League Rules

WGA League Golf Rules/Guidelines
Revised March 2026

Governing Rules

1. USGA rules will govern play with local rules as indicated herein and on the scorecard.

2. The field of play is limited to members.

3.  All rounds played on a rated course, in its active season, must be posted on the day of play.  This includes all rounds played on rated courses in the Chicago area from April 1 through November 15, and all rounds played in warm-weather locations at other times of the year.

Handicaps & Divisions

4. Day-of-play handicaps as posted by the CDGA will be used.  Handicaps will be limited to the USGA maximum handicap index of 54.0 for weekly and tournament events.  According to USGA standards, at the Wilmette Golf Club,  the green course slope of 120/rating of 68.2  results in a maximum handicap of 56, and the white course slope of 117/rating of 67 results in a maximum handicap of 53.

5. Competition will be by divisions according to handicap. Divisions will be adjusted on the first of the month during the season.

Scoring & Posting Requirements

6. All scores for play in WGA leagues must be posted by the end of the day of play, hole-by-hole, on the CDGA website or APP in order for the score to count towards weekly and seasonal prizes.

7. Two players are required to keep a scorecard for each threesome or foursome.  The cards should show the full name of all players and be signed, attested to and dated.  Depending on the league, one or both scorecards should be turned in to the Tournament Director immediately after play.  Scorecards serve as the official record of a player’s round.

8. League players are required to hole-out putts, and record them, to be eligible for prizes.  However, to keep pace of play, a player may take a maximum score of 10/3 on any hole, and still be eligible for prizes.  To post an acceptable score, at least 9 holes must be completed.

9. Each player is responsible for announcing her correct score at the completion of each hole. If there is a discrepancy, the score should be resolved and entered on the scorecard before the players begin the next hole.

Official League Days

10. League days are official when:

            a) At least ¼ of the active membership completes a full round.

            b) The Board or its designee has not cancelled the event.

11. Official days will have weekly events, birdies, chip-ins and putts recorded. If a league day is not official according to the criteria above, a “low net across the field” event will be substituted if more than 1/3 of those scheduled to play complete the round. One prize for the low net and one prize for low putts will be awarded.

Local Rules

12. When a ball lands in a foot/hoof print in a sand trap, a player may lift, rake and replace the ball per local rule adopted by WGA Board 10/2025.

13.  If a ball is lost or out of bounds, a player may opt to apply the Model Local Rule, for a two-stroke penalty, and drop the ball in the fairway, having established a reference point where the ball crossed the boundary or was lost, finding the nearest point in the fairway to that reference point, and dropping the ball within two club lengths of that point, not nearer the hole.

14. If there is a question before, during or after the scheduled play of an event, the Board or its designee should be contacted immediately after play to resolve the issue in conjunction with the head golf professional.

Prize and Award Guidelines

Scores shall count from the first league day to the last league day, excluding the final week’s event.

Weekly Prizes

Weekly prizes (events, low putts, birdies and chip-ins) will be awarded to winners in each division. Some leagues also award second place winners. 

Seasonal Prizes

Each player’s best eight rounds will be used to determine seasonal prizes in each division. These prizes include Low Gross, Low Net, Low Putts, and Ringers (the total for a round using the lowest score achieved for each hole during the season).

Cash amounts for seasonal prizes will be based on current year’s revenue.

To be eligible for seasonal prizes, a member must meet the prize participation standards by her league. 

Some leagues allow only one seasonal prize per player. The order of prizes is Low Gross, Low Net, Low Putts and Ringers.

Prizes are awarded in the division in which the golfer has played the most rounds and will be distributed at the awards luncheon at the end of the season.

Special Awards

The Most Improved Golfer award in each league is determined by the USGA’s recommended method of computing change-in-handicap formula [(Starting Handicap Index + 12)/(Ending Handicap Index +12)] computed from May 1 to the last day of league play, excluding the Closing Event.

A Low Net Challenge monetary prize is awarded to the player in each of the five leagues with the lowest total of net scores over 4 of the 6 Low Net Challenge Days scheduled by her league. These prizes are awarded at the WGA Closing Membership meeting.

Holes-In-One are recognized for play during regularly scheduled league play, during the WGA Championship, or other WGA-sponsored events. $2 from each WGA member’s dues are allocated to the Hole-In-One Fund. The accumulated funds will be divided equally among the number of members who have achieved a Hole-In-One during the current season and capped at a maximum of $500 per winner.

WGA members who achieve a Hole-In-One during non-league play at the Wilmette Golf Club will be recognized on the WGA Hole-In-One plaque, but will not receive a share of the fund.

General Rules for Tournament Play

Some leagues sponsor a Low Net Tournament and a single elimination Match Play Tournament. All members are encouraged to participate. The Tournament Director will establish all tournament rules.

1. To enter any tournament a member must sign up as posted. A player should not enter a tournament unless she intends to compete on the scheduled days of the tournament.

2. The player must start at the time established by the Tournament Director (USGA 5.3a), and rules shall be distributed as necessary.

3. Posted handicaps will be used to determine the flight in which the player will compete.

4. A Player whose handicap changes during a tournament shall complete the tournament in the flight in which she started but must play with her current day handicap.

5. Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runner-up in each of the scheduled flights.

6. If the Tournament Director decides that the weather is inclement or unhealthful (e.g., a heat index over 100 during the time of play), tournament play may be postponed.

Low Net Tournament

This is a competition where net scores for 54 holes played over 3 days are used to determine the winner of each flight.  If weather makes 3 rounds of golf impossible, the Tournament Director, in consultation with the League President, may reduce the competition to 36 holes of play.  All members who are available for the designated tournament days are encouraged to participate.

1. If for any reason the scheduled Low Net Tournament cannot be completed due to weather, course conditions, etc., the tournament will continue to be played on scheduled league days until completed. If the field cannot complete at least thirty -six holes of play, the tournament will be cancelled.

2.  The Tournament Director will report net scores by flight after each round so that those competing know relative standings and score differentials.

3.. Ties will be broken by USGA Card Matching. (The winner is determined by matching the score for the last nine holes minus ½ the player’s handicap, the last six holes minus 1/3 the player’s handicap, the last three holes minus 1/6 the player’s handicap, and finally the net score of the 18th hole.  If there is still a tie, this same method is used for the first nine holes in turn.)

Match Play Tournament

This is a format where players compete hole-by-hole with the goal of winning more individual holes than the opponent rather than having the lowest total score.  A player’s handicap is considered for scoring each hole.

1. The beginning date of Match Play will be set during regular league time by the Tournament Director.

2. The winners of the initial match will continue play during the succeeding rounds by scheduling matches during league or non-league time   in consultation with the Scheduling and/or Tournament Director,  . Each subsequent match must be completed and reported to the Tournament Director within the allotted time for the round, generally two weeks, unless unusual circumstances occur (weather, course condition, etc.). Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

3. The Match Play flight brackets will be posted in the locker room and distributed online so that players will be able to set up their matches in a timely manner.

4. Tied matches will be played off hole by hole (sudden death), starting on the hole designated by WGC staff and using full handicap strokes as applicable.

5. Regular USGA Match Play rules will be followed.

6. A match play participant may choose to putt out in order to have the round count toward seasonal prizes.

WGA  Championship

In addition to the various league tournaments, the WGA hosts an annual two-day WGA Championship Tournament in early August. The WGA Championship has both 9-hole and 18-hole competitions

1.The Championship is held on a consecutive Tuesday and Thursday with the following Monday serving as a rain date should it be required. The dates for the Championship Tournament are set at the annual calendar meeting held with WGC staff.

2. Historically, each competition has had three flights:  championship, first and second, depending on the number of participants.

3. WGA league members who have played 50% of the possible league days for the current season prior to the Championship or 5 league rounds from the previous season are eligible.  Registered names will be submitted to the appropriate league officers for verification of eligibility.  Exceptions may be made at the Championship Committee's discretion. Members who meet the above requirements and play in both a 9-hole and an 18-hole league may choose to compete in either Championship. All other golfers should choose the Championship that mirrors their league membership.

4. First and second place prizes are awarded by flight for low gross and low net scores.  . A player cannot win both low gross and low net in their flight. In that event, the low gross award will take priority and the second-place net score will receive the first-place low net award

5.A low net prize over the field is awarded to a single person in both the 9- and 18-hole competitions.  The second place low-net score in the flights of these prize winners will receive the low-net award for that flight.

6. In case of a tie for the overall low gross (regardless of flight) in both the 9- and 18-hole divisions, there will be a sudden death playoff beginning on hole #1 or whichever hole is designated by the WGC staff. All other ties will be broken by using the score cards from the last day according to USGA rules. (The winner is determined by matching the score for the last nine holes, last six holes, last three holes and finally, the 18th hole.  If there is still a tie,  then the last six holes, three holes and final hole of the first nine holes will be considered in turn.)

Operations & Expectations

Scheduling/Cancelling 

The Scheduler will send out a request to all members asking them to indicate if they want to be scheduled for play. Tee times and pairings will be emailed to each golfer several days before play.

If a change is required, the scheduler must be notified by noon the day before the scheduled day of play. The final schedule will be sent to the golf course and posted on the golf course website.

Members are not allowed to change their own starting times and must notify the pro shop, the Scheduler and her scheduled partners of any late cancellation.

Membership Expectations
All members are encouraged to play 2/3 of the available league days and to attend membership meetings as indicated in the events calendar.

All members are required to post their Hole-by-Hole score on the CDGA website by the end of the day of play.

 

Tips For Keeping Pace

Before The Tee

• Arrive at the starter 15 minutes before your tee time.
• If you want to warm up, plan to arrive even earlier.

On The Tee

• Tee off as soon as the group ahead is safely out of the way.
• Carry an extra ball in your pocket.
• Limit the number of practice swings. No more than 3.

Tee To Green

• Plan your shot/club on the way to the ball.
• Play “Ready Golf,” where players hit when they’re ready, rather than adhering strictly to the “farthest hits first” rule.
• USGA rules limit searching for your ball to 3 minutes.

On The Green

• Putt “Ready Golf.”
• USGA rules allow you to leave the flag in.
• Prepare for your putt (determine your line, distance and slope) while others are putting.
• Fill in your scorecard at the next tee.

Use Of Motorized Carts

• When two players in a cart hit to opposite sides of a hole, drive to the first ball and drop that player off with the appropriate club(s); then drive to the second ball. After both players hit, they should meet up again farther down the fairway.
• When leaving the cart, make your best guess about the club you will need. If unsure, take more than one club with you to your ball.