For the General Rules that apply to all events please click here.
1. The Development Scratch League is open to Clubs affiliated to the Union to enter one or more teams to play in matches against other teams. Each team shall comprise of three male players but not necessarily the same three players for each match. All players within each team must conform to General Rule 2 and have a Handicap Index of not less than 6.5 and not more than 14.4 on the day of the match. A player may not represent more than one team in the same league during a season but he may represent another team in a different league.
2. The Executive Committee shall allocate the teams into divisions and shall determine the format of the competition, which may include end-of-season play-offs between divisions.
3. It is the home team Secretary's/Captain's responsibility to contact the away team Secretary/Captain to confirm the date and time of the match which shall be played within the specified timescale.
4. The format of the matches shall be individual matchplay games off scratch played from the white tees. The Secretary/Captain for each team shall list their team in order of Handicap Index, from lowest to highest. The team lists shall be exchanged and the pairings of the games taken accordingly. Any team with fewer than three players must play against the opposing team's players with the lowest Handicap Indexes and must forfeit all uncontested games. Where a team fails to play in Handicap Index order, the game or games in which a player plays lower down the order than he should have played will be forfeited, regardless of the result of the game or games. The result of any game or games in which a player plays higher up the order than he should have played shall be unaffected and shall stand.
5. The result of the match shall be decided by the match score on the basis of 1 point for a win and half a point for a halved game. The winning team shall be awarded 2 league points or, where the match is tied, each team shall receive 1 league point. A team failing to appear for a match shall be deducted 2 league points, with their opponents awarded a 3:0 win and 2 league points.
6. The match score and the names and Handicap Indexes of all six players must be emailed to the Scratch League Secretary at scratchleague@erugc.co.uk by the Captain of the home team within 24 hours of the match being played. If a player's Handicap Index is found to be less than 6.5 or more than 14.4 on the day of the match, his game shall be forfeited regardless of the result of the game.
7. The team in each division with the greatest number of league points after all matches have been played or determined shall be the divisional winner. In the event of two or more teams finishing with the same number of points, the winner shall be decided by the aggregate match scores in all matches but If they are still tied the aggregate match scores in the games played between each other shall be taken. If no winner results, there shall be a play-off on a neutral course nominated by the Scratch League Secretary and if that is tied, there shall be a sudden death play-off in the game which has finished all square or, if all games finish all square, between the player with the lowest Handicap Index from each team.
8. Any end-of-season play-offs within or between divisions shall be played on a course nominated by the Scratch League Secretary. The result of each play-off shall be determined by the match score and if the scores are tied there shall be a sudden death play-off in the game which has finished all square or, if all games finish all square, between the player with the lowest Handicap Index from each team.
9. In the event of bad weather or the adverse condition of the course a match may be postponed by the decision of the team Captains, provided that play has not commenced in any individual game. If the team Captains cannot agree upon a postponement and the course is still open for play then the match must proceed, unless it is unsafe to do so. Where any or all games in the match have commenced, suspension of such games shall be subject to rule 5.7 of the Rules of Golf. Players in a postponed match which is rearranged need not be those who were originally selected. For suspended games in a match which has been rearranged the players must be those involved at the time of the suspension. A player who cannot resume in a suspended game must forfeit the game.
