Caddies are permitted in the Beginner Division and 9-Hole Club Division ONLY. There are no restrictions as to who may serve as a caddie. Caddies may carry clubs, provide advice about playing shots, and assist with club selection. Caddies may serve more than one player, but each player is limited to only one caddie. Caddies should assist with the oversight of scoring and help to improve pace of play during the round. They are also encouraged to let players make their own decisions and develop their golf skills independently. On-course swing instruction by caddies should be kept to a minimum.

Motorized carts are prohibited in ALL Divisions. Penalty for breach of these conditions is two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred with a maximum penalty per round of four strokes. Players must walk and carry their own bags or they may use a non-motorized pull cart where permitted. Players may use their own pull carts or rent from the host facility when available. These carts must be in good condition and be kept away from the surface of all tees and putting greens. Any player in violation of the rules for pull carts will lose the privilege of using one. Tournament-approved shuttles may exist at certain sites.

All members are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct at all functions. Violations of the Code of Conduct include: abusive language, club throwing, cheating, disrespect of volunteers or officials, abuse of the golf course (divots not replaced, bunkers not raked, ball marks not repaired, and the like), discarded trash not placed in proper receptacles, vandalism, smoking or chewing tobacco products, use of drugs or alcohol, not adhering to the dress code, leaving the course during a competitive round without the permission of an AJG official, or any other conduct not becoming of an AJG member. Violations of the Code of Conduct are subject to the following: a two-stroke penalty, disqualification, or suspension for a period of time as deemed by the Tournament Committee. All violations will be reviewed by the AJG Tournament Committee.

All play is governed by the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf and its Decisions and, where applicable, by Local Rules, Conditions, and Definitions, subject to changes or amendments by the AJG Tournament Committee (2008-09 Rules of Play Card).

DNS refers to those players who fail to appear for their assigned tee time without notifying the AJG office. NC refers to those players who fail to return their score cards to the AJG Tournament Committee before leaving the golf course. In the event of either offense, a player will lose half of the points he/she earned in his/her most successful event (at the conclusion of the Summer Series). If either offense occurs a second time, the remaining points will be deducted from the players most successful event and the player will be removed, without notice or refund, from his/her remaining events.

Proper attire is required at all AJG tournaments, events, seminars, and/or functions. Required Dress: (1) hats/visors must be worn properly with the brim facing forward, (2) boys MUST remove a hat/visor when indoors, (3) collared shirts must be worn and tucked in at all times, (4) girls may wear shirts without collars, if the shirt is part of a coordinated outfit and if it has sleeves, (5) girls short length must be at or beyond the extended fingertips with arms hanging at sides.  Prohibited Dress: (1) shoes with metal or traditionally designed spikes (penalty for wearing spikes is disqualification), (2) tank tops, T-shirts, short shorts, denim of any kind, (3) earrings on boys and body piercings, (4) headphones, powered-on cell phones, or other portable electronic devices. Any violation of this rule results in either disqualification or the junior not being allowed to participate until he/she has met the above regulations. 

Events are sometimes held on days when a club's facilities are closed. Driving ranges are only occasionally available to players and sometimes at a fee. Do not attempt to utilize a closed driving range. Doing so will be considered a breach of the Code of Conduct.

The decision to cancel an event is made by the Tournament Director in conjunction with the golf professional and/or the superintendent of the golf course. You may call the office or the golf course to check on the status of an event, but please know that a tournament can be cancelled at any time during the day. All efforts are made to complete the number of holes required for a stipulated round (at least 9 holes for all 18-Hole Divisions and 5 holes for all 9-Hole Divisions). An event that is shortened because of inclement weather is considered "complete" only when all players in a specific age group have satisfied the minimum requirements for a stipulated round detailed above.

If an event is canceled due to inclement weather (some or all players in an age group are unable to complete a stipulated round), that specific event WILL NOT be made up. Refunds or credits WILL NOT be given for any tournaments or events that are shortened/canceled because of inclement weather. EXCEPTION: If a Summer Series event is cancelled because of inclement weather, your registration may be transferred to another similarly-priced Summer Series event (subject to availability). No credits or refunds will be given to players who are unable to transfer a cancelled registration to another event. You must contact the AJG office to process this request.

If a canceled event occurs at the conclusion of the season (e.g., it is the last event of the Summer Series), the requirement of a minimum of five events (in order to qualify for season-ending championships) may be waived for individual players, on a case-by-case basis. Because Player of the Year points are based on an average of points earned, no “make-up” points will be issued for a player who does not participate in the minimum of five events. Please note, however, that the divisor of five (events played) will not be reduced for players in these circumstances.

The maximum 10 strokes per hole rule applies to the Beginner Division and the 9-Hole Club Division only. The maximum number of strokes a player is allowed on a single hole is ten (10). If a player has played his/her tenth stroke during the play of a hole and the ball has not been holed out, the ball must be lifted and the player must then proceed to the next hole without undue delay as soon as the rest of the group has completed play of the hole. The player's score for the hole must be recorded as ten (10).

Note: This procedure is an Atlanta Junior Golf local rule for the specified divisions only and does NOT reflect the proper application of The Rules of Golf. 

Rule 6-7 of the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf states: "The player must play without undue delay." The penalty for breach of Rule 6-7 is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play. The penalty for a repeated offense is disqualification. (Refer to the AJG Pace of Play Policy for further clarification.)

Rule 6 in the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf does not cover those responsibilities that are common sense. Remember, you're playing golf when the heat index is often very high. Be sure to have enough liquid (water, etc.) in your bag to last for at least nine holes at which time you're able to refill. Water coolers on the golf courses are constantly checked and refilled, but you may be passing by when they are either empty or gone. Also, it is often a good idea to apply sunscreen before and during each round.

Player of the Year (POY) points are awarded to juniors based on their finish in each event of the Summer Series. Players finishing in first through nineteenth place within each respective age group will receive points as follows:

All players and spectators should check-in with the on-site registration table before each event at least 30-40 minutes before the player's designated tee time.

Atlanta Junior Golf firmly believes that knowledge of The Rules of Golf is important for anyone who wishes to play and enjoy the game; most especially junior golfers who wish to compete at any level.

All Atlanta Junior Golf members are required to complete and pass an online Rules Quiz before selecting any tournaments. Online resources are provided to help guide juniors through the quiz. This test is designed to establish introductory knowledge of the Rules and basics of etiquette for juniors and can be completed before or after attending the Orientation/Rules Seminar (for those required to attend - see below).

First year members are required to attend an Orientation Seminar during their first year of participation with Atlanta Junior Golf which will briefly outline organizational policies and procedures, as well as some etiquette and basic Rules information. Parents are encouraged, but not required, to attend this informative 60-minute session.

Second year members are required to attend one Rules Seminar during their second year of participation with Atlanta Junior Golf which will provide more in-depth coverage of  The Rules of Golf. This seminar lasts approximately 90 minutes.

A junior golfer who fails to attend a mandatory Orientation or Rules Seminar will be prohibited from participating in Summer Series events, without refund of his/her membership fee.  

Junior golfers who have attended BOTH an Orientation Seminar (during year one) and a Rules Seminar (during year two) are only required to take an online Rules of Golf Quiz before they are allowed to register for golf tournaments each subsequent year. Third-year members (and beyond) are not required to physically attend any seminar, but are welcome to do so if they desire. While attendance at additional Rules Seminars is not mandatory, it is certainly encouraged, as The Rules of Golf are complex and change frequently.

You may WD from an Atlanta Junior Golf tournament at any time prior to your tee time in the respective event. However, to receive a partial refund you must WD from the event (either online or by contacting our office) by 12:00 noon the day before the event. For WDs that meet the above criteria, you will be refunded your entry fee less a $10 administrative charge and will have the opportunity to reschedule another event (subject to availability) using the online registration system.

If you need to WD from an event after the deadline stated above, you MUST contact the AJG office (by phone or email) to inform our staff that you will not be participating in the tournament. If we receive notification of your WD after 12:00 noon the day before an event, your entry fee will NOT be refunded. You may, however, register for another event and pay the associated entry fee using the online registration system, if you choose to do so. Failure to notify our office of a WD before your tee time will result in a deduction of points as specified in the DNS/NC policy.

Rule 6-6 (a & b) of the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf provides: "After each hole the marker should check the score with the competitor and record it. On completion of the round the marker must sign the card and hand it to the competitor. If more than one marker records the scores, each must sign for the part for which he is responsible. After completion of the round, the competitor should check his score for each hole and settle any doubtful points with the Committee. He must ensure that the marker has signed the card, countersign the card himself and return it" to the scorer's table. To avoid the possibility of being disqualified, remain in the scoring area until your card has been checked and the scorer dismisses you.

In order to avoid unnecessary distractions to all competitors and to ensure that every tournament is conducted with strict adherence to the Rules of Golf, spectator carts are prohibited during all AJG tournaments and events. Spectators must walk at all times while observing play.

However, individuals who are able to demonstrate a physical disability through proper documentation may request the use of a cart upon arrival at each tournament site. This request must be directed to the AJG tournament director on-site. For complete details about this process, please review our Spectator Cart Policy.

Spectators must adhere to the Dress Code (see above) to be permitted on the golf course. SPECTATORS WEARING DENIM ATTIRE OR T-SHIRTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED ON THE COURSE!  When courses prohibit spectators, play may be viewed only from the 1st and 10th tees and the 9th and 18th greens (spectators are not allowed on the golf course at any time during play). At courses where spectating is permitted, spectators are required to follow the Spectator Code of Conduct.

All spectators are required to check-in with the Staff at EVERY event to sign a spectator contract before proceeding onto the course. This contract represents your receipt and understanding of our Spectator Code of Conduct. AJG Staff Members have the authority to remove any spectator who is not abiding by the policy.

Spectators may use cell phones at courses where permitted, but MUST NOT  distract players. Phones must be in silent mode and used away from play at all times. For more information, please review our Spectator Code of Conduct. This policy is subject to change at any time.

For an event that is full, the first five (5) players on the waiting list for each division are deemed to be on "Stand-By Status."  Players will be contacted via email shortly after 12:00 noon the day preceding an event with notification that they are on Stand-By Status.

After being placed on Stand-By Status you have the OPTION to arrive at the course at least one-half hour prior to the first tee time for your age group to wait for an open spot. Always be sure to check-in with the Tournament Staff upon arrival. Those players on Stand-By Status who decide to go to the course to stand-by will fill open spots on a first-come, first-served basis (the status on the waiting list is irrelevant once having arrived on-site).

There is NO guarantee that any Stand-By Status player will play. If there are no open spots available, stand-by players must leave the facility after the last tee time for their age group. Players who have not been contacted via email and notified of their Stand-By Status by the AJG office may NOT go to the golf course and will not be allowed to play if they do so.

Tee times are available online by logging into your online account and viewing the tournaments you are scheduled to play. Tee times are typically available ten days before your event. You will receive an email from our office detailing your tee time as soon as it is available.

Rule 6-3a of the 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf provides: "The player must start at the time established by the Committee." The penalty for breach of Rule 6-3a is disqualification. However, it is a condition of all AJG competitions that, if players arrive at their starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after their starting time, in the absence of circumstances which warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes at the first hole in stroke play or loss of hole in match play instead of disqualification.

Where applicable, ties for awarded positions will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff and/or by a match of cards (see 2008-09 USGA Rules of Golf, pg. 123-124). In the event a winner cannot be decided, a sudden-death putt-off will be held immediately following the conclusion of play to resolve any ties for awarded positions.

All ties for awarded (medal) positions at Summer Series events are resolved by a match of cards. All ties for points will be averaged except when hole-by-hole playoffs are conducted for awarded positions.

Summer Series tournament selection opens each year in mid-March. Juniors will be notified via email when they are cleared to register for events. Those players with the most seniority (determined by the year the junior first joined) will have the opportunity to select courses first. Do not attempt to register for tournaments until you have been directed to do so by the AJG staff.

Siblings may register for tournaments on the same date during the tournament selection process. Once any sibling (typically the most senior) has been cleared to select events, all remaining siblings may add tournaments to their schedules.

For the initial registration period (mid-March through mid-May), juniors in all divisions are limited to selecting a maximum of six tournaments. Just before the Summer Series begins, all remaining tee times in events will be available for players on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no maximum number of events in which a player may participate, provided there is space remaining in tournaments within their division.

In order to be eligible to qualify for a season ending-championship (Club Championship, 9-Hole Classic or Grand Championship) juniors in all age divisions must participate in at least five events within their age group.

Waiting Lists (WL) for each age group at each event are maintained to offer the greatest number of playing opportunities to as many juniors as possible. If you select an event that is full during tournament selection, you will be placed on the WL for that event. When a spot becomes available in your division (because another player cancels or withdraws), that spot is then filled by the first player on the WL within that division. Priority on all WL is determined by the date and time at which a player is added to the WL (within each division, the first player on the list is the first to fill an open spot). Your presence on a WL communicates to our office that you would like to participate in that particular event, even if already scheduled to play another tournament on the same day.

If you are the first player on a WL for an event and a spot becomes available, you will be automatically added to the tournament (this will occur even if you are already scheduled to play another event on the same day). You will be contacted by our office via email if this occurs before 12:00 noon the day preceding the event. Should a spot become available after 12:00 noon the day before an event, we will contact you by phone before adding you to the field.

Once added to the field, you must follow the directions above (Schedule Changes) if you are no longer able to play. Please note that normal cancellation fees do apply. If you are no longer interested in participating in an event for which you appear on the WL but have not been added to the field, you must remove yourself from the WL to avoid paying a cancellation fee if added. You may log-in to your online account or call the office to remove yourself from a WL (watch your schedule carefully).

The walk-around rule applies to the Beginner Division and the 9-Hole Club Division only. A player having difficulty crossing a water hazard should follow this procedure: after the first ball enters the water hazard, water hazard relief must be taken under penalty of one stroke in accordance with Rule 26-1. After the second ball enters the water hazard, water hazard relief must again be taken under penalty of one stroke in accordance with Rule 26-1. After correctly taking relief for the second time under the Rules, the player may choose to lift the ball, adding an additional penalty of one stroke, and walk around the water hazard and drop the ball at the nearest point on the other side of the water hazard that enables the player to play his/her next shot without having to negotiate the hazard.

Note 1: This procedure is an Atlanta Junior Golf local rule for the specified divisions only and does NOT reflect the proper application of The Rules of Golf.

Note 2: The walk-around rule is available as an option to the player so long as the junior is not delaying play. A player may choose to continue until he/she has negotiated the hazard, however, if his/her group is out of position and behind on time, the player must utilize this procedure if a second ball enters the same water hazard during play of a particular hole.

Note 3: A player may opt to walk around after the first ball enters the water hazard, but will be assessed the same number of penalty strokes as if he/she played two shots into the water hazard (e.g., if a player's first shot on a par-three enters a water hazard, and he/she decides to utilize the walk-around rule without playing a second shot, he/she will still be playing his/her sixth shot from the opposite side of the hazard).

All junior golfers must make a good faith effort to choose the correct division when registering for membership each year. Before choosing a division, you must ensure that your current estimated stroke average falls within the guidelines provided on the Divisions and Fees page. Once you have registered to participate in a particular division, you are required to remain in the same division for the duration of the Summer Series (see Note 1 for exception). At the conclusion of the Summer Series, a player may choose to participate in a different division during the Fall Series. 

Note 1: If a player discovers that he/she has chosen the wrong division (scores are considerably too high or low), he/she may then request a transfer to the appropriate division by contacting the Atlanta Junior Golf office. Event selection may be limited in the case of a division transfer. This request will be granted only once during the Summer Series.

If this request is granted by the Atlanta Junior Golf staff, future participation in the Summer Series is bound by the following provisions: (1) Points earned in the original division will not transfer to the new division, (2) no refunds will be given for events that have already been played, (3) when transferring from one division to another, event entry fees for future events in the old division may be applied/transferred to future event entry fees in the new division,  (4) contestants are responsible for paying any remaining balance that results from transferring event entry fees from one division to another, (5) no refunds or credits will be given to offset any remaining balance that results from transferring event entry fees from one division to another. 

Note 2: Contestants who made a good faith effort to choose the correct division during the membership registration process will be allowed to remain in their original division for the duration of the Summer Series. These players typically fit in the division they chose while initially registering but, as a result of practice, improved their game significantly before or during the Summer Series began. If, as a result of the review process, a junior golfer prefers to transfer to their appropriate division, the provisions found in Note 1 above apply.

Those who did not make a good faith effort to choose the correct division (or intentionally registered for the wrong division in order to easily earn points in a less competitive division), will be required to compete for the duration of season in a new division that better suits their skill level. The correct division will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the AJG staff in this instance.