1) Tournament Format - The tournament will be a 5 round Ryder Cup like setup with two teams of an equal number of golfers on each team.

The first four rounds will consist of 2-on-2 match play matches, using handicaps. The golfer with the lowest net score on that hole will win that hole for their twosome. Halved holes are not carried over. The winning twosome of each match earns 1 point for their team. If the match ends in a tie after 18 holes, 1/2 point will be awarded to each team.

The fifth and final round will consist of 1-on-1 match play matches, again using handicaps. Handicaps for the final round will be determined based on each golfer's best 2 scores from the first 4 rounds. The winner of this match will earn 2 points for their team, and ties will give 1 point to each team.

2) Choosing Teams & Matchups - To determine which captain chooses their team first, and chooses their matchup first, a coin flip will be used. The winner of the coin flip will get to choose between the following:
- the first pick drafting teams, or
- the right to determine which rounds they want to go first when picking matchups

Once the above is determined, the captains will alternate picks choosing teams. Once teams are chosen, the captains will alternate picking matchups. To pick matchups, the captain going first will state his first pair. The captain going second will decide which two of his golfers to matchup against the other team. This order will rotate for each round.

3) Points Possible - Points possible depend on the number of golfers:
4 vs 4 = 16 points possible
6 vs 6 = 24 points possible
8 vs 8 = 32 points possible
10 vs 10 = 40 points possible

4) Match Scoring - 1 point will be awarded to the winning team of each two on two match. 2 points will be awarded to the winning golfer in the one on one matches.

Handicaps are used in all matches, and those details will be finalized a few days before the trip.

If the match ends in a tie, each team is awarded a 1/2 point (or 1 point for the one on one matches).

5) Winning - The defending champion's Captain and his team must at least score 50% of the points possible to retain the title. The challenging captain and his team must win outright by scoring at least a 1/2 point more than 50% of the points possible. The captain of the winning team also keeps his captainship for the following year, but the losing captain will nominate a new challenging captain for the following year.

6) Tie Breaker - If there is a tie after all matches have been played, the defending Champion's captain retains the title.

7) Final Round Pairings - The final round pairings will be chosen by the team captains after the first four rounds.

Handicaps will be used in the final round. Your final round handicap will be based on your best two gross scores out of the first 4 rounds. So keep your score accurately the first four rounds and be sure to complete all 18 holes in each round even if the match is over. Remember the rules on gimmies as this could also affect your final round handicap.

8) Mulligans - You have 1 mully per 9 holes, which DOES NOT carry over to the next 9 if you don't use it.

If you think you lost your ball, hit OB or hit into a hazard, you can call a provisional mully. You must call this before re-hitting your shot.

If you CAN play your first ball, you MUST play your first ball, and you DO NOT lose the mully. If you CAN'T play the first ball, you MUST play the second, and you have used your mully. If you can't play your second, see rules for penalty strokes below.

Mulligans CAN NOT be used to win closest to the pin or long drive contests. You can use a mulligan on those holes to count towards your match, but they will not be used to win the contest.

9) Penalty Strokes - All penalty shots are to be counted as "lateral hazard" penalties. That means if you hit your ball in the water, OB, or lose your ball, you will drop a new ball nearest the point where the first ball was lost, went into the hazard or went OB, and take a 1 stroke penalty.

For example, if your tee shot goes OB, you drop a new ball closest to where your ball went OB, and you are lying 2. Your next shot will be your 3rd.

You may, but do not have to re-tee a ball hit OB. You can take a drop at the point your ball went OB.

Note: you MAY play your ball from inside a hazard (water or other red/yellow staked hazard) without penalty, but you MAY NOT play your ball from OB (white stakes).

10) Gimmie Putts - In two on two matches, both members of an opposing team have to confirm that a put is "good" without actually putting. Don't pick it up unless you get that confirmation from both other team members. Also in two on two matches, all gimmies must be "inside the leather" in order to get an accurate stroke play score for determining the final pairings. The hole can be conceded, but players must putt out until the ball is "inside the leather."

In one on one matches, you can do what you want with gimmies. Think strategy.

11) Stroke Limit - In all matches, the stroke limit for a person is 9. This is the max score that can be used in determining who wins a hole. If you fail to complete a hole, record a 9 on your score card for that hole.

In 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 best ball matches, a golfer who used 9 as the stroke limit cannot win the hole, but someone who actually records a true 9 can win the hole. A "natural" 9 beats a "max strokes" 9.

12) Rainouts - If we have to stop a round without completing, the following rainout rules will apply.

If the match has completed at least 9 holes, the match will be scored as it currently stood through 9 holes. So whoever was leading at that point wins the match, or if it's tied, the match is halved. The only exception to this is if the match was already done. For example, if a match was won 5 and 4 (up 5 with 4 holes to go), 14 holes would be completed. The match can no longer be rained out and the team that had already won keeps that result.

If less than 9 holes are complete, the match is halved unless one team is already leading by 3 holes. In that case, the team leading by 3 or more holes is the winner.

If there are delays on days where there's 2 rounds: If a morning round starts late, we will play that round as long as there's enough time to finish at least 9 holes before we have to leave to play the afternoon round. Captains will decide before that round the plan for how many holes to play. If it's decided we don't play the round, all matches in that round will be halved.

If an afternoon round starts late, we'll play as long as we can until dark, as long as there's time to finish 9 holes. Captains will decide before that round the plan for how many holes to play. If it's decided we don't play the round, all matches in that round will be halved.

An exception to the above: the Captains, with input from their team, can decide if they want to try and play rained out holes on Sunday before the 1-on-1 matches, on the course for Sunday's matches. Of course, that will need to be available based on tee times at the new course, weather forecast for that day, extra money we may have to pay for those extra holes, etc.

In general, Sunday rounds will be reserved for the 1-on-1 matches, so we should be able to complete 18 holes throughout Sunday. However, if rain does impact the Sunday 1-on-1 matches, the above rainout rules will apply.