SPIV GOLF 2025 CONSTITUTION

Spiv Golf Website

1.  The six members of Spiv Golf 2025 are:

Andy “Cold January” Knight

Chris “Bezza” Berry

Dave “Cally” Callender

Danny “The Sink” Bathmaker

Gareth “The Net” Whatley

Gary “The Slice” Knight 

From this point forward the members will be referred to as “player” or “players”.

2. Spiv Golf will be played under the R&A Rules of Golf (see link below).

https://www.randa.org/rules/rules-app

You can download the Rules of Golf App by clicking on this link. 

https://www.randa.org/rog/the-rules-of-golf

3. Rule 2 is overruled if 2 members of your playing group agree to a ruling on the course.

4. All events are scored using standard Stableford rules:

More than one over fixed target score or no score returned = 0 points

One over fixed target score = 1 point

Fixed target score = 2 points

One under fixed target score = 3 points

Two under fixed target score = 4 points

Three under fixed target score = 5 points

You must hole out unless you are not returning a score, for the avoidance of doubt there are NO gimmes.

5. Spiv Golf works on a handicap adjustment system based on the players performance at each Spiv Golf event. Each player will have an official Spiv handicap which will be maintained throughout the Spiv Golf season.

5.1 All players will start the Spiv Golf season on their official WHS handicap. If a new player does not have an official WHS       handicap, or an existing member no longer maintains one they will be allocated a handicap. This must be agreed by two players.

5.2 All individual events are Spiv handicap qualifying, unless stated before the start of the event i.e. swindles

5.3 All pairs and team events played separately from individual events are Spiv handicap non qualifying.

5.4All players Spiv handicaps will be adjusted using the rules described in paragraphs 5.5 and 5.6 and will be applied after the end of each event up to the end of the penultimate event.

5.5 Stableford scores will be added together for all payers and then divided by the number of players, (substitute players scores will NOT be included in the calculation) to obtain the average score. This is rounded to the nearest whole number to obtain the benchmark score. If the average score is 0.49 or below the score will be rounded down. If the average score is 0.50 or above the score will be rounded up.

5.6 Total Score

165

Players

6

Average Score

27.5

Rounded Score

28

5.6.1 Player A starts the first event on a handicap of 20.3. Player A scores 39 points. Player A would be subject to a cut of (11 shots above Rounded Score of 28) X -0.2 (Cut factor) = -2.0 shots (not 2.2 as the maximum change to a player’s handicap in any one event is 2.0)

5.6.2 Player A’s Spiv handicap for the second event would be 18.3.

5.6.3 Player B starts the first event on a handicap of 19.4. Player B scores 20 points. Player B would be subject to an increase of (8 shots below the Rounded Score of 28) X 0.2 (increase factor) = 1.6 shots. 

5.6.4 Player B’s Spiv handicap for the second event would be 21.0.

5.6.5 A player’s handicap will be cut by cut factor of 0.2 of a shot for every point they finish above the Rounded Score.

5.6.6A player CANNOT be cut by more than two shots in any one event.

5.6.7 A player’s handicap will be increased by an increase factor of 0.2 of a shot for every point they finish below the Rounded Score.

5.6.8 A player’s handicap CANNOT increase by more than two shots in any one event.

5.7 A player’s Spiv handicap will not be adjusted to accommodate increases or decreases in the players official WHS handicap throughout the Spiv season.

5.8 All adjustments are calculated based on a player’s Spiv handicap. A player’s Spiv handicap will be further adjusted at each event to accommodate course slope ratings. This will be calculated using the Golf England App.

6. Each 18-hole Spiv event will consist of the following competitions:

Individual 18-hole Winner

Individual 18-hole Runner Up

Individual 36-hole Third Place

Nearest The Pin Front 9

Nearest The Pin Back 9

7. Each 36-hole Spiv event will consist of the following competitions:

Day 1 – 666 Team Event

Day 1 – Individual 18-hole Winner

Day 1 – Individual 18-hole Runner Up

Day 1 – Nearest The Pin Front 9

Day 1 – Nearest The Pin Back 9

Day 2 – Individual 18-hole Winner

Day 2 – Individual 18-hole Runner Up

Day 2 – Nearest The Pin Front 9

Day 2 – Nearest The Pin Back 9

Individual 36-hole Winner

Individual 36-hole Runner Up

Individual 36-hole Third Place

8. There will be an annual Order of Merit award presented to the player who has accumulated the most Order of Merit points over any qualifying individual event. The winning player will be presented with the Spiv Champion Golfer trophy.

9. Order of Merit points will be awarded as follows:

Position            18 Event     36 Event     Final Event

Winner               100                   150                 200

Runner Up          60                      90                 120

3rd                         40                       60                   80

4th                         30                       45                   60

5th                         20                       30                   40

6th                         10                       15                   20

10. Countback to break (18-hole ties) is done on the best score over the last nine holes, then the best score over the last six holes, then the best score over the last three holes.

11. Countback to break overall Order of Merit winner is done on the 5th event Order of Merit placing.

12.Each Spiv event will feature an open draw to decide individual groupings and pairs.

13. Nearest The Pin on Par 3s will be won by the player hitting it closest to or in the hole. Note: The players ball must be on the green or in the hole to count.

14. If no players hit the Par 3 green on the front nine, the prize fund for that Par 3 will be rolled over to the Par 3 green on the back nine.

15. If no players hit the Par 3 green on the back nine, then the prize fund for that par 3 will be awarded to the winner of the nearest the pin on the front nine.

16. If no players hit any Par 3 green on any given day, then the prize fund will remain in the levy.

17. Order of Merit countback will be applied to settle all positions for each event – rule 10 will apply – there can be no ties.

18.Order of Merit countback will be applied to settle all positions in the final Order of Merit – rule 11 for Order of Merit countback will apply – there can be no ties.

19. 18-hole 6-6-6 Team competition will be played as follows:

19.1. Every player plays their own ball using their Spiv handicap throughout the 18 holes

19.1.2 Holes 1-6 will be scored as best score

19.1.3 Holes 7-12 will be scored as best two scores

19.1.4 Holes 13-18 will be scored as all three scores

20. If a player cannot make one of the individual events, then a substitute player will be asked to play the event.

I21. f a player does not play in an event, then they will be awarded zero points in the Order of Merit rather than 6th placed points.

22. Substitute players are eligible for Spiv event prizes but will be ineligible for Order of Merit points. Example: If a substitute player finishes 3rd in an event, he/she will not be eligible for the Order of Merit points. These points will be awarded to the player finishing 4th, the player finishing 5th will receive 4th place points and so on.

23. If an event is cancelled due to the course being closed, the event will be voided, no prize money will be allocated, and no Order of Merit points will be allocated.  Monies received via the Levy for these events will remain in the levy account for use at a future Spiv events or other practical Spiv Golf related reasons.

24. If one round of a two-day event is cancelled due to the course being closed, the event will become a standard one-day event. Points and prize fund will be adjusted accordingly, and the prize fund balance will remain in the levy.