Toptracer League Format & Rules

How the leagues work-  

FORMAT: Two person team, Best Ball match play – Handicapped.  Each team match will consist of 2 individual best ball matches (A vs A, B vs B) that are worth 11 pts each (22 total for the team).  Each hole is worth 1 pt, and winning your match is worth 2 additional points – ties will split points.  Teams will accumulate points during the round-robin matches for the first  8 weeks and will be placed into a playoff bracket for a two week championship  (and consolation playoff) MUST PLAY THE NIGHT OF BOTH PLAYOFF WEEKS TO BE HAVE YOUR SCORE COUNT

Experienced and intermediate-beginner golfers are welcome.
All players will be given a handicap updated weekly by our system. Toptracer simulator will be played under the comfort of our heated outdoor bays and lounge area. Toptracer offers the opportunity for golfers to stay on top of their game during the long winters of Wisconsin. You will be ready to go once spring comes around. TopTracer simulator will allow players to play in different courses each week, from Pebble Beach to Royal St Georges and many more. 

Aside from great fun, this league will include cash payouts for winners, a moderately competitive atmosphere, and a heck of a way to get ready for summer golf!

How to sign up: 

Scroll down for Rules and procedures.

Orientation Summary (just in case you missed it)

Toptracer League Orientation – First Night

1. SPECIALS OF THE NIGHT at the Bar- Hot Mulled Wine and Apple Cider Brandy
2. Check-in at bar – Please correct your contact info, Grab score card or check the master sheet for your assigned bay.  
3. Read our emails – they will be short but important
4. Arrive early for hitting warm-up. Tee off promptly. Alert your opponents if your are going to be late ie. traffic OR ABSENT!
5. Toptracer Set up – DOWNLOAD THE TOPTRACER APP.
   1. Use the “Taptracer Range” app to log into the system.
   2. Select the course of the week from the weekly email or scorecard
   3. Always select FRONT/BACK NINE
   4. Always select the second Tee from the back; women select the Most forward Tees
6. Toptracer technology – it follows the ball until it can see it and then uses algorithms.
   1. One of the many benefits of the Outdoor  league – Play the wind
   2. One of the many benefits of the Outdoor league – normal range balls – NOT limited flight. 
   3. Dusk – might have a 5-minute period of no tracking on a couple of the bays
   4. Heavy rain or snow – no tracking
   5. Technology glitches. THREE OF THEM. Must get the ball 10 feet in the air to track
      1. Double Duff Rule– Men get 2 duffs per shot; women get as many as they feel comfortable with…
      2. Legit re-hit rule –  Sometimes at dusk, TT doesn’t track the ball; in this case, everyone in your foursome will agree it is a NO PENALTY REHIT
      3. Ghost hitting rule – system picks up the golfer’s shot on the bay next to you and tracks it. NO PENALTY REHIT MULLIGAN
7. Scoring
   1. This is a Two Person team – match play (handicapped) – Each team’s A player will compete in a nine-hole head-to-head match. Likewise, each team’s B player will compete in a head-to-head match.
      1. Each hole is worth 1 point. Whoever wins the match gets a bonus 2pt. So best case scenario, you could win 11 pts per player or 22 pts per team. (NEVER HAS HAPPENED)
      2. ALL TIES RESULT IN ½ point to both players
8. Handicap
   1. Handicaps will be established after the second week of play and retroactively applied to your previous scores. 
9. SUBS – We encourage getting subs over rescheduling. Make the Sub change in the IMAGOLFER.COM app or website. ALSO, correct your score card with NAME, Email, CELL NUMBER so that we can put you into the system, so you get credit (WRITE CLEARLY OR ELSE I GET YELLED AT BY MY DATA ENTRY PERSON!)
10. MAKE-UP INFORMATION: If you can’t find a sub, you may make up the round anytime before 6 pm on Sunday of the week of your match. 

11. Scorecard – Write down scores clearly; remember all subs MUST have First and last names and email and cell numbers for the system.

Rules: Subs/make-ups & HOW TO SUB IN IMAGOLFER.com

SUBS INFORMATION: Ideally, we would love for you to have a sub for your team. Once that sub has played for you twice, they are handicapped by the system. This is especially important for playdowns and playoffs.  (sub plays at scratch until he has played twice) 
NOTE: please send us an email that you indeed have a sub, and also have your sub write on the scorecard  “SUB – First, last name, cell #, email address so we can log them into the system. This saves us from a huge deciphering headache! 

– Rule Recap for Subs.
1) Once a sub has played for you twice, they are handicapped by the system. This is especially important for playoffs.  (sub plays at scratch until they have played twice) 

– HOW TO MAKE A SUB IN IMAgolfer.com to make a “Sub request” 1) Pull down the “tee-Times” menu, 2) Select “Sub Request,” 3) Make the change! (We may need to input your sub’s name in the system if it’s their first time – Send us their name, email, and cell.EMAIL us)

– If your Sub is last minute, on the scorecard, write “SUB – First, last name, cell #, email address so we can log them into the system

MAKE-UP INFORMATION: If you can’t find a sub, you may make up the round anytime before 6 pm on Sunday of the week of your match. 
NOTE: If you fail to make up the round before 6pm on Sunday, we will assign 4 points for each player who missed the round, and your opponents will get 7 points each. (Total for your team 8 points and 14 points to your opponents.)

1. Makeup scorecards and course schedules are outside the bathrooms at Missing Links on the wall. 
— Make sure you fill out ALL the information on the lines provided i.e. course, league night and time, and full name. 

2. Please also take a picture of your score card just in case. 

3. Give your completed card to the counterstaff worker.

 4. Please make a bay reservation. The bays are getting pretty packed on weekends lately. 
You will have to reserve and pay for a bay.  [CLICK HERE FOR BAY RESERVATION]

FAQ

Q: Why is my handicap so low this session?
A: Everybody’s handicaps got pushed lower because we changed the handicap settings from averaging the best 5 scores of the last 10 rounds, to the best 3 scores of the last 10 rounds. We also changed the MAX handicap from 11 to 7. 

Q: My score is zero for last week (or 2 weeks ago, or the first two weeks of the league)
A: In the first two weeks, the IMAGOLFER system does not calculate the scores until each player in both rounds has played twice ( IF THE SYSTEM HAS ALL PLAYERS HCP, THEN IT WILL AUTO CALCULATE IMMEDIATELY). 
The IMAGOLFER system will determine who played who for the first two weeks. Player A vs. Player A and Player B vs. Player B….
The IMAGOLFER system will retroactively calculate your scores for the first two weeks.

Q: If our team plays a Ghost Golfer how do we know how many points we win.
A: Our current settings give your team 11 pts and the ghost team 11 pts.

Thanks for asking. Your question and our answer will make the FAQ on the website.

Q: How does playing against a “Ghost Golfer” work? (Ghost golfers are used to even out pairings when there is an odd number of teams) They are randomly paired against all golfers in the league. 
A: If you happen to randomly get paired against a ghost golfer your team will be awarded 11pts. Basically a tie. We don’t want to punish or reward a team that randomly has to play the ghost golfer. (If you see you are going to play against the ghost golfer feel free to bring some friends to play against) With that being said, your round IS IMPORTANT, and scores will be recorded so that we have a running tabulation of your handicap. 

Q: How do playoffs work?
A: 

Playoffs for 10 week league (weeks 9 & 10)

1) Championship Playoff Bracket:

• The 4 teams with the most cumulative points accrued in weeks 1-8 will compete for the league championship via net best ball match play (format details below).
  • Playoffs will be seeded based on season standings.
  • If two or more teams are tied for the top 4 in cumulative points, the following order will be used to break all ties:
    • 1.  Low player net score – week 1
    • 2.  Low team net score – week 1
    • 3.  Low player net score – week 2
    • This will be continued in order through week 8 until all ties are broken

Net best ball match play format:
Both A and B players play one match against A and B players of the opposing team. The lower net score per hole will be awarded 1 point

• Additionally, the team that wins the majority of the holes will receive two points for winning the match.
• No playoff matches can end in ties.  If, after 9 holes, the two competing teams are tied, a sudden-death playoff will ensue- the team that wins the first sudden-death hole wins the match.

2) Consolation Bracket:

• The remaining non-championship bracket teams will reset to zero points and play for the next two weeks’ normal format.  The team with the most cumulative points for weeks 9 & 10 will win the Consolation Bracket.  All ties will use the order established above for the playoff bracket.
• No makeup rounds will be accepted during the playoffs.
• Any substitute golfer for a playoff round must have a Missing Links Top Tracer handicap or play as a scratch golfer.