The Duffers

2026 Duffers Scoring and Rules

All Members and Candidates are eligible to be in the Championship if they have a Duffer Handicap.
Group Assignments - The President will assign players to 4somes or 3somes via email.
Tees - Everyone shall play from the gold tees. As players of differing abilities, age, and genders are added to the roster, additional tee boxes can be added or players allowed to play from non-gold tees.
Duffer handicap - after two rounds of play with the Duffers, a handicap will be established.
Handicap calculation - USGA is 8 out of 20 scores. Duffers 6 out of 12
Net Scores will be used for all competition and points.
Champion will be the most points based on Net Scoring after the regular season and Championship. The President will decide on how to break a tie if more than one player has the most points.
Points will accumulate all season long, every sanctioned event counts, except April which is a practice month (All completed rounds count toward handicap, unless otherwise announced).
Minimum golfers that START for the week to make it a sanctioned event for points = 8 (otherwise, just handicap and no points)
A Duffer must play all 18 holes for score to count for points and handicap.
If an event starts, and weather interrupts play, the President shall decide if the players finishing all 18 holes will receive points.
Weekly points of net scores will be determined and announced as the year progresses. Current points starting with the first points round on April 30:

a. 2 pts for lowest net score of all players for 18 holes

b. 1 pt for lowest net score in your group (3some or 4some) for 18 holes

c. 1 pt for 2^nd to 10^th lowest net score of all players for 18 holes

d. Other points might be introduced throughout the season for things like match play
Championship event points of net scores will be determined and announced in September.
Ties - get the points for their tied place. All others move up a place. (example: if 2 players tie for lowest score, they both get winning pts, 3^rd place now gets 2^nd place points)
Scorecards - The driver of each cart shall keep scorecards as an error-checking method. One of the golfers should also keep score in the app.
Max Score Per Hole is DOUBLE PAR, mark scorecards accordingly.
Three putt max - After your 2^nd putt, pick up and count 3 putts for your score, even if it is less than a double par. A putt is any shot from ON the green. Shots from the fringe are not considered putts. However, once you are on the green, everything else after that is a putt for the 3 putts, even if it rolls off the green.
Putting - A gimmie is 18-inches or less. No gimmies during the Championship rounds, however.
Winter Rules - All year is winter rules. Stir it, no more than a 6" reposition, no better shot at the green, lift and clean if mud clumps are on the ball.
Rock & Tree Root Rule - Do not damage a club or injure yourself. If you get stuck in trees or landscapes with lots of rocks or roots, move the ball within a few feet to where it is safe to hit, usually away from the hole, not improving your shot past a tree, etc.
Leaf Rule / Unfound Ball - If you can not find your ball in the fairway or rough in 2-3 minutes and everyone knows for sure that it was not in a hazard, your group or cart partner must agree on a reasonable location of where the shot should have been, drop a ball and play on, no penalty. This is not intended for shots that went into the woods, tall grass, etc., those are lost for a one stroke penalty.
Wet Sand - After wet weather, if the sand traps have standing water or wet/hard sand, ALL sand shots can be dropped in the grass on the backside of the trap away from the flag. The President will try to remind Duffers of the ruling before the start of the round so that all players benefit from the relief.
Out of Bounds & Hazards - Special Duffer Ruling, ALL hazards and OB are played like a water hazard. Drop a ball in-line with the trajectory of your shot and take a one stroke penalty. In other words, after a tee shot, you hit your 3^rd shot from in-line between the tee and where the ball went into the hazard or OB (or the drop circle for water on par 3's).
Breakfast Ball - Has been outlawed. Must use a mulligan if you do not like your hole 1 tee shot.
Mulligans - 2 total to be used on the front nine and/or back nine. Tee shots only. Must clearly declare a mulligan is being used to re-tee the drive. If you call for a mulligan, and your 2^nd shot is the same or worse, or you do not use your 2^nd shot, you will have used your mulligan! [since many players are senile senior citizens, scorekeepers should place a dot on players scorecard for each mulligan used]
18th Hole Mulligan - If you still have your 1 or 2 mulligans left on the 18th hole, you can hit your regular tee shot and mulligan tee shots) and use your best drive.
Provisional tee shot / possible mulligan - This is an honor system, to be used maybe once or twice a round, and not to be abused. Hit a provisional 2^nd tee shot if you are unsure your 1^st tee shot is OB, in a "hazard", or obstructed, ONLY. ["Hazard" can be water, sand, rocks, wild grass, trees, buildings, basically anything obstructive for a clean shot]

1. If your original tee shot is in a playable location and you play it, you keep your mulligan;

2. If you play your provisional tee shot, you will have used your mulligan, obviously;

3. If both your original tee shot and your provisional shot are both in water, out of bounds, lost in the woods, etc, you will have used your mulligan. (Ex. Original tee shot went into trees, provisional is also in the trees, your mulligan is gone.