the policy below and submit a copy of the digital cart request form. All requests should be made at least 24 hours prior to the date/time a cart is being requested. And please note – cart access may be restricted or not available due to weather, course conditions logistics and other factors.
Appropriate golf attire is required at all Mass Golf competitions for players, caddies and spectators. The dress code of the host facility will take precedent if there is any question.
Local Rule as prescribed in Section 8 of the Committee Procedures is in effect. Model Local Rule G-7. The use of traditionally designed spikes (regardless of composition) or spikes of any design that are entirely or partially made of metal, if such metal may come in contact with the course.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 4.3:
The Mass Golf Board of Directors reserves the right to alter any of the Championship conditions and schedules herein. The decision of the Board of Directors in any matter shall be final.
All scores from individual stroke play events (qualifiers & championships proper) will be automatically posted to a player’s Handicap Index by the Mass Golf staff.
*Exceptions – Four-Ball Championship, Senior Four-Ball Championship, Mixed Four-Ball Championship for the Stone Cup, Women’s Four-Ball Championship for the Townshend Cup, Amateur Championship Match Play Rounds, Women’s Amateur Championship Match Play Rounds, Junior Amateur Championship Match Play Rounds and Mass Golf administered Local/Sectional USGA Qualifiers.
Mass Golf reserves the right to decline any entry based on a player’s previous year’s attendance in an event. Players who fail to show for assigned starting times without notifying Mass Golf will be considered a no-show. No-shows also include any player who fails to return a scorecard (no-card) or who withdraws during a stipulated round without notifying a Mass Golf official or staff member on site.
I acknowledge that Mass Golf may at times photograph or record video of the Mass Golf Championships and tournaments and I grant Mass Golf the unrestricted right and permission to copyright, use, or publish photographic portraits, pictures, or video of me, including the negatives, transparencies, prints, or digital information pertaining to them (collectively, the “Pictures”), in still, single, multiple, moving or video format, in any manner, including manners in which I may be included in whole or in part, in composite or distorted in form, in color or otherwise, in any media for advertising or any other lawful purpose. I hereby relinquish any right that I may have to examine or approve the Pictures or any use of the Pictures, including the advertising copy or printed matter that may be used in connection with a Picture, or the use to which it may be applied. I waive any ownership and publication right or right of publicity I may be entitled to in connection with the Pictures.
Massachusetts Golf Association, Inc. (“Mass Golf”) may withhold entry of a collegiate golfer (as defined by Exhibit A) into a Mass Golf sanctioned event if Mass Golf reasonably determines that the collegiate golfer’s use of logos and/or their promotional activities are inappropriate and/or offensive and are not in alignment with Mass Golf’s mission and vision. Mass Golf’s Board of Directors has the power and authority to make this decision and shall promptly inform the collegiate golfer upon making any such determination. Any collegiate golfer that wishes to participate in a Mass Golf sanctioned event should reference the USGA’s Notice to Collegiate Golfers Regarding Name, Image and Likeness. Please contact, Jesse Menachem, with any additional questions.
Exhibit A: The USGA and The R&A have introduced an interim waiver that applies as follows:
