NCCGA Rules & Eligibilty

Spring 2025 Collegiate Event Rules and Eligibility

  • Play is governed by the Rules of Golf effective January 2023
  • The NCCGA does not adopt Model Local Rule E-5 - Alternative to Stroke and Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out of Bounds
  • Double Par is the maximum any player can take on a hole for all NCCGA tournaments besides the NCCGA National Championship. Once a player reaches double par, that player is required to pick up. Any rules related to Double Par do not apply to the National Championship.
  • All players that are late for their tournament tee time will be assessed a score of double par for each hole that they miss but will still be allowed to complete play. If players are late for a shotgun start they may join their group at the next hole in which the group has not left the teeing ground
  • If a player has played at least one hole and is unable to complete his or her round, they may record a score of double par for all missed holes
  • If a player becomes aware of a penalty after the fact that would result in disqualification, that player receives double par on the hole in question.  Double par will not be awarded to a player who intentionally breaks a rule or acts in a manor against the integrity of the game
  • Players who stop play without a suspension issued by the student ambassador or course will be given double par for missed holes
  • Practice on or near the hole last played is prohibited in NCCGA tournaments
  • The Tournament Committee is composed of the NCCGA Team, the student advisory group, the Regional Ambassador, and the course professional. The Tournament Committee is to be consulted for help with any rulings. Rulings are made at their discretion in the best interest of the tournament competitors and tournament experience
  • Rule 10.2 is modified in this way: when players from the same team are playing together in the same group, those players may give advice to and ask for advice from each other during the round. (See Model Local Rule H-5)
  • The top 5 scores are counted as the team total daily (max of 8 players per team)
  • Playing distance is determined based on weather and course difficulty
    • Men ~ 6,000-6,700 yards
    • Women ~ 5,100 – 5,800 yards
  • All tournament scoring discrepancies must be resolved in the designated scoring area. It is the players responsibility to ensure his/her scorecard is signed and accurately inputted. No changes will be made after the player leaves the scoring area. The only situation in which a score will be altered after the fact is if the Student Ambassador needs to consult the Tournament Committee for a ruling
  • Range finders and electronic measuring devices are allowed as long as they don’t measure slope or wind
  • No caddies are permitted during events
  • Spectators are allowed at the discretion of the course and may not provide advice to participants during play
  • A club golf team is permitted to name any non-student the official "coach" of the team. Advice is permitted at NCCGA events that are not PGA Playing Ability Tests (NCCGA Nationals). Advice is permitted throughout the round exempt on the putting green
  • Players may accept rides from any spectators or coaches during the course of play
  • Electronic devices may be used during the round as long as it does not interfere with pace of play

Eligibility:

  • Any college or university is eligible to create a team (this includes community colleges, law schools, PGM programs, etc.)
  • Players must be full-time students as defined by their university to participate on the club golf team
  • Graduate students or school sanctioned co-op students may compete.  Students may compete in a season in which they graduate as long as they are full-time students at the beginning of the NCCGA season
  • Players cannot compete in tournaments if they are a NCAA varsity golfer at any point during the NCCGA season
  • The NCCGA does not discriminate against age
  • Players must have amateur status (PGM students training to become a professional may compete as long as they do not currently compete for money)
  • Men and women may compete on the same team or play on gender specific teams at the same school. Women play from shorter tees
  • A player will play the men's or women's tees in accordance with the gender he or she identifies with as NCCGA tournaments are inclusive for all eligible college golfers
  • If your college does not have an NCCGA sanctioned team, you may compete as an individual. The NCCGA staff can also help individuals start a club team
  • Participating in NCCGA tournaments may count towards NCAA eligibility

Ready to compete? Click here to view our schedule for the current or upcoming season.

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Tiebreaking Procedures

In the event any tiebreaker cannot be settled with the following procedures, the NCCGA will be consulted.

Team Tiebreaker Policy for Regional Tournaments

  1. Compare 6th person scores from both rounds combined (if a team does not have a 6th person they lose the tie-breaker)
  2. Compare 7th person scores from both rounds combined
  3. Compare 8th person scores from both rounds combined
  4. Compare 2nd day team total (in the event both teams have less than 8 players but also the same amount of players, the 2nd day team total would be compared to break the tie)

Team Tiebreaker Policy for Same Amount of Points

  1. Combine team total tournament scores from all Regional Tournaments relative to par (teams that play in more tournaments will automatically win this tiebreaker)
  2. Compare 6th person scores from all rounds combined relative to par
  3. Compare 7th person scores from all rounds combined relative to par

Team Tiebreaker Policy for Same Differential

  1. Compare 6th person differentials from all rounds combined
  2. Compare 7th person differentials from all rounds combined

Medalist Tiebreaker Policy for a Single Tournament

  1. In the event of a tie, the course pro and Regional Coordinator will determine whether a sudden death playoff can occur based on course and player availability
  2. Playoff holes will be determined by the course pro
  3. Sudden death format – The lowest score(s) will continue to the next hole until there is one player remaining

*In the event a playoff cannot occur or it is determined by the tournament coordinator and the course pro that the start of an additional playoff hole could not be completed due to darkness or inclement weather, a scorecard playoff will determine the winner

Scorecard Playoff to Break Individual Ties

  1. Compare score to par from the #1 handicap hole of all rounds combined (regardless of whether the players played the same course)
  2. Continue to compare the next hardest hole in a sudden death format until one player remains

National Championship Tiebreaker Procedure will be communicated on the Notice to Players

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Spring 2025 Championship Qualifying Procedures

Zone Configuration (reconfigured for Spring 2025)

  • Zone 1 - Metro, New England, Northeastern, Northern New England
    • Qualifier at TBD
  • Zone 2 - Atlantic, Capitol, Colonial, Philadelphia, Ohio Valley
    • Qualifier at Quicksilver GC, Midway, PA
  • Zone 3 - Central, Great Lakes, Indiana, Midwest, North, Twin Cities
    • Qualifier at Fyre Lake GC, Sherrard, IL
  • Zone 4 - Carolinas, Gulf, Florida, South, Texas
  • Zone 5 - Desert, Mountain, Northwest, Pacific, Southwest, West
    • Qualifier at Highland Meadows GC, Windsor, CO

Teams and individuals will be ranked by round using the USGA Handicap formula to calculate differential: (Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating.

CHANGE FOR THE 2024/25 SEASON - Team ranking will be determined by counting the differential average of the best two regional events played in a season. Individual rankings are determined by the average of ALL regional events played in a season.

Spring 2025 NCCGA National Championship Qualifying

  • The Spring 2024 National Championship will be contested at Mission Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL on April 26-27, 2025.
  • The field will be made up of 25 Teams and up to 8 Individuals
  • Qualifying
    • Team Qualifying
      • (1) 2024 Fall National Champion - Grand Canyon University
      • (2) 2024 Fall National Invitational Champion - Providence College
      • (3) 2024 Spring National Co-Champions - Miami University of Ohio and Grand Canyon University
      • (4) The top 3 teams from each Zone Qualifier
      • (5) The top 3 ranked teams from each Zone that doesn’t have a Zone Qualifier
      • (6) The next highest nationally ranked teams as of April 7th, 2025 to fill the field
      • (7) Special exemption granted by the NCCGA
      • Notes:
        • If a team who earns an auto-bid does not accept, that bid will become a Special Exemption bid
        • Teams must compete in two Regional events to be eligible.  This requirement may be waived due to scheduling or weather restrictions.
        • Teams qualified in 1, 2, and 3 do count towards Zone Qualifier or Zone auto-bids outlined in 4 and 5.
    • Individual Qualifying
      • (1) 2024 Fall National Championship Medalist - Patrick Burhop, James Madison University
      • (2) 2024 Fall National Invitational Medalist - Hayden Russ, UNC Chapel Hill
      • (3) The medalist from each Zone Qualifier
      • (4) Any player nationally ranked in the top 20 as of April 7, 2025, up to a balance of 8 total individuals including those from 1, 2, and 3.
      • (5) Special exemption granted by the NCCGA

Can your team make the championship? Start competing. Questions? Click the chat bubble at the bottom right corner of our homepage.

Additional Rules

  • Inclement weather will be monitored by the Regional Ambassador and the course pro
  • Close of Competition – The competition is deemed to have closed when all scores have been approved by the Committee
  • Scores in the NCCGA software are considered official scores. Changes to scores will not be permitted once the round is closed in the system
  • NCCGA tournaments does not require conforming grooves and does not ban anchored putters
  • Alcohol is not permitted during play at any NCCGA events. Consuming alcohol will result in disqualification for the tournament
  • Proper dress is required: no tank tops, t-shirts, denim shorts, short shorts, cut-offs, gym shorts or jeans are allowed. If dressed inappropriately, the course can refuse the right to let you play
  • NCCGA Media staff and third parties are allowed access to grounds for team and individual video and pictures. All content is the ownership of the NCCGA
  • Spring NCCGA regional schedules are posted in Late January - early February
  • Fall NCCGA regional schedules are posted in late July - early August
  • Spring 2025 Prizing
    • The winning team and medalist receives a custom-carved wooden NCCGA license plate award
    • The top 5 individuals will receive a custom All Tournament Team coin
  • Event Entry Policy
    • Entry AND payment into all events must be submitted no later than 12:00pm Central Time 10 days before your event (Wednesdays)
    • Individuals enter events by clicking the "Sign Up" button on our schedule under the respective event
    • Club presidents are responsible for entering their clubs into NCCGA events via their dashboard
  • Cancellation Policy
    • 50% refund: each player who cancels their entry after the 10 day deadline to the Tuesday before your event at 12:00pm Central Time
    • 0% refund: every player who cancels after the Tuesday before your event
  • There is a non-refundable convenience fee of 2.9% and 30 cents for each transaction processed on nccga.org. To avoid the non-refundable convenience fee, NCCGA accepts checks, only to clubs who are pre approved, and bank ACH payment methods.
  • If approved, checks can be made payable to Nextgengolf, Inc and mailed to the address on the invoice. The check must be received to the NCCGA prior to payment deadlines, or we will need a copy of a PO provided from your school.
  • To set-up bank ACH, please click the chat bubble on the bottom right of our homepage. Please note, convenience fees will not be refunded even if the payment to which it relates is canceled, refunded, credited or charged back.
  • NCCGA Credits are given on a case by case basis to teams and individuals when tournaments are postponed or cancelled. If credit is not used within (1) semester, credit is forfeited and non-refundable.
  • The NCCGA reserves the right to suspend players who do act in accordance with NCCGA standards
  • Any abuse or disrespect of fellow competitors, officials, spectators, employees of the host facility, or other persons conducting or attending a NCCGA sponsored event can be grounds for disqualification from the event, and possible rejection of entry for future NCCGA events. Such abuse may be verbal or physical or threat thereof and includes, but is not limited to the use of obscene language, physical damage to property or equipment including that of the NCCGA or the host facility, and being under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances during competition.
  • Liability Release and Tournament Participation Terms information

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Walking and Medical Exemption Policies

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), (including changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, effective January 1, 2009), TITLE 42 – THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, CHAPTER 126 – EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

NCCGA Walking Exemption Policy

  • It is the NCCGA intent to operate under the guidance of the ADA as it applies to National Collegiate Club Golf
  • An individual with a walking impairment shall not be denied the opportunity to fair and equitable participation in NCCGA events
  • Reasonable accommodations shall be granted to a player with a walking impairment in the form of a Walking Exemption. Players who are granted a Walking Exemption may not share that cart privilege with their playing partner(s) during the course of play. They may provide rides between holes similar to a spectator
  • A walking impaired is defined as an impairment that substantially limits a player’s ability to walk a one day 18 hole or a two day 36 hole NCCGA Team Qualifier, Regional, or National Championship golf event
  • The term “substantially limits” shall be interpreted consistently with the findings and purposes of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008
  • A walking impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit walking activity when active
  • The determination of whether impairment substantially limits walking activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of mitigating measures such as prosthetics, including limbs and devices
  • A walking exemption shall not apply to impairments that are transitory and minor. A transitory impairment is impairment with an actual or expected duration of 6 months or less. The players discretion will be utilized to determine if the impairment shall require a cart
  • A player must apply for a walking exemption as instructed by established procedures directly to the NCCGA. Application procedures are available on the NCCGA webpage
  • Email team@nccga.com with your walking exemption and contact information for a doctor or reference point to confirm the legitimacy of the claim.

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