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Rules and Regulations

MercedesTrophy National Final – Friday March 14, 2014

The National Final will be played in accordance with the existing MercedesTrophy rules with ¾ handicap over 18 holes according to the Stableford system.

The winners (3) of Kuwait National Final will get a chance to play in the MercedesTrophy World Final in Stuttgart, Germany.

Conditions

  • The minimum age for participation is 18.
  • Employees and associates of Daimler AG or its marketing partners may not receive a grading. In exceptional cases an individual may be permitted to participate without competing.
  • Players must have a full membership of a recognized/registered golf club in Kuwait.
  • Players must have a home club handicap of max 36.0.
  • The participation in the tournament is by invitation only. The invitation is not transferable.
  • All the players must be Amateurs.
  • Guests who are not members of any local golf clubs can participate in the tournament on special request only. However, they will not be eligible to win any prizes.
  • National tournament is open for all participants – World Final dedicated to the best golfing Mercedes-Benz customers only.

Exceptional Rule for the 25th MercedesTrophy Anniversary in 2014

With great excitement Mercedes-Benz is celebrating the 25th MercedesTrophy anniversary in 2014. For this occasion an exceptional rule for participation at the MercedesTrophy World Final 2014 prevails. Mercedes-Benz customers, who have participated in the MercedesTrophy World Final in the past, will be allowed to qualify again for the MercedesTrophy World Final 2014.

Please note: ONLY Mercedes-Benz customers are allowed to enter the World Final in Stuttgart!

Participants of Kuwait National Final who win the top three positions in Handicap A, B & C class have to qualify for the participation in World Final in Germany by showing documentary proof of being a Mercedes-Benz customer.

In case the winner is not able to do the same, the place will be given to the next winner in the same handicap class who is a Mercedes-Benz customer.

Play Type

The tournament will be played in accordance with the rules of the German Golf Association (DGV) and the local rules of the Sahara Golf Club. The tournament will be played with ¾ handicap over 18 holes according to the Stableford system. The tournament will be played in the following three handicap classes.

Class A (Handicap up to 14)
Class B (Handicap 15 to 21)
Class C (Handicap 22 to 36)

  • Golf balls of American size (1.68 in) which are listed as being valid by the R & A and the USGA are to be used.
  • The host club (Sahara) committee will have the final say over local rules and disputes.
  • The tournament committee reserves the right to effect changes in the programme and in the conditions of the event in consultation with organizing members from A.R. Albisher & Z. Alkazemi Co.
  • A player may qualify for the World Final only once.
  • Players who have previously taken part in the World Final may no longer qualify for the same. (Except for 2014.)

Prizes

Winner from Handicap class A
Winner from Handicap class B
Winner from Handicap class C

Drive to the Major – 1 prize

In the case of the same overall or net scores the better of the last 9, 6, 3, 2, or 1 holes (or of the last 9, 6, 3, 2, or 1 holes with proportional handicap) will be decisive.

Additional Prizes

Nearest to pin (men and ladies – 1 prize each)
Prizes for positions 2 & 3 in Handicap classes A, B & C
Hole-in-one at the designated par 3 hole – Hole No. 4

Drive to the Major

Straightest Drive/Nearest to the Line

Drive to the Major is the new element of the MercedesTrophy combining the amateur golf level with top professional golf. It is the single entry point worldwide to win a spot in the Monday Foursome tournament directly played after The Open, on the same course where all the legends and Golf Professionals have played the day before!

“Straightest Drive” also known as “Nearest to the Line” is the first implementation tool of “Drive to the Major”, a special golf competition that is very popular among amateur golfers.

The golfer who drives the ball closest to a marked line on the fairway wins the competition.
Every player only has ONE chance to hit one Straightest Drive.

Golf Hole Requirement

The competition is held at a golf hole that is long and fairly straight plain and not hilly at least a Par 4, or even better a Par 5 – Hole 16 at Sahara Golf Club.

The tee boxes of men and women will be in the same line of play but closer for women.

The Line

A chalk line or rope will be drawn down the center of the fairway. The line will be measured from the tee box down the line of play and will start at the fairway starting at approximately 150 yards/135 meters for men and 100 yards/90 meters for women. Length of the line should be approximately 180 yards/160 meters.

Measurement

The golfer who hits the ball (with his/her first tee shot) closest to the marked line on the fairway is the winner of the competition. Only balls lying on the fairway are considered valid entries (not in the semi-rough or rough, not on the fairway of another hole).

Exemption

It is only possible to qualify for either World Final or for “Drive to the Major”.

In case the winner of the special competition also qualifies for the World Final, the qualification of World Final comes first. In that case the next winner of the competition will be the winner of “Drive to the Major”.

There will be only one winner from the competition.

Sahara Kuwait Local Rules and Additional Local Rules

  1. Out of Bounds (Rule 27)

    1. A ball is out of bounds if it lies and comes to rest:

      1. Beyond any boundary fence
      2. Beyond the line of white posts and adjoining white line that go round the inner circumference of the tarmac road that follows the inner circumference of the horse race track.
      3. Beyond the white posts to the left of hole 5 and the back of the fifth green.
      4. Beyond the white posts to the right hand side of hole 17 and to the left hand side and back of the 18th green that defines the club house area.
      5. Beyond the white posts that define the driving range to the left of hole 18.
      6. Beyond the white posts and adjoining white line around the entrances and exits of all access tunnels.
      7. Any grass area on hole 6 when playing your tee shot from hole 7.

  2. Water Hazards (Rule 26-1)

    1. Water hazards are defined by yellow posts and lateral water hazards are defined by red posts.

  3. Immovable obstructions (Rule 24-2)

    1. All artificially surfaced cart paths.
    2. All irrigation boxes and sprinkler heads.
    3. Drip feed irrigation lines – relief is not available for STANCE. The ball must be touching the pipe or your swing must be impeded by the pipe.
    4. Floodlight poles – relief is not available for line of sight. If a ball strikes a floodlight pole the shot may be replayed without penalty from where it was last hit.
    5. All rest shelters and course furniture.
    6. Yardage markers set into the fairways.

  4. Movable obstructions

    1. Stones in bunkers.
    2. Yardage posts.

  5. Integral parts of course

    1. All desert areas.

  6. Doubt as to a procedure (Rule 3-3)

    1. Should players be unsure as to procedure they should adopt the two ball rule (rule 3-3) and seek a ruling from club official before returning their score card? If a player fails to inform the committee they shall be disqualified.

  • General Course Rules

    1. Golf carts must stay on the paths where possible and must not go within 10 yards of the greens and tees.
    2. Please repair all pitch marks on the greens.
    3. Please fill all divots with the sand provided.
    4. Please rake all bunkers after use.
    5. Please place all litter in the bins provided.
    6. Please ensure to keep up with the pace of play. Keep up with the group in front and ahead of the group behind.
    7. Relief from grass verge adjacent to sandy waste area: when the ball lies on a sandy waste area, if the lip of the grass verge adjacent to the area interferes with the line of the ball or the intended swing, the player may without penalty, lift and drop the ball within one club length of the point nearest to where the ball lies, that is no nearer the hole and which avoids interference with the lip. The ball must be dropped in the sand. Penalty for breach of local rule: Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
    8. Water run-off: Any ball coming to rest in a water runoff may be lifted and dropped without penalty.
    9. There is no relief from tree bowls.