PEPSI PARENT/PLAYER INFORMATION

It is the responsibility of all parents and contestants to be aware of the Policies of the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships.

Caddies & Carts
Cell Phones & Pagers
Code of Conduct
Competition Rules
Dress Code
Lightning/Suspension of Play
Pace of Play
Player Responsibility
Playing Up
Practice Round
Range Finders
Registration
Rules of Conduct
Scoring
Second Round Pairings
Special Rule for 4-B Caddies
Spectator Rules
Starting Times
Tournament Acceptance
Withdrawals

CADDIES AND CARTS – No player may ride in a powered golf cart during his/her competitive rounds, with the exception of tournament-approved shuttles at certain sites. Players in Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4 may have ONE CADDY but must walk. Specified caddy only may give advice. Players in Divisions 5, 6, 7 and 8 may NOT have a caddy and must walk and carry his/her own bag or use a pull cart. Players and parents in Sunday’s Pepsi Parent-Child and in Thursday and Friday team events may use powered golf carts.

CELL PHONES AND PAGERS – Contestants may NOT carry cell phones or pagers during practice or competition rounds. Parents are requested to NOT carry audible cell phones or pagers on any golf course during practice or competition rounds.

CODE OF CONDUCT – Violations of the Code of Conduct include: abusive language, club throwing, cheating, disrespect of volunteers or officials, abuse of the golf course, discarded trash not placed in proper receptacles, vandalism, use of smoking or chewing tobacco products, use of drugs or alcohol, not adhering to dress code, leaving the course during a competition round without permission from a PLPGC official, or any other conduct not becoming a PLPGC participant. Violations of the Code of Conduct are subject to a two-stroke penalty or disqualification.

COMPETITION RULES – All play shall be governed by current USGA rules of Golf and its Decisions, and, where applicable, by Local Rules, Conditions and Definements, subject to changes or amendments by the PLPGC Rules Committee (2007 Tournament Information). PLPGC tournament officials at each competition course will be in charge of tournament activities at that course. Decisions of PLPGC officials are final.

DRESS CODE – Proper attire is required on all competition golf courses, practice tees and practice greens. Any violation will result in the player not being allowed to participate until he/she has met the following regulations: The dress code prohibits shoes having metal spikes, short shorts, tank tops, halter-tops, bare midriffs, T-shirts, denim shorts and jeans, and headphones. All hats and caps must be worn properly; collared shirts must be worn and be tucked in (girls may wear collarless shirts it if is a part of a coordinated outfit). Offensive slogans, language and/or pictures on clothing, will not be tolerated.

LIGHTNING – The signal for suspending play due to a dangerous situation will be a prolonged note of siren. The signal to resume play will be two short notes of siren repeated. According to the USGA (App. 1-4) Suspension of Play Due to a Dangerous Situation: “When play is suspended by the Committee for a dangerous situation, if the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they shall not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If they are in the process of playing a hole, they shall discontinue play immediately and shall not thereafter resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If a player fails to discontinue play immediately, he shall be disqualified unless circumstances warrant waiving such penalty as provided in Rule 33-7. If lightning becomes a threat, or if the siren is sounded, TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY – NOT under a tree! Find shelter or crouch down as low as possible. Do NOT spread eagle on the ground! Each course has a plan in place to pick up as many people as possible swiftly in the case of extremely threatening weather. No one can hit balls on the driving range or putt on the practice green during suspension of play.

PACE OF PLAY – Rules 6-7 of the USGA Rules of Golf states: “The player shall play without undue delay.” The penalty for breach of Rule 6-7 is two strokes in stroke play. The penalty for repeated offense is disqualification. The first group of the day will be considered out of position if it takes more than 15 minutes to complete any hole. Subsequent groups will be considered out of position if they fall behind the group ahead and take more than 15 minutes per hole. Players in a group who are out of position will be monitored until the group is back in position. Each player will be given 45 seconds to play a shot. Timing of the player will begin when it is his/her turn to play. If the player exceeds the time limit, he/she will be given a warning. Rule 6-7 goes into effect for a repeated offense.

PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES – Carry enough liquid in your golf bag for at least nine holes. Carry a current USGA Rules Book and the LPGC Tournament Information in your bag and know how to find answers. Know the Definitions in the USGA Rules Book.

PLAYING UP – It is the policy of Pepsi Little People’s that no boy nor girl shall be allowed to play out of his or her age division. Entries received by the Little People’s Headquarters staff will be placed in the age division that they are age-eligible for, and will be expected to play in that division. Age Divisions are determined by the age a player will be on the final day of competition each year.

PRACTICE ROUND -- Players or parents are responsible for calling their competition course at any time after May 1 to make a starting time for the official practice round on Monday. Courses and numbers are listed in the parent’s acceptance letter. One practice round per contestant on Monday is included in your entry fee. Additional practice rounds may be played at any time before the tournament at the discretion of the golf course, upon payment of greens fees.

RANGE FINDERS -- It is the decision of the Pepsi Little People’s Board of Directors that NO rangefinders of any kind, or any other type of artificial measuring device or unusual equipment, will be allowed in the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships held at six golf courses in the Quincy, Illinois, USA, area. Neither shall they be allowed in the Pepsi Parent-Child event, nor the Pepsi International Scramble or the International 3-2-1 Team Event. Any violation of this rule is a violation of USGA Rule 14-3 and will result in disqualification of the player. The use of rangefinders will be allowed during practice rounds on Monday ONLY, as long a it does not delay play.

REGISTRATION -- All players must register at Westview Golf Course, 2105 S. 36 th Street , in Quincy , on Sunday between 8 am and 7 pm or between 7 am and 6 pm on Monday. If you are unable to get to Westview before 6 pm on Monday, you MUST call the Registration Desk at 217-257-3330 or 217-257-5718 by 6 pm Monday to receive an approved exemption for late registration. IT IS MANDATORY THAT WE HEAR FROM YOU BY 6 PM ON MONDAY or your position in the tournament may be cancelled.

RULES OF CONDUCT (for Parents and Contestants) – Our goal is for every contestant to compete in a relaxed, happy, and safe atmosphere. This can happen ONLY if contestants and parents alike have respect for their peers and adults.

Each player should expect the best emotional playing conditions in a calm and focused atmosphere. We will NOT tolerate:

Outbursts of temper
Loud or demonstrative arguments or discussions
Verbal or physical abuse of any child
Any act that would humiliate or embarrass a contestant

Please take any arguments or discussions OFF the golf course and AWAY from the contestants as they compete. Any violation of the above will mean PERMANENT SUSPENSION of all parties involved from all tournament courses for the duration of the tournament.

SCORING – Caddy may count and record scores in Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4. Players in Divisions 1 and 2 are limited to 12 strokes per hole, including whiffs. Each player in Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4 may have one caddy only. It is their responsibility to check the score recorded with the competitor after each hole. Scorecards must be exchanged within each group. Players in Divisions 5, 6, 7 and 8 must exchange scorecards within their group and are responsible for recording the competitor’s score after each hole. It is the competitor’s responsibility to check his/her card after the completion of each round before signing it. Every scorecard must be signed by competitor and scorer before being turned in to Scorer’s Table. Each competitor should wait at Scorer’s Table until his/her card has been checked and the competitor dismissed by the PLPGC scorer representative. Competitor is responsible for hole-by-hole score only. Parents must not become involved with scoring in Divisions 5, 6, 7 and 8.

SECOND (FINAL) ROUND PAIRINGS -- After the first round play, all competitors will be regrouped by score for their final round, with the higher scorers teeing off first and the lower scorers teeing off last within their Division’s time frame. Pairings for boys and girls aged 10 through 19 can not be changed for any reason. On Wednesday, girls in Divisions 1-G, 2-G and 5-G will tee off first before Divisions 1-B, 2-B and 5-B. Players and/or parents are responsible for finding out their tee times. Pairings for first-round play will be in the player’s registration packet; pairings for final-round play will be available at each golf course, at your motel, or by calling 217-223-1000 between 7pm and 11 pm Tuesday night.

SPECIAL RULE FOR 4-B CADDIES – In an effort to speed up play in Division 4-B (Boys 10-11), caddies are NOT allowed on the greens or fringes. Players must line up their own putts and handle the flagstick. Any violation of this Rule will result in a warning to the offending caddie. Continued violation of this Rule could result in disqualification of the player and/or suspension of the caddie from the golf course.

SPECTATOR RULES – Spectators are welcome and may follow players in all Divisions, but may not communicate with them in any manner at any time during their competition round. Clapping and encouragement for good play are allowed as long as it does not interfere with tournament play. Contestants are reminded of Rule 8-1 concerning advice and receiving assistance: Penalty two strokes. Contestants are responsible for actions of parents/spectators and are reminded that significant contact/conversation may be construed as advice by fellow competitors. Spectators are encouraged to come out and watch the youngsters compete on their own. (A parent or friend caddying for a player in Divisions 1, 2, 3 or 4, may give advice under the USGA Rules of Golf). Spectators are requested to turn off all cell phones and pagers on every golf course during competition.

STARTING TIMES – Rule 6-3a of the USGA Rules of Golf provides: “The player shall start at the time established by the Committee.” The penalty for breach of this Rule is disqualification. However, it is a condition of the competition that, if a player arrives at his/her starting point, ready to play, within 15 minutes after that starting time, in the absence of circumstances which warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes at the first hole. Because of the distance between courses and the subsequent problems that may arise, it is suggested that if a parent sees that his/her player may be late because of traffic or associated reason, the parent should call the Little People’s representative at the competition course to advise them of such situation and request an extension. This will only be allowed in extenuating circumstances where the parent cannot get the child to the course on time. Final decision is up to the PLPGC Committee at the competition course upon consultation with the Executive Director, if necessary. We will not adjust second-round starting times in Divisions 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 to accommodate special needs. Please make travel plans accordingly.

TIES – Ties for first and second place in each Division shall be decided by hole-by-hole playoff immediately following conclusion of play in each Division. Ties for other trophy-winning positions may be decided by hole-by-hole playoff or duplicate trophies may be awarded, at the discretion of the PLPGC Tournament Committee. In the case of darkness or adverse weather conditions, ties may be decided by hole-by-hole putt-off or matching cards backwards, starting with the final hole played.

TOURNAMENT ACCEPTANCE -- It is important to have a valid email address, phone number and fax number (if available) on file with Pepsi Little People’s to ensure receipt of your tournament acceptance pak and to receive an entry form for the next year, if you have a child eligible. Tournament acceptance information is emailed once a player has been accepted into Little People’s, and contains information vital to your entry and how to access additional important information on our website. Most correspondence is done through email, phone or fax, so having the correct information in our database is important. Entries are accepted on a first-received basis.

WITHDRAWALS – You will be in violation of Pepsi Little People’s policy if you fail to complete your round OR if you fail to complete the stipulated number of holes for your Division, except for a legitimate reason. It if becomes necessary for you to withdraw, you must notify the Little People’s Tournament Representative at your respective course, who will determine if the withdrawal is justified or unjustified. If the withdrawal at any time is unjustified, you will be suspended from play in a Pepsi Little People’s event for one year.