The Golf Channel AM Tour National Office has implemented the New Cell Phone policy for 2012. All member’s and potential member’s should familiarize themselves with the policy to avoided "Disqualification" from ANY tournament. The NEW policy is from the USGA Rules of Golf – read below.
DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICES: Tour Players may use distance-measuring devices. The device may not have any feature on it such as weather, wind, slope, grade, temperature etc.
CELL PHONES: Cell phones must be in the off position and may only be used in case of emergency. A cell phone may not be used as a distance measuring device.
The rule is below with the appendix IV below that. To protect our players from mistakenly being disqualified because he was not aware his smart phone had a weather application on it, we have made it a rule on our tour that all cell phones are turned off unless it is an emergency.
14-3. Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment
The USGA reserves the right, at any time, to change the Rules relating to artificial devices, unusual equipment and the unusual use of equipment, and to make or change the interpretations relating to these Rules.
A player in doubt as to whether use of an item would constitute a breach of Rule 14-3 should consult the USGA.
A manufacturer should submit to the USGA a sample of an item to be manufactured for a ruling as to whether its use during a stipulated round would cause a player to be in breach of Rule 14-3. The sample becomes the property of the USGA for reference purposes. If a manufacturer fails to submit a sample or, having submitted a sample, fails to await a ruling before manufacturing and/or marketing the item, the manufacturer assumes the risk of a ruling that use of the item would be contrary to the Rules.
Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment (see Appendix IV for detailed specifications and interpretations), or use any equipment in an unusual manner:
a. That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or
b. For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play; or
c. That might assist him in gripping the club, except that:
(i) gloves may be worn provided that they are plain gloves;
(ii) resin, powder and drying or moisturizing agents may be used; and
(iii) a towel or handkerchief may be wrapped around the grip.
Exceptions:
1. A player is not in breach of this Rule if (a) the equipment or device is designed for or has the effect of alleviating a medical condition, (b) the player has a legitimate medical reason to use the equipment or device, and (c) the Committee is satisfied that its use does not give the player any undue advantage over other players.
2. A player is not in breach of this Rule if he uses equipment in a traditionally accepted manner.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 14-3:
Disqualification.
Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only.
Appendix IV5. Distance-Measuring Devices (Rule 14-3)
During a
stipulated round, the use of any distance measuring device is not permitted unless the Committee has introduced a Local Rule to that effect (see Note to Rule 14-3 and Appendix I; Part B; Section 9).
Even when the Local Rule is in effect, the device must be limited to measuring distance only. Features that would render use of the device contrary to the Local Rule include, but are not limited to:
• the gauging or measuring of slope;
• the gauging or measuring of other conditions that might affect play (e.g., wind speed or direction, or other climate-based information such as temperature, humidity, etc.);
• recommendations that might assist the player in making a
stroke or in his play (e.g., club selection, type of shot to be played, green reading or any other advice related matter); or
• calculating the effective distance between two points based on slope or other conditions affecting shot distance.
Such non-conforming features render use of the device contrary to the
Rules, irrespective of whether or not:
• the features can be switched off or disengaged; and
• the features are switched off or disengaged.
A multi-functional device, such as a smartphone or PDA, may be used as a distance measuring device provided it contains a distance measuring application that meets all of the above limitations (i.e., it must measure distance only). In addition, when the distance measuring application is being used, there must be no other features or applications installed on the device that, if used, would be in breach of the
Rules, whether or not they are actually used.
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