North Hants Golf Club Course Closure Policy 

In appropriate circumstances the decision may need to be made to close the golf course. The most senior greenkeeper on site will conduct a review and will make a decision in conjunction with the General Manager or Assistant General Manager. If the decision is made to close the course this will be communicated via the course status on the website and the sounding of the klaxon if play has already begun for the day in line with the guidance below.

The course will be closed if:

• Lightning is detected in close proximity and is heading towards the golf course. Lightning is one case where players may also stop play on their own accord if they believe there is danger from lightning (Rule 5.7). However, if a player does so, he or she must report to the Committee as soon as possible.
• Severe stormy weather – heavy wind and rain, danger of falling trees and branches.
• Fog with general poor visibility, the flag on the first green is not visible from the start of the path at the back of the 1st Tee.
• Flooded playing surfaces.

There are two types of suspensions of play that a Committee can order, each with different requirements for when players must stop play (see Rule 5.7b).

Intelligent Golf Course Status Morning Alert

We will endeavour to update the online course status as early as possible, where necessary. This is light, and weather-dependent, and more often than not, the update will be sent on or shortly after 7 a.m. but no later than 7.30 a.m. Please be aware that there can be a delay with Intelligent Golf pushing out the update; therefore, it is worth checking the website. At all times the team will do their best to update members as early as possible.

Immediate suspension (such as when there is imminent danger). If the Committee declares an immediate suspension of play the Klaxon will be sounded 3 times. A ll players must stop play at once and must not make another stroke until the Committee resumes play. Players should not shelter under trees on the course and should make their way back to the clubhouse. They should exit the golf course by the quickest possible route towards the clubhouse. Players may also stop play on their own when they believe there is a danger from lightning (see Rule 5.7a).

Normal suspension (such as for wind, visibility or unplayable course). If the Committee suspends play for normal reasons a klaxon will be  sounded once, what happens next depends on whether a group is between two holes or playing a hole. If the players in a match or group are between the play of two holes, they must not resume play until the Committee has ordered a resumption of play. If they have started play of a hole, they may discontinue play immediately or continue play of the hole, provided they do so without delay. If the players choose to continue play of the hole, they are permitted to discontinue play before completing it. In any case, play must be discontinued after the hole is completed. The players must resume play when the Committee has ordered a resumption of play.

If the course has to close during competition play, players should mark their ball position before lifting their ball and exiting the golf course. Play will resume if conditions improve and are considered safe and must be resumed where it was discontinued. If a competition is underway forthcoming tee times will be pushed back in line with the resumption of play.

Abandon Competitions 

Decisions regarding the abandonment of competitions will be made in conjunction with the Handicap and Competitions Committee.

Even if all but one group in a stroke play competition have completed their round before play is suspended, the Committee will not base a result on the completed scores as all players should have the opportunity to finish their round. Similarly, the Committee will not announce the result based on only 9 holes, say, when the competition was being run as an 18-hole event. Instead, the Committee will look to resume play at the next available time to achieve a result or alternatively the Committee may cancel the round and reschedule the competition for another date.

Abandoned Competitions Handicap 

Players who have completed their round will submit their score as usual. Players who have completed at least 10 holes will have their score scaled-up automatically to 18 holes by the WHS platform, provided that the 'not played' holes are correctly identified.

Any players who have completed less than 10 holes do not have a score. Under no circumstances should any holes not started be allocated a zero, which would result in a net double bogey for handicap.

Plavers may incur a Penalty Score if play is suspended but they fail to resume play when instructed to do so. This is an invalid reason for not completing the round, and should be dealt with according to the guidance above.

For further guidance on Suspensions and Resumptions of play see Rule 5.7 and Section 6E of the Committee Procedures.

The final decision on abandoning play will be made by the General Manager or the office staff on duty. During competition play, the decision will be made in conjunction with the Handicap and Competitions Committee.

All decisions are final and made for the protection of the golfers and the course and must be adhered to at all times by members and visitors.

No member may challenge the decision to close the course.