Houston National Golf Club

Click here to view the Rules and Regulations in their entirety.

General Overview

• Drive, Chip and Putt is open to boys and girls ages 7-15. Boys and girls compete in separate divisions in four age categories: 7-9 years old; 10-11 years old; 12-13 years old; and 14-15 years old.
• Participants will be grouped based on their age as of the National Finals. Participants must be at least 7 years of age, and may not be older than 15 years of age, on the date of the National Finals.
• All participants will be expected to show proof of eligibility should they advance to Regional Qualifying. Failure to provide a birth certificate or proper form of eligibility verification at the appropriate time will result in that participant being ineligible to compete.
• Participants may register to compete in only one local qualifier. Competing in more than one local qualifier will result in the automatic disqualification of that participant.
• All participants must conform to the USGA Rules of Amateur Status. Participation in Drive, Chip and Putt will in no way affect a participant's amateur status.
• The participant's clubs and golf balls must conform with the requirements set forth in the Rules of Golf.
• CODE OF CONDUCT: All participants and spectators are requested to display traditional customs of etiquette, proper attire, decorum and behavior, and to obey all policies, signs and verbal instructions of persons administering the competition. Abuse of the golf course or host facility, verbal or physical abuse, threatening or disrespecting a participant, spectator, volunteer, section staff, or other persons conducting, participating in, hosting, or attending a Drive, Chip and Putt event, or interfering in any way, may result in removal from the host facility, and/or disqualification from current or future events.
• Advice from outside parties is strictly prohibited while a participant is competing; i.e. during each respective skill, from the time a participant is called to their starting time, and/or it is their, or their starting time group's turn to play, through the completion of that skill.

Scoring and Competing

• Each participant will compete in all three skills (Drive, Chip and Putt).
• Participants will attempt three shots per skill, for a total of nine shots.
• Participants will accumulate points in each skill (maximum of 75 points per skill). The participant with the highest number of points in an individual skill will be declared the winner of the skill in his or her age category. The participant with the highest point total in all three skills combined (maximum of 225 points) will be declared the overall champion of his or her age category.
• Ties in the individual skills will be broken by first comparing the point values for each participant's third attempt in the skill, then the second attempt and finally the first attempt, if necessary. If the participants are still tied, they will share the appropriate place.
• At local and subregional qualifying, ties in the overall competition will be broken by first comparing the cumulative point total of all three putt attempts. If the cumulative putt point total is the same, compare the point values for each participant's third putt attempt, then second putt attempt and finally the first putt attempt, if necessary. If the tie is still not broken, repeat the same process by using the chip skill next, and finally the drive skill, if necessary. If the participants are still tied, they will share the appropriate place.
• At regional qualifying, in the case of a tie in the overall score, a single putt at the 15' distance will determine the player advancing to the National Finals. If necessary, repeat the process until the tie is broken. The same points system will be used, and the order of play will be determined by a random draw. (A ball coming to rest on a scoring line will be scored in the higher of the two point rings).
• From each local qualifier, up to three participants in each age/gender group move on to the subregional event. From each subregional qualifier, the top two participants in each age/gender group qualify to move on to the regional event. At each regional qualifier, one participant in each age/gender group will qualify for the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.

• Participants should recognize that their pace of play affects others and they should play promptly. The Rules of Golf recommend a player should make a stroke in no more than 40 seconds (and usually in less time) after the player is able to play without interference or distraction. Based on this, the committee administering qualifiers may, at their discretion, encourage prompt pace of play in situations where a participant’s pace of play is negatively affecting the competition. The procedure should be as follows: If the committee determines a player’s pace of play is negatively affecting the competition, they may A) warn the player while also noting that an additional breach will result in zero points (or the lowest score possible) for that shot, and for each additional breach, they may B) notify the player that their pace of play has resulted in zero points (or the lowest score possible) for that successive shot.

  The Drive, Chip and Putt Executive Committee reserves the right to adjust the total number of participants that advance per qualifying site.
  

Rules Decisions

• In coordination with the Drive, Chip and Putt Executive Committee, all on-site decisions made by the host PGA Section staff and PGA Professionals administering local, subregional and regional qualifiers are considered final.

Drive Skill Overview

1. 40-yard wide grid - all shots must come to rest in the grid to score points.
2. Flags, lines, ropes or signs indicate boundaries on both sides of the grid.
3. A ball coming to rest on a boundary lines is considered in bounds.
4. A ball coming to rest on a scoring line will be scored in the longer of the two scoring grids.
5. In the event of a tie, the participant's third drive will serve as the tiebreaker (followed by the second drive and then first drive, if necessary). If a tie still exists, the participants share the appropriate place.

Drive Skill Point System

Chip Skill Overview

1. Each participant will attempt three chips at the scoring hole. All chips will be measured from the center of the hole using clearly marked scoring rings.
2. A ball coming to rest on a scoring line will be awarded the higher point value.
3. In the event of a tie, the participant's third chip will serve as a tiebreaker (followed by the second chip and then first chip, if necessary). If a tie still exists, the participants share the appropriate place.
4. Use of a putter is not allowed in the chip skill. Participants may only use a lofted iron or wood club for this skill. A "chipper" club is considered an approved club for the chip skill.
5. Use of a tee in the chip skill is prohibited.

Chip Skill Point System

Putt Skill Overview

1. Each participant will attempt one putt from each distance (6', 15' and 30'). Putts will be measured from the center of the hole using clearly marked scoring rings.
2. A ball coming to rest on a scoring line will be awarded the higher point value.
3. In the event of a tie, the participant's third putt will serve as a tiebreaker (followed by the second putt and then first putt, if necessary). If a tie still exists, the participants share the appropriate place.

Putt Skill Point System