The Tour Manual

NCJT Policy & Procedures

Tournaments

NCJT tournaments are open to Members and Non-Members. Championships, Joe Haase Cup Team and Special awards are only for Members (see details under Membership). Events are open to male and female junior golfers 19 and under, who meet our playing standards and agree to adhere to tour policies. The tour season starts in May and ends before August 1st. A players age determination for the entire season is based upon the player’s age as of May 1 of that season. Players will not change age divisions during the season, unless they decide to play up which is optional.

Event Types

Regular Seasons Events - Are single day events.

World Ranking Junior Series ("WRJS") - These events are 36-hole stroke play events that are posted to the Junior Golf Scoreboard ("JGS") and earn players ranking status in the JGS junior world rankings. The JGS rankings are a valued source for college coaches looking to fill spots on collegiate golf teams.  Most of our WRJS events are created by combining the scores of the two weekly regular season events, to create a 36-hole competition. Only 36-hole competitions are eligible for JGS posting and this is the reason we offer the add-on WRJS events once you enter both single day competitions that make-up the WRJS event.  We also have two-day only events that qualify as JSG events and those are the Sand Ridge Junior Invitational and the Tour Championship.  The full schedule includes a total of 6 JGS qualified competitions, 4 are add-on events and 2 are two-day only events.

When you register for any of the two-day only events the WRJS add-on fee is already included in the single entry.  When you register for the two single day events that make-up a seamed together WRJS event, the WRJS add-on entry is an additional option and cost ($10).  To gain a junior golfer world ranking a player is required to compete in a minimum of 4 JGS qualified events in a rolling 12 month cycle.  NCJT offers 8 qualified JGS event on its annual schedule, so a world ranking can be achieved completely with NCJT events or in combination with other qualified JGS events.  Please see the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and more details.  LINK to JGS 

Championship Events - The Tour Championship at Quail Hollow and the Jim Dawson Match Play Championship are championship events.  Caddies and spectators are welcome for all championships and invitationals. The details on qualifying are as follows:

Tour Championship - Event winners of regular season events (single day or OJS) or Sand Ridge automatic qualify for the Tour Championship.  The remainder of the field is determined by the Classic Cup points.  Caddies and spectators are welcome.

Jim Dawson Match Play Championship - There are two ways to enter the Jim Dawson Match Play Championship.  Most players should enter the Jim Dawson Match Play Qualifier played a week or two before the Championship (the qualifier is on the event schedule).  Qualifying scores will determine seeding in the bracket.  If the qualifying field has more players than spots open, players not making it into the bracket will not qualify for the Championship and a credit of $50 will be applied to their account.  Some players are exempt into the bracket and those exemptions and the deadline to accept an exemption can be found on the Event Information page.  Exempt players must sign-up for the Championship directly.  Non-exempt players should signup for the qualifier, or if they can't make the qualifier and the bracket is not filled, then they can signup for one of the open spots.  Usually an open spot notice is posted when additional players are needed to fill the bracket.  Open spots after the qualifier are filled on a first to enter basis and fill-in players must enter the Championship directly.  No player should sign-up for BOTH, the Qualifier and the Championship, its one or the other.  Caddies and spectators are welcome at the championship.

Invitational Events - The Classic Cup points are used to determine eligibility for NCJT invitational events and in some cases winners/champions may also be used. Each event has its own criteria and here is the details of each.  Sand Ridge and the Joe Haase  Cup are Invitationals.  Qualifying details are as follows:

Sand Ridge Junior Invitational - NCJT Eligibility is based on the Classic Cup points from the prior year or thru the Firecracker of the current year.  If you meet the qualifying criteria for either year then you are qualified.  No official invite will be sent, just go ahead and register to play, and your entry will be accepted.  Caddies and spectators are welcome.  Qualifying criteria is below.  Additionally, any one that has ever played on a Joe Haase Cup team is eligible (even if they played for another tour).

Boys 16-19:  Top 30

Boys 15 & Under:  Top 30

Girls 19 & Under:  Top 10

Joe Haase Cup - This annual event is hosted on Mother's Day at Firestone CC.  There are four junior tours that participate in this tour challenge competition.  Each tour is represented by a 18 member team.  The NCJT team is selected from the prior year's Classic Cup points using a weighted adjustment formula for those who move up in division.  Exemptions onto the team include current winners of the Sand Ridge Junior I, Tour Championship, Match Play Championship and the Classic Cup Winners (provided the player has a scoring average of 85 or less (girls 90 or less) during the qualifying season).  An official invite is sent to the qualifiers in January and acceptance is due in February.  Caddies and spectators are welcome.  One of the main features of the Joe Haase Cup is the Mother's Day Brunch hosted for players, caddies and their families.  Invites include the extra brunch ticket form and those tickets must be purchased in advance (a late April deadline will be listed on the form).  The team make-up is below.

Boys 17-19:  7 spots

Boys 16 & Under:  7 spots

Girls 19 & Under:  4 spots

ELIGIBILITY
NCJT tournaments are open to Members and Non-Members. Championships and Special awards are only for Members. Events are open to male and female junior golfers 19 and under, who meet our playing standards and agree to adhere to tour policies. The tour season starts in May and ends in early August. Age division determination is based upon the member’s age as of June 1 of the season. Players will not change age division during the season.  Playing up a division is permitted.

MINI TOUR ELIGIBILITY

The mini tour is designed for junior golfers that have developed a liking for golf and have played a minimum of 10 rounds of casual golf. This is not for juniors that have never picked up a club before. This is an avenue for inspired juniors to start building tournament player skills at an early age and we want to set a clear baseline of who the Mini Tour is likely to attract. If your junior golfer is playing and loving golf, then this will be a perfect fit for them.

PLAYING STANDARD
To maintain a competitive environment on the tour, player’s are expected to be capable of meeting the 18 hole scoring standards set below:
Boys 16-19: Better than 100

• Boys 19 & Under: Better than 120
• Girls 19 & Under: Better than 120
  
  If a player demonstrates that they are unable to play to these standards, they may be required to discontinue play on the tour.

REGISTRATION
Members and Non-Members
The entire registration process must be done on the NCJT website (www.ncjt.org). We no longer have mail-in membership or tournament entries. Full instructions can be found on the How To Guide page under Membership on the menu. The signup process is as follows:

1. Parent joins first to create the master account.
2. Parents add juniors under their account.
3. Once all accounts are setup, then Parents can purchase tour membership and tournaments through the master account.
4. Multiple parents may join and add the same juniors to their account. This way either parent can purchase entries for their junior golfers.

MEMBERSHIP

Annual Membership cost = $99

Member Benefits include:

• Membership Packet
• Personalized Tour Bag Tag
• Welcome favors and gifts valued at more than $40
• Current Rules of Golf Booklet
• Tour Rules Card
• GHIN Handicap (while under 18 years of age)
• Access to NCJT Championships and Team Events
• Reduced Entry Fees over Non-Members
• Classic Cup Awards
• Consideration to NCJT Hall of Fame

Mini Tour Membership for 12 & Under = $35

• Membership Packet
• Personalized Tour Bag Tag
• Welcome favors and gifts valued at more than $20
• Current Rules of Golf Booklet
• Tour Rules Card
• Classic Cup Awards

Member Packet
All tour members will receive a membership packet in the mail shortly after registration is processed. The packet will include; NCJT Rules Card, USGA Rules of Golf Booklet, personalized bag tag and some unique tour gifts. The mailing of member packets will begin in early-May.

GHIN Handicap
Each member will be issued a GHIN number to setup a handicap on the official USGA GHIN System. See your Player Profile page for your number.  The GHIN handicap is free to juniors under 18 years of age and NOGA charges us a fee there afterthere, which is $35 for 2020. 

TOURNAMENT ENTRIES
Log-in to the master account (Parent’s account). Open the Tournament Schedule page. The Player name(s) under the master account will appear to the left of each event. If the player has already entered a tournament a green check mark will appear next to the name. If the player has not been entered into the event a box to enter will appear next to the name. Check all boxes that you wish to enter and click Register at the bottom
left when ready to checkout. Follow the steps to complete the purchase. Once the transaction is complete an email summary will be sent to the master account email on file.

EVENT DEADLINE
The entry deadline for regular season events is 12 midnight 1 week prior to the event. The Tour Championship deadline is one day after the
final regular season event. Late entries and late withdrawals are subject to additional fees. 

LATE ENTRIES
Entries made after the entry deadline are deemed as Late Entries. Late Entries are accepted by our online system up until the event day. Late Entries will be added to the field if the field has openings (not full). If the event is full, then Late Entries are listed as Alternates (wait listed). If spots in the field become open, the tour staff will fill those spots with Late Entries in Alternate order. Late Entries are subject to fees.

Late Entry Fees

• • After deadline - $5
  • Within 4 days of event - Additional $5 ($10 total)

TEE TIMES
Tee times are posted about 3 days before the event and can be found under View Details for each event.

EVENT WITHDRAWAL
To withdraw from an event, please email the tour staff at info@ncjt.org. There is NOT an online WD option, its only done through email.  Please include name, event to be withdrawn from and please add WD to subject line. The email time stamp will be used to determine if a Withdrawal Fee will apply. Withdrawals are only honored up until the start of tournament day (12:00 AM).  No credit is issued thereafter. 

Withdrawal Fees

• • Prior to entry deadline - No Fee
  • After entry deadline - $5 late withdrawal fee
  • Within 4 days of event - Additional $5 ($10 total)

CREDITS & REFUNDS
Player credits for withdrawals and/or cancelled events will be posted back to the master account and will be automatically applied upon checkout of your next purchase. Unused credits will carry over from year to year. Refunds will only be issued by request. To view your credit balance, go to Your Account Dashboard.

SEASON LONG AWARDS
Each tour member is eligible to receive a Season-long Award Plaque which will include all the players Top 3 finishes that qualify as a finishing place.  The number of finishing places to be awarded is based on field size, as follows:

Season-long Award Plaques will be awarded in person at the Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner.  Plaques will only be awarded at the dinner, to the players that have registered for the dinner by the deadline date listed for the event.  Players that cannot attend the dinner will be given notice on how to receive their award (shipping charges may apply).  The Annual Award and Hall of Fame Dinner will be held in December.

THE CLASSIC CUP
The Classic Cup is a season-long award to honor our Player of the Year. The award will be in the form of a plaque and is awarded to the highest point earner for each age division at the end of each tour season. The Classic Cup - Points System The Classic Cup points system awards points according to the players finish based on the field size. There are five types of points as outlined below:

Regular Points
One point is awarded for each player you finish higher than. The winners point total will be equal to the field size. Example: 50 players in division,
1st= 50 points, 2nd = 49 points, etc last position = 1 pt.

Bonus Points

Bonus points will be awarded for up to 3 places based on the field size. See bonus table

Ties for position and bonus points will be split evenly

Double Point Tournaments
Regular and Bonus Points are double at the following events:

• WRJS Events
• Match Play Championship
• Sand Ridge Junior Invitational
• Tour Championship

Jim Dawson Match Play Points
Regular points will be awarded based on the number of matches won, as follows:

Bonus points:

• Bracket of 16 - Champion = 40, Runner-Up = 20
• Bracket of 8 - Champion = 30, Runner-Up = 15
• Bracket of 4 - Champion = 20, Runner-Up = 10

Tour Policies

RULES OF PLAY
The USGA Rules of Golf govern play, as modified by the NCJT Rules Card. The rules card is revised and printed each year. The card is provided to all members in the member packet. Please carry and refer to the rules card during all NCJT tournaments. Please remember all local rules posted at golf courses are NOT in effect during NCJT tournaments, unless listed on the rules card. Ball dropping zones are only allowed if “NCJT” is painted in the drop area or notice has been given by the Committee to allow its use.

CADDIES & PULL CARTS
All players are required to walk and carry their own clubs. Pull carts are allowed for all players. Caddies are not permitted (except for Championships and Invitationals). Riding carts may be used by the committee to shuttle players during play to help with pace of play matters. During suspensions of play spectator carts should be used to help the committee clear the course, otherwise spectators carts should
not be used to shuttle players unless authorized by the committee.

Flag System
The official flag system on tour will be Red, White & Blue. The flag color on the Flagstick indicates the portion of the green where the hole position is located.

• Red - Front
• White - Middle
• Blue - Back

Scoring
Each player is assigned as an official Marker for a Fellow Competitor in their group. The role of the Marker is to protect the field and the integrity of the competition by making sure the Player follows all rules of play, applies all penalties correctly and scores honestly. Please remember to mark scores while walking or when not stopping play.

Things to remember about scoring:

• Discuss and mark scores while walking from green to tee
• At the tee, always grab clubs and continue play before marking scores, only mark scores while others are playing
• Avoid scoring hurdles to mark scores (use only when a group discussion is needed)
• Markers should confirm the score, do not accept a score
• Markers should track their player during the play of a hole so they know their final score for the hole, asking is not knowing
• Spirit of the Game comments are good ways to verify scores, i.e; "Nice Birdie", "Good Par", "tough hole, a bogey's not bad") 
• After play proceed to the scorers table immediately
• At the scorers table, the Marker should verify that all 18 holes have scores, sign as the Marker, tear off the top tab with your scores (totaling the scores is optional, but a good idea), then hand the card to the player. (DO NOT READ SCORES VERBALLY TO THE PLAYER, THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE A BAD IDEA AND MANY DISQUALIFICATIONS HAVE OCCURRED WHEN THIS PRACTICE IS USED).  Use your tab to verify your scores, the visual method is the practice used 100% of the time by all world class Tournament Players
• Once the player has his own card, take the scoring tab with the scores you kept for yourself and lay it directly above the scores and verify that the hole-by-hole scores match, if everything matches and you believe all scores are correct, sign and return the card to the committee. If a score is recorded incorrectly, resolve it with the Marker and other fellow competitors if needed
• If a score cannot be resolved among the players, please seek the committee for assistance before turning in the score card to the committee

DRESS CODE
All players will be required to wear proper golf attire during NCJT events.

Boys

• Shirts for boys must have a collar. Mock collars are allowed when intended for golf. Pants or shorts are allowed.

Girls

• Women’s golf attire is acceptable. Short shorts and tops that expose belly are not acceptable.

For All

• All logos must be golf or sports related. Apparel must be clean and shall not contain worn holes or frayed threads. Shoes must be clean and in good condition.
• The committee will rule on any dress code issue andits decision is final. Players not meeting the dress code will be excluded from play and the competition.

SPECTATOR POLICY
No Advice to Contestants (Rule 10.2a) --- (2 stroke penalty for breach)

Advice Definition:

Any verbal comment or action (such as showing what club was just used to make a stroke) that is intended to influence a player in:

• Choosing a club,
• Making a stroke, or
• Deciding how to play during a hole or round.

But advice does not include public information, such as:

• The location of things on the course such as the hole, the putting green, the fairway, penalty areas, bunkers, or another player's ball.
• The distance from one point to another, or
• The Rules.

________________________________________________________________________________

NCJT’s best advice for sharing in the tour’s spirit (and staying penalty-free):

Keep your distance and have limited contact with players

1. Don’t give the appearance of advice
2. Avoid private conversations
3. Cheer for all; saying “Good Shot”, “Nice Putt”, “Great Up & Down”, etc ...enhances the “Spirit of the Game”
4. Stay ahead of play and fore-caddie for entire group
5. Always help with ball searches.
6. Spectators with a better vantage point than the players, should assist with point of entry on hazards or other rules matters (otherwise let players handle).
7. Spectator Carts are permitted
8. Please avoid interference to all play throughout the course, including play from other holes.
9. Do not ride contestants, unless a committee member approves.
10. When Spectator Carts can be used to shuttle players:
11. If a player has a lost ball and must return to spot where last played to re-hit, please take him and his entire bag back to re-hit. Entire bag is important! Shuttle until back in position.
12. If the group has fallen behind the group ahead and there is a significant distance from green to tee (100 yards or more), then a cart shuttle is allowed by the committee.
13. Assist course evacuation during suspension of play. Abuse of the spectator cart privilege and/or player shuttling may be treated as a Code of Conduct violation.

CODE OF CONDUCT
The tour takes pride in the quality of its players, its host facilities, and the many committee members who help administer the finest junior tournaments anywhere. The spirit of the game is based on making golf more enjoyable for everyone, therefore we established guidelines for our members on Code of Conduct and Etiquette.  The code is a guideline for members to follow on and off the course. We pledge to treat members as young adults with an interest to help them grow and mature both competitively and socially through tournament golf. In return, all members are expected to honorably respect all facets of NCJT.

Violations of the Code of Conduct include:

• Abusive language
• Club throwing
• Cheating
• Disrespect to committee members, volunteers, course officials, spectators or fellow members
• Abuse to the golf course
• Use of tobacco products
• Not adhering to the dress code
• Leaving the course without NCJT permission
• Or, any other conduct unbecoming of a NCJT member

Penalties for Breach (Based on severity, any or all may apply)

• Warning letter to player and parents
• Tournament Disqualification
• Loss of playing privileges
• Termination of Membership

ETIQUETTE: Behavior on the Course
Section I of the USGA Rules of Golf Booklet (“booklet”) provides etiquette guidelines on the manner in which the game of golf should be played. Please refer to the booklet for complete details. NCJT has established the following policy regarding violations of etiquette guidelines. If a player consistently disregards any of the etiquette guidelines during a round or over a period of events, the committee will consider appropriate disciplinary action against the offending player as a Code of Conduct violation. A more immediate approach will be taken by the committee  regarding “Care of the Course” violations. If a player disregards any of the “Care of the Course” etiquette guidelines outlined in the booklet including; smoothing of bunkers, repair of divots, damage by ball markers, or any other unnecessary damage; notice of such breach will be handled as follows:

Committee Actions

• First Offense - Warning
• Second Offense - Disqualification
• Third Offense - Loss of playing privileges for a set duration or number of tournaments
• Serious Breach - Refer to Code of Conduct actions