Constitution

SOUTH WEST VETERANS LADIES’ GOLF ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION

1. The Association

a. The Association shall be known as the ‘South West Veteran Ladies’ Golf Association’ (SWVLGA) and will comprise the Counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

b. The Association shall be managed by each County in rotation (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset), for a period of two years.

2. Membership

Membership is open to ladies aged 60 years and over on the date of an event, who shall be members of their own County Association.

3. The Committee

The Veterans’ Committee of the County in charge (see 1b) shall elect a Chairperson and a Secretary/Treasurer to be the Officers of the SWVLGA and will support those elected Officers.

 Each County will be represented on the Committee by two or three members of their own Veterans Association, including their County Captain.

At commencement of each County Captain’s term of office, she shall notify the Chairperson of the contact details of the other members who will be joining her on the SWVLGA Committee.

The Officers of the County in charge will be additional to those in 3.b.

4. Meetings

Zoom meetings will be held as needed, to keep the Committee up to date  with regard to Inter- County Shield matches and Field Days, together with any other business that may arise.

A quorum shall be five members of the Committee.

In the event of any decision requiring a vote, each County shall have one vote which will be cast by the County’s Captain.

In the event of a split vote, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

5. Honorariums

The serving Chairperson and Secretary/Treasurer will receive honorariums annually

during their term of office.

The amount of the honorariums will be reviewed as necessary at the Annual General Meeting.

6. Annual General Meeting (AGM)

An AGM will be held in October at a venue convenient for all Counties, or by a media platform such as Zoom.
An Agenda and poster advertising the AGM, together with the previous year’s Minutes and Accounts, should be sent to each County at least two weeks prior to the AGM.             

Each County should be represented by at least two of their Veterans’ Association Committee.         

If the AGM is at a golfing venue, the Secretary should check if golf is available after the meeting for those attending and notify each County accordingly.

7. Affiliation Fee

Each County shall pay the appropriate Affiliation Fee directly into the SWVLGA bank account by 1st January.  

8. Field Day Competitions  

a. There are two meetings each year to be known as Field Days, which will be Individual  Stableford Competitions. One will be held in the Spring, the other in the Autumn.

b. Over a two- year period, a Field Day will be held in each of the four Counties in order to cater for as many members as possible.

c. P layers must be full members of both their County and Veterans’ Association.

d. Entry will be by form, accompanied by the current fee, sent to the Secretary by the dates indicated on the posters.

e. Prize money will be allocated across three handicap divisions (see 8.f) at the discretion of the Organising Committee with due regard to the expenses of the day and size of the field.

f. Divisions, based on a player’s Handicap Index are as follows:

Division 1 -                0.0 – 20.4

Division 2 -              20.5 – 28.4

Division 3 -              28.5 – 40.4

g. Playing Handicaps will be calculated on the day in accordance with the World Handicap System.

h. Where possible, entered pairs of players should play together but not with pairs from the same Club or County.

i. After the closing date for entry to the Field Day, the Start Sheet will be sent to each County to be posted on their County Website.

j. If a 2’s competition is held, it is only for a ‘2’ scored on any hole. If there are no ‘2’s, the monies will be donated to the Chairperson’s elected charity.

k. A ‘hole-in-one’ will be awarded with a separate prize at the discretion of the Organising Committee.

l. The Organising Committee may include any other competitions and draws at their discretion.

m. For Buggy information, see item 10 below.

9. Inter- County Shield Matches

a. Matches played between the Counties affiliated to the Association will play for the Inter- County Shield Trophy.

b. Matches will be played in accordance with WHS Rules.

c. No more than two members of the Club hosting a match may be included in the team and no two members of any Club may play together.

d. Each playing pair will consist of a Division 1 and a Division 2 player.

e. Each playing pair will consist of a Division 1 player and a Division 2 player with Handicap.

Indexes as follows:

Division 1     0.0 - 21.4
Division 2   21.5 - 32.4

Division 1 players should play in ascending handicap order from lowest to highest and paired with a Division 2 player in any order.

f. If a County has a shortage of Div 1 players, a Div 2 player may play as a Div 1 player using a HI of 21.4.  Likewise, a Div 2 player with a HI higher than 32.4 must play off 32.4

g. A degree of flexibility will be allowed in the case of handicap changes (max 1 shot) occurring during the 7 days prior to the Match, otherwise the Div 1 and Div 2 limits must be strictly adhered to. For example, if a Div 2 player reduces her HI to the Div 1 level a couple of days prior to a Match, she may still play as a Div 2 player but must play off her new HI. Captains should exchange players’ names and Clubs 7/10 days in advance and check for handicap changes on the day of Match. 

h. There is a proforma Result sheet available.

 i. Under Rule 23.4, if a player is late for their tee time the Match should start with one player representing their team until the other player arrives. That player may start playing on the next tee, not mid tee. There can be discretion on the day.

j. All Members should have an equal opportunity to put their name forward for selection by their County Captain for Inter County Matches.

k. Current members of the County 1st and 2nd teams are not eligible to play in the Inter County Matches.

l. All Match results must be sent to the Chairperson by the host team within 3 days of the Match.

m. In the event of a tie for the Shield, individual wins will be taken into account.  If this does not break the tie, the number of away wins will decide the result.

n. The Inter County Shield will be presented to the winning County at the AGM.  If there is not a physical meeting, it will be presented at the next Field Day.

o. Match meals shall be paid for by the host County for players only, Any Green fees will be paid by the host County.

 10. Buggies

a. In accordance with England Golf Transportation Policy ( https://www.englandgolf.org/competition-policies) , only those players holding a medical certificate attesting to their inability to walk for 18 holes will be permitted to use a buggy. Players partners without a medical certificate are NOT permitted to share a buggy, except in exceptional circumstances.

b. If buggies are not available, a full refund of the entry fee will be provided.

Updated 23rd October 2023