H
SOCIETY RULES
Membership fees are determined at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and vary based on the number of events a member participates in. Members must renew by the end of October annually. The fee for new members is set at £50, which also applies to former members who failed to renew on time. This fee includes an official Midshires shirt.
The deadline to book or cancel an event is the Tuesday before the competition. Occasionally, at the request of the hosting venue, this deadline may be moved up. Members should ensure that the fee is paid into the society's account by this deadline. Should a member need to cancel past this cut-off point, a charge of £10 will be applied to cover any potential costs incurred by the society.
Except in extraordinary circumstances, any member who fails to attend an event without prior notification will lose their full fee for that event. Additionally, a member who departs from an event before the presentation without obtaining permission will incur a £10 fine.
Deposits for event bookings are required to be paid by the specified date; otherwise, individuals will be removed from the booking list. If balances remain unpaid by the due date without any communication to the secretary, those individuals will be taken off the booking and will lose their deposit. Furthermore, they will be barred from booking any future trips unless they pay the full amount upfront.
Members are required to wear the designated official Midshires shirt. The fine for not doing so is £5.
The pricing for each event is determined to prevent any financial loss for the society. The fees collected are allocated towards covering the expenses of the day, which include prizes and monetary awards.
The society maintains its unique handicap system, reducing shots for winners and adding shots for others to keep the overall handicap balanced. Our society's handicaps are modified according to the WHS rules, based on the slope rating index of the host course. New members begin with their club handicap; if they don't have one, they are assigned a starting handicap of 18.
The season is comprised of seven single-day events, two three-day events, and a week-long holiday abroad. Victors of each event earn entry to the season-ending Masters.
Additionally, a voluntary knock-out singles event is held during the season.
The top twelve finishers in each event accumulate points towards the Order of Merit Shield, our most distinguished award. There is a £20 monetary prize for the winner.
Additionally, we host a Par 3 Shield throughout the season, with all scores contributing. There is a £20 monetary prize for the winner.
Event trophies are awarded and exclusively claimable by members. Winners must ensure their trophy is returned to the society by the second-to-last event for engraving and re-presentation at the season's finale. Members who do not return their trophy will incur a £10 fine or may opt to arrange engraving at their own cost. Competition victors also receive a commemorative keepsake.
We distribute £160 in prize money across the first three places, a team event, and two skins competitions for different handicap levels. Each category is capped at six winners, with excess funds rolling over to subsequent events. Minor prize winners receive a sleeve of golf balls, and the captain provides a bottle for the nearest to the pin challenge. All prizes, except for the Glory Hole, are available to both members and guests.
For multi-day events, we charge an entry fee to fund the prize pool.
Our games adhere to the standard rules of golf. Any on-course disputes are resolved in the clubhouse. "Gimmies" are not permitted; players must complete each hole. It's each player's duty to be informed of local rules, including pick and place policies. Incomplete rounds result in score annulment. Buggy users must exchange scorecards with a non-buggy partner.
An AGM follows the season's final day event.