It isn’t exactly Corinthian anymore, but golf – and especially amateur golf – still has dividing lines between what makes us a ‘hacker’ and what makes us a professional.
These are governed by the Rules of Amateur Status and they limit both the prizes and the value of prizes an amateur golfer is allowed to accept following their performances in competition.
They were formalised back in 1950 and last reviewed in 2022 and while you might never have read them if you just play at your local club, or if you’re a committee member there, they still have an impact.
There are things amateur golfers just can’t do if they want to retain that status, and there are regulations clubs must uphold if they don’t want to put the status of those members at risk.
But what if the lines blur? What if a club wants to offer a megabucks competition to bring in much-needed revenue? What if the members are irritated that their prizes are paid out in vouchers or bar credit rather than filthy lucre?
What about your members’ regular roll-ups, which might see fivers pooled and paid out to players who have topped the point standings, or got closest to the pin? Have those victors suddenly become a poor player’s Rory McIlroy, or is it classed as gambling? Is gambling even allowed?
Let’s look at some of the regulations the Rules of Amateur Status put down about prizes and about gambling on the course…
What do the Rules of Amateur Status say about cash prizes?
For handicap competitions – the sort you play at your club most weeks – the rules are very clear. No money can change hands.
“An amateur playing in a handicap competition is not allowed to accept prize money, but may accept any other prize up to a limit of £700 or US$1000 in value, per competition, unless the national governing body has set a lower limit.”
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So says Rule 3b of the Rules of Amateur Status.
It is different for golfers playing in scratch competitions. They are allowed to accept any prize – including money – up to a limit of £700 or $1,000.
Just in case there is any misunderstanding about what a scratch competition entails, Rule 3a says it’s “a competition that does not have a net score element in any part of the competition and handicaps must not be used to separate players into different scratch categories”.
What if my club are giving out cash prizes?
You may have heard examples of some that do. As convenient as that might be for members, and as much as they might also appreciate it, it’s a big ‘no’ as far as the Rules of Amateur Status go.
The R&A and USGA did initially think about changing this in the last rules review, considering that vouchers had been liberalised to the extent that they were “very much the equivalent of cash”.
But when the proposals went out to stakeholders for consultation, people were concerned. They were worried offering cash might affect the way the game was being played, with the balance of integrity and abiding by the rules potentially being tipped too far with the offering of cash prizes. So the suggestion was iced.
And while this might sound ridiculous, it does mean any amateur playing in a handicap competition who does accept prize money – even if it’s just £30 for winning a division – “becomes a non-amateur and remains a non-amateur until being reinstated as an amateur”.
What if members are holding sweeps?
The members’ roll up might look exactly like a handicap competition – and work in completely the same way – but they’re not considered the same in the Rules of Amateur Status.
The players are essentially wagering on a result – that they’ll play well enough to win part of the prize pool – and amateur golfers are allowed to “participate in gambling or wagering when playing golf” if it doesn’t lead to them falling foul of either the Rules of Golf or the Rules of Handicapping.
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A guidance document on the Rules of Amateur status goes further and adds: “Forms of gambling or wagering that are considered acceptable are where: the players generally know each other; Participation in the gambling or wagering is not required; All money won is contributed by the participants”.
That doesn’t stop governing bodies clamping down on “certain gambling or wagering” if they think it is “detrimental to the integrity of the game”.
It’s why you’ll sometimes see these huge Calcuttas with massive betting pools outlawed. They’re considered to be too big a risk – both in terms of the amount of money involved and the lengths some unscrupulous types might go to in an effort to win them.
What about the 2s competition?
When you’re having a tough day in a competition, grabbing a two – whether that’s holing a putt on a Par 3 or drilling in a chip on a short 4 – can turn everything around.
Most clubs will offer a 2s competition. It’s often baked into the entry fee itself, even if it’s a separate competition. But is it against the rules?
We’d probably advise giving golfers the choice – so allowing them to opt out if they don’t want to be part of it. If the pot isn’t paid out in cash, no rules are being broken on that front. You’re essentially wagering on yourself to make a 2 and we’ve already seen what the rules say about gambling.
Now have your say
What do you think about these rules? Have you ever fallen foul of the Rules of Amateur Status? Have you inadvertently turned pro? Let us know with a comment on X.
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