FLIGHTS & POINTS

Our primary goal is to create a fair and competitive tour for golfers of all skill levels. In order to accomplish this goal, players will be flighted based on their USGA Handicap Index.  ALL PLAYERS MUST HAVE AN OFFICIAL USGA HANDICAP INDEX.  If you do not currently have a USGA handicap index, an official USGA handicap service from GOLF CHANNEL's GameTracker/NGN is provided as part of your tour membership. Also, if you want to be a part of the GHIN network, Atlanta Amateur Golf is an associate club under the Georgia State Golf Association. The cost is $42 for the year and we can either set you up new in the system or transfer your existing GHIN number. For tour purposes, the provided GameTracker/NGN index will suffice. If you plan on playing in any GSGA tournaments, you will need to use the GHIN system.

You must have scores, course ratings and slopes from past rounds to enter them into either system once you are set up. We will see the index calculated and flight you accordingly.  Please email the Commissioner, Tim Patterson, at tim@atlantaamateurgolf.com for more information.

The following is our flight guidelines:

You may be flighted as a Senior if you will be 50 or older during the 2008 season.

There must be at least 4 players in a flight in each tournament.  If fewer than 4 players register for a tournament in any flight, those players registered will play in the next flight up and compete with that flight for trophies, prizes and points.  If a neighboring flight also does not have at least 4 players, the flights will be combined into one.  Senior flight players will play against competitors in their Regular flight during the season, with the exception of the National Championship, where the Seniors will play in separate flights.

ALL TOURNAMENTS USE GROSS SCORE.  Due to the possibility for cheating and sandbagging, under no circumstances will any strokes be given to any players.

Golf is a game of honor, so play by the rules and don't be a sandbagger! 

Remember, it is your responsibility to know the rules of golf. 

Flight Guidelines:
If you are in Flight 2 and you shoot 3 over par or lower three times within five rounds or twice within three rounds, you will be moved to the Championship Flight..

If you are in Flight 3 and you shoot 6 over par or lower three times within five rounds or twice within three rounds, you will be moved to Flight 2.

If you are in Flight 4 and you shoot 9 over par or lower three times within five rounds or twice within three rounds, you will be moved to Flight 3.

If you are in Flight 5 and you shoot 12 over par or lower three times within five rounds or twice within three rounds, you will be moved to Flight 4.

If you are in Flight 6 and you shoot 15 over par or lower three times within five rounds or twice within three rounds, you will be moved to Flight 5.

If you are playing in the wrong flight, you will be moved!

At the discretion of the Commissioner, a player can be moved at any time, including into a lower (i.e. Flight 3 to Flight 4) flight if his USGA index rises into the next flight category or if his scores are not in line with the rest of the players in the flight.

Point Guidelines:
If you are moved from one flight to another, you will not be allowed to move any higher than a tie for 3rd place in that next flight (except for the Senior flights).    

Example: If you are moved from Flight 4 where you had 200 points, up to Flight 3 where 3rd place has only 150 points, then your point total will be reduced to 150 and you will be placed in a tie for third.

We do not want to penalize players for getting better, but this will help keep players from taking too many points from an easier flight and moving past everyone in the tougher flight. Rather than stay in an easy flight and eventually lose your points, it would be to your advantage to move up on your own if you think you might be playing in the wrong flight.

Earning Points

The following table details the points structure:

FINISHING POSITION	POINTS EARNED
1st	175
2nd	125
3rd	100
4th	90
5th	80
6th	70
7th	60
8th	50
9th	40
10th	30
11th and below	20

Ties for first in any flight will be broken with a sudden death playoff.  Ties for any other place will split the prizes and points.  If flights have to be combined in any tournament, the trophies, prizes and points will also be combined.

If a flight contains 10 or less players, points will be awarded on a ‘bottom up’ basis from 10^th place. In a flight with less than 10 players, the last placed finisher in the flight will receive 30 points, second to last will receive 40 points and so on up the schedule of points, with the flight winner earning a 25 point bonus.  If there were only 9 players in the flight, then the winner would receive 150 points. If there were only 4 players (the minimum to make a flight), the winner would get 85 points.  If there are 10 or more players in the flight, then 1^st place will receive 175 points and anyone finishing 11^th or below would receive 20 points.

Point Standing and Post Season Events

As part of the reward for playing on the GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour, we offer post season events. Click to look at the point standings. Based on your order of merit points at the end of the season, you can qualify for the post season events.  Players must play a minimum of five rounds and finish within the qualifications listed on the Tour Schedule page.