The format of our junior golf tournament

1. The HSBC Wee Wonders Championships use the flag golf format of scoring in the local qualifying and regional final rounds. Each competitor has 36 strokes only, and places their flag where their final shot comes to rest. The winner in each category is the competitor whose ball is the furthest around the course after his or her 36th stroke. If the resting position of the player’s 36th shot cannot be determined, the flag will be placed at the point where the ball was last struck. (The grand final will be strokeplay over two rounds of nine holes. The overall winners will be those with the lowest two round aggregate score).
2. Competitors are NOT required to have a handicap in order to compete in the HSBC Wee Wonders Championships.
3. If there is a tie for an award in any category, we will have a countback to decide the result. Based on the standard system applying better inward half, the second half of the competitors score will be used. Where an odd number of holes have been completed, round up to the nearest whole number, i.e. if nine holes have been completed, the countback will firstly be over the last five holes. If scores are still tied, the last three holes, then the last hole's scores are used. If after each of these countbacks the competitors are equal, there will be a sudden death play-off, starting from the first hole until a winner is declared.
4. New for 2008: proportional qualifying. The number of competitors in each category who progress to the regional final is dependant on the number of competitors playing in each category at each event. For each ten players, one person will progress to the regional final, with a maximum of three players qualifying per category. For example, if there are 12 players in the Girls 9-10 age category at a single event, then the top two placed players will progress; if there are 22 players then the top three will progress to the Regional Final. The same system will apply for competitors progressing from Regional Finals to the Grand Final.
5. Tees. All competitors within each category will play from the same tees.
6. Bunkers. After three failed attempts to play from a bunker, a competitor may throw his or her ball nearer the hole. There will be no penalty, but the three failed strokes will count against them.
7. Flags interfering with play. Flags of other competitors that interfere with play may be marked, removed and replaced by a supervisor.
8. Sign, banner or spectator area relief. Two clubs’ lengths from the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole, may be taken without penalty from any event sign, banner or any designated spectator area interfering with play.
9. Maximum strokes per hole. Not more than ten strokes in total may be taken at any hole, including a maximum of four putts on any green. If a competitor reaches the maximum number of strokes or putts for that hole, they will progress to the next hole and their strokes will carry forward. The competitor can continue to play providing they have not exceeded their 36 shots.
10. Air Shots. Air shots will count towards a competitor’s score.
11. Advice. Information communicated to competitors must only be on rules and procedural issues. Competitors must make their own decisions on issues that affect the way in which the shot is played. Breach of this rule, in the first instance will result in the competitor being given a two stroke penalty. A subsequent breach may result in the competitor being disqualified.
12. Distance measuring devices. Players and supervisors will not be allowed the use of distance measuring devices at anytime during their round in either a local qualifier, regional final, or the grand final. Breach of this rule will result in the competitor being disqualified.