Committeeman Policy Manual
Foreword
The Alabama Golf Association is an organization of members of golf clubs and courses, as well as member clubs and courses. Its purpose is promoting and preserving the game of golf in the state of Alabama.
The work of the Association is done by four groups:
(A) Committees
(B) Tournament Officials
(C) Course Raters
(D) Staff
The purpose of this publication is to outline the work of these groups.
THE AMATEUR IDEAL
Amateurism is the heart and soul of the Alabama Golf Association and its volunteers work, just as they play, for the love of the game.
How to Get on a Committee
How To Get On A Committee
Obviously you have already expressed an interest in offering your services or you wouldn’t have taken the time to read this manual. From this point, and after reading the material in this booklet to this point, you simply need to click on the Click Here to Join Now button below, fill out the information requested, and we will be back in touch.
How to Continue as a Committeeman
AGA committeemen are not appointed for a specific period but can serve indefinitely if they continue to be active within their chosen committee. The Committee Chairman will periodically review activity of each committeeman and make a recommendation to the President if removal is warranted. All committeemen should be aware that their status as a committeemen is at the discretion of the AGA and can be terminated at any time.
Communications
You will receive periodic communications from the AGA office or from your committee chairman. Normally this will include such things as meeting notices, reports, attendance poll and the like. All committeemen are asked to return correspondence as quickly as possible so plans can be formulated and working committeemen notified.
Training & Education
The AGA is committed to providing training and education on an ongoing and frequent basis. These will include, but not be limited to, the annual Rules of Golf and Course Rating seminars. As this program grows we anticipate adding seminars for Handicapping and Tournament Operations. In an effort to provide committeemen with the best available instructors, the AGA will, whenever possible, bring national experts in for these training sessions.
Our Relationship With The USGA
The AGA serves as the arm of the United States Golf Association in Alabama. Although the AGA is not a branch office of the USGA, it works very closely with the USGA in a number of areas, such as those that follow:
Rules of Golf
The AGA helps to administer the rules of golf through rules seminars, general inquiries, and other ways as needed.
Qualifiers
The AGA conducts USGA Qualifiers in Alabama for the US Amateur, US Senior Open, US Junior, US Amateur Public Links and US Mid-Amateur.
Handicap
System The AGA administers the USGA Handicap System in Alabama through seminars, publications and other means. Additionally, the AGA subscribes to the USGA’s Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) computing service.
Course
Rating The AGA administers the USGA Course Rating System in Alabama by rating AGA member clubs’ courses, conducting seminars and other means.
Committees Of The AGA
Committees of the Alabama Golf Association exist for the purpose of organizing the association so it can function and carry out its responsibilities in an efficient manner. Each Committee has a Chairman, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the association and is appointed by the President of the Alabama Golf Association to serve as Chairman for a term of one year.
Committee members are volunteers who agree to work with the Chairman in accomplishing the goals of the committee. The term of a committeeman can be indefinite depending on their willingness to continue to actively serve.
There is a function that is common to each AGA volunteer:
To serve the best interest of golf
in the state of Alabama.
To accomplish this mission, Committeemen should consider themselves members of the AGA team. Even though appointed to a specific committee(s), each individual can further accomplish the above stated goal by encouraging general support of AGA policies and raising awareness of AGA programs and services throughout the state of Alabama.
Rules & Competitions Committee
Tournament Officials
Tournament officials assist in conducting AGA competitions, as well as AGA and USGA qualifiers.
The Championship Committee, with the Director of Rules and Competitions, is ultimately responsible for the competitions program. The Rules & Competitions Committee Chairman serves as the link between the Executive Committee and the competitions program.
In order to become a tournament official, one must exhibit an interest in tournament administration and the Rules of Golf.
Those interested in working at competitions, and not necessarily as a rules official, will be given instructions and training at the competitions. These duties would include starters, scoring officials, and pace of play monitors.
Those interested in serving as a rules official will be required to attend the periodic AGA/WAGA Rules of Golf seminar or the annual USGA/PGA Rules of Golf seminar.
Tournament officials will be polled prior to competitions to determine their willingness to work and length of attendance.
Course Rating Committee
Course Raters
Course raters assist with the administration of the AGA course rating program.
The Course Rating Committee, with the Director of Course Rating, is ultimately responsible for the course rating program. The Course Rating Committee Chairman serves as the link between the Executive Committee and the course rating program.
Course raters are recruited and trained to serve on teams in each of the three geographic sections of the state.
Those interested in becoming a course rater should contact the AGA office.
Those volunteering to become a course rater will be expected to attend the annual AGA/WAGA Course Rating Seminar or a USGA Course Rating seminar. Course rating captains will be expected to attend a USGA Course Rating Calibration seminar periodically.
Generally, the best course raters are avid golfers who are or have been low handicap players. Rating teams should be composed of those who are capable of fully grasping the USGA Course Rating System and can make themselves available for rating duties.
General Policies For Committeemen
Reimbursement
As a general policy, the Association does not compensate or pay expenses of any of the Committeemen, with the exception of course raters.
Committeemen may, however, deduct expenses incurred in service to the AGA as it is a non-profit organization (501c3).
Apparel & Uniform Dress
Committeemen are authorized to wear AGA apparel. The purpose of the apparel is primarily to identify Committeemen while they are acting on behalf of the Association.
Since apparel identifies Committeemen with the Association, it is presumed that it will be worn with discretion. There is no objection to wearing AGA apparel at non-AGA functions provided discretion is used.
The AGA has specific uniform dress for tournaments and course ratings which is a white AGA golf shirt worn with khaki pants or Bermuda-length shorts. Shirts may be purchased through the AGA office.
Announcements to Media
All announcements to the Media are made by the AGA, except where specific authority is given otherwise.
Committeemen shall not represent themselves as spokesmen for the AGA to any media when making personal comments or observations which may not represent the policies or positions of the AGA.
Personal Appointments/AGA Representation
Members of committees serve as individual representatives of the AGA.
Committee members and other AGA representatives should feel free to accept invitations to be officials at non-AGA events provided they do so as individuals and not as representatives of the AGA.
Alcoholic Beverages
Committeemen are to refrain from the use of alcoholic beverage when acting on behalf of the AGA.
Gambling
Committeemen are expected to observe the United States Golf Association’s policy on gambling.
In accordance with this policy, the AGA is opposed to and urges its member clubs, and all other sponsors of golf competitions to prohibit types of gambling such as:
(A) Calcuttas.
(B) Other auction pools.
(C) Pari-mutuels.
(D) Any other form of gambling organized for general participation or permitting participants to bet on someone other than themselves or their team.
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