1 The Society shall be called the Press Golfing Society.
2 There shall be a President and Vice-Presidents, to be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
3 The affairs of the Society shall be managed by a Committee, consisting of the Captain, the Vice-Captain (who shall be Captain-elect for the following season), the Secretary (who shall be Chairman), the Treasurer, or Assistant Secretary, and not more than 10 other members, four to form a quorum.
4 The offices of Treasurer and Secretary may be held by the same person, at which time, an Assistant Secretary may be appointed. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive and disburse all monies on behalf of the Society, to keep the accounts and to prepare an annual balance sheet, which shall be audited by two persons approved by the Committee. He is to be informed by the Committee of the year, specifically as to the prizes to be awarded at each Meeting.
5 Officers and members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election, except that each year two of the members senior in consecutive service (not being the retiring Captain or an officer elected for the ensuing year) shall retire, but shall be eligible for re-election. All officers and members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Vacancies occurring during the year may be filled by the Committee. New candidates for election as officers or members of the Committee may be nominated by any Member, on giving notice in writing to the Secretary a minimum of seven days before the Annual General Meeting in any year.
6 Candidates for membership of the Society must be connected with the Press and should depend wholly or primarily upon journalism for their incomes in the role of staff or freelance contributors to the editorial content of newspapers, magazines, radio or TV, but the eligibility of a candidate is at the discretion of the Committee. Candidates must be proposed and seconded by Members of the Society, and the proposer must support the candidate with a letter of recommendation. The Committee shall have power to accept or exclude any candidate without stating reasons. No election shall be valid until the candidate has paid his subscription. Unattached candidates (not members of golf clubs) must submit three cards (signed at different times by three different PGS Members) showing a net score of the par of the respective courses or better. Unattached men will not be accepted unless their handicap is adjudged by the Committee to be 24 or below, and women 30 or below.
7(a) PGS subscription shall be £40 (forty pounds) a year, and shall be due and payable on January 1. Entrance fee for new Members shall be £40 (forty pounds) payable along with the first year’s £40 (forty pounds) subscription by standing order on election.
7(b) After making a successful application to join the Society, new members agree that their contact details are published in the members’ section of the PGS website and in any future editions of the PGS Handbook.
7(c) Members who, through illness or other causes, give up golf but would like to maintain membership of the PGS and receive newsletters and the handbook, may do so by continuing as Non-playing Members at a subscription of no more than £30 (thirty pounds) a year.
7(d) Honorary Life Members or Honorary Members may be proposed at the Annual General Meeting by the Committee in recognition of valuable services rendered to the Society.
8 The financial year of the Society shall end on the last day of August and accounts and balance sheets will be made up to that date. A financial statement shall be presented to Members at the Annual General Meeting.
9 The Annual General Meeting shall be held on a date to be selected by the Committee.
10 A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary, at any time, upon the request of the Committee or any 12 Members of the Society.
11 The Rules of the Society may be added to or altered at any General Meeting, provided written notice of the proposed alteration or addition be given to the Secretary at least seven days before the meeting.
12 Fourteen days’ notice of each General Meeting shall be given by the Secretary to all the Members of the Society.
13 (a) Competitions and matches shall be held at such times and places and under such conditions as the Committee shall determine.
13 (b) A competition based on the best of three accumulative top positions will be held to establish the PGS golfer of the year, who shall be awarded the PGS Putter. In case of a tie, an 18-hole Stableford playoff will be held (at a neutral venue, decided in consultation with the Captain) to determine the winner.
13 (c) A Challenge Cup competition for the Sir Emsley Carr Memorial Trophy shall be held annually, the winner to hold the Trophy for one year. A qualifying round over 18 holes shall be played on a course to be decided by the Committee. The 16 players returning the best net scores shall qualify for the match-play knockout stages. In the event of a tie or ties, qualification will be decided on the basis of the best net score over the last 9-6-3 holes. Any dispute will be referred to the Committee, whose decision is final. Pairs will be drawn by the Committee. Each tie, except the final, shall be over 18 holes. The final shall be over 36 holes, played on one course in one day, any difference in handicaps being calculated over each 18 holes. All ties shall be played off current club handicap index adjusted for course slope, and on courses arranged by the players themselves. Semi-finals and final shall be played on neutral venues. A higher handicapper will receive full difference in strokes allowance from his or her opponent. A contestant playing a tie on a course at which he or she is a member shall allow his or her opponent two strokes per round after any difference in handicap has been worked out. If a match is all square at the end of 18 holes, or 36 holes in the final, it shall continue until one player is one hole up, strokes being taken at the extra holes as in a full round. Replicas of the trophy shall be awarded to the winner and runner-up. Dates set for Emsley Carr knockout rounds are immovable. Any Member who fails to fulfil his or her commitment to play a tie by the date fixed by the Secretary, will concede the match, and be ineligible for consideration for the Wryter Cup team that season (even if they have qualified by other means) and will also be ineligible to compete in the following year’s Emsley Carr knockout competition.
14 All competitions arranged by the Society shall be played under the Rules of Golf, subject to the local rules of the course upon which any competition is being played, and the rules of Amateur Status. Ready Golf is accepted as the etiquette.
15 Before taking part in a meeting of the Society all members shall advise the Secretary in writing, or by email, of alterations to their handicap index and any change of address, workplace, telephone number or email address.
16 Two Divisions (One & Two) will operate for Singles at Meetings, with the dividing point the average playing handicap index on the day. Prizes will be awarded to the first three Members in each Division. The best overall score from either Division will be awarded any trophy being played for. Prizes will also be awarded to the first three pairs in Foursomes or Greensomes competitions.
17 (a) The Society handicap of a Division One winner, and the runner-up, at a PGS Meeting will be reduced by one penalty stroke. The Division Two winner’s handicap will be reduced by two shots, and the runner-up, by one shot. The penalties remain for the rest of the season in which they are applied, and for all of the following season.
17 (b) Members must play off their WHS index (less any current Press Golfing Society penalty strokes) adjusted for course slope. In GREENSOMES, 0.6 of the lower handicap index plus 0.4 of the higher handicap index (also taking into account any PGS penalty strokes) will be allowed. If both handicap indexes are the same, half combined will be allowed. In FOURSOMES, half combined handicap indexes, adjusted for course slope, (minus any PGS penalty strokes) will be allowed.
17 (c) All handicap indexes are subject to review by the Committee.
18 Returns in all competitions shall conform strictly to Rule 33 of the Rules of Golf, which refers to the recording, checking and alterations of scores.
19 No Member shall be eligible to compete for prizes at any of the Society’s Meetings unless his or her current year’s subscription has been paid – by standing order. The Committee shall have power to remove from the list any Member who is in arrears with his subscription for more than one year.
20 In all mixed tee competitions – singles, greensomes and foursomes – the player using the higher-rated (more difficult) tees will receive strokes from the player using the lower-rated tees. This will be equal to the difference in slope rating between the two sets of tees. The difference will be added to the handicap of the player using the higher-rated tees. This will usually mean a woman player will receive strokes from a man, but not always. Foursomes and greensomes will be scored off the men’s card.