HAPPY GILMORE GOLF ASSOCIATION The League Constitution

1.0 The Happy Gilmore Golf Association (HGGA) is a Play-By-Mail (PBM) league which uses the APBA Professional Golf Game for playing their campaigns.
1.1 Players admitted to the league are required to own the game with -at least- the 18 most famous golf holes, extra golf courses produced by APBA over the years can also be used and their use is encouraged.
1.2 Each player shall choose his favorite golf course as his home golf course for the entire season. At the end of the season it is permitted to change golf course, but only if a player wish to.
1.3 The official golf courses of the HGGA shall be the following:
- 18 "Most Famous" Golf Holes (or APBA Golf Course);
- Augusta National Golf Course;
- Merion Golf Course;
- Pebble Beach Golf Course;
- Firestone Golf Course;
- Pinehurst Golf Course;
- Pine Valley Golf Cours.
1.4 The League shall provide the necessary information on how to get the updated golf cards through the APBA Journal or the APBA Game Company (if ever they are going to be issued officially again by them).
2.0 The HGGA request no entry fees, ONLY the will to stick for the whole regular season and, if necessary, the post-season. Since over 95% of the league communication shall be through Internet and e-mail, there is no need for stamps and copies.
2.1 The Commissioner reserve to himself the option for requesting a small contribution if a Yearbook is finalized at the end of the season and players do not want to get it through the net.
3.0 Each player admitted in the HGGA shall be the Captain of his team.
3.1 Each Captain is free to name his own team freely, as long it is not derogatory, offensive and soccer-related (this league is a soccer-free environment!).
3.2 Each team is composed of two golfers, chosen in a draft before the start of the season.
The Captain is allowed to keep his two golfers as long they as they continue to be carded, but can release them (if carded) before the following free agent draft. Once a golfer does not receive a golf card, he is automatically released from the team where he is signed.
3.3 For Season #1 ONLY the HGGA Opening Draft shall be held with serpentine method: who pick first in the first round shall pick last in the second and final round.
3.4 For the following season the draft shall be automatically determined by the final standings of the previous season, with non play-off teams picking first in reverse order of standing at the end of the regular season, followed by the play-off teams which did not win the Cup Final in reverse order of standing at the end of the regular season, and with the Association Champion Team picking last anyway.
3.5 Teams shall be allowed to draft as many golfers as they need to have their team completed.
3.6 If a Captain wish to keep both his golfers, he shall be excluded from the draft and all the team picking after him in the draft move automatically one spot up.
4.0 The regular season and the playoff matches shall be played as a three days event as follows:
Day 1: FOURSOMES. Each team golfers plays alternate strokes throughout the whole course. The team that wins the most number of holes is awarded two points. A tie is worth one point to each team (Rule 29 and 29/1 approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland).
Day 2: FOURBALLS. Each team golfer plays his own ball, and only the best score between the two count for the team. The team that wins the most number of holes is awarded two points. A tie is worth one point to each team.
Day 3: SINGLES. Each Captain before the start of the two singles has to designate his own #1 and #2 golfer. The two #1s plays against each other, the same for the #2s. The golfer that wins the most number of holes is awarded two points for his team. A tie is worth one point to each team.
4.1 In case of tied score at the end of the three days, the two #1 golfers shall start a playoff round. The Captain of the home team shall notify the Commissioner of the tied score, and the Commissioner shall appoint a neutral Manager to play the extra holes necessary to break the tie. One extra point is awarded to the team winning in playoff round.
4.2 Playoff matches shall be played in the same manner with a slight modification: The team with the best record shall play in his own course Day 1 and 3, while the team with worst record shall play Day 2. Playoff round in case of a tie shall be played by a neutral Manager appointed by the Commissioner.
4.3 The schedule released by the Commissioner Office at the beginning of the season is good for both the home and road matches (i.e.: if in Week 1 Team A is scheduled to play Team B, this means that both Team A and B shall play at the same time their home matches versus the other team).
4.4 Instruction sheets are not mandatory but if a Captain wish to have his team play in some specific way, he is entitled to send an instruction sheet to the opponent Captain, possibly no more than two pages long. A copy of the instruction sheet must also sent to the Commissioner as future reference in case of disputed calls.
4.5 All APBA Professional Golf rules are fully applied in the league games. In case of doubt, a Rule Committee shall be appointed by the Commissioner to solve the question.
4.6 All Professional Golf Rules are fully applied in regards of playing procedure.
4.7 Eventual extra rules proposal must be submitted to the Commissioner at the end of the season, in written and detailed format, in order to be voted by all the active Captains.
5.0 The report to the Commissioner office shall be minimum for the statistical side. It shall be requested to mail the hole-by-hole score, the number of putts per hole, eagles, birdies, bogeys, double and triple bogeys. The very basic APBA Golf scoresheet is more than adequate for the needs of the League. The Commissioner shall provide the Captains with a little more user-friendly scoresheet (in Excel format, so each of you can easily download it and print it at will) where it easy to keep track (also visually) how the match is going.
5.1 Unless for exceptional situations (we have all human lives) lateness shall not be tolerated. Since this is a no fee league, think twice before applying to the HGGA. Unexcused lateness shall result in forfeited matches, penalty points in the standings and future draft pick penalizations, all at full discretion of the Commissioner and the appointed Rule Committee.
5.2 The Commissioner has the right to intervene in any moment of the HGGA life in order to keep the league going as smoothly as possible.