STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP) FOR THE
EL DORADO PARK MEN’S GOLF CLUB

(revised by Board of Directors 11/1/11)

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to serve as a guideline for the operation and management of the El Dorado Park Men's Golf Club, a non-profit organization operating at the El Dorado Park Golf Course in Long Beach, California.  This procedure is to be used in conjunction with, and support of, the By-laws.  It is not intended nor should it be used to circumvent the By-laws.

Scope

This standard operating procedure will include a general section and job descriptions for each position on the Board of Directors.  The SOP will include pertinent information from the By-laws and appropriate milestones, and deadlines and policies adopted by the Board of Directors from time to time.  The appendix will include an example master calendar, a sample copy of a financial responsibility statement (that each Member of the Board of Directors is to sign each year at the beginning of the term of office), and the complete By-laws.
This is a dynamic document and will be maintained on an ongoing basis.  The President will assign the task of maintaining the SOP each year.

The Club (....from the By-laws)

ARTICLE IV

Section 1.  The control and management of the Club and the interpretation of these By-laws shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors except where directed by majority vote of the Members present at any meeting of Club.

ARTICLE IV

Section 3.  The Board of Directors shall consist of twelve Members.  All of these Members are entitled to a vote on actions taken by the Board.

ARTICLE XI
Section 1.

The Board shall establish such standing committees as are necessary for the smooth operation of the Club.  Each Member of the Board shall be a Member of each standing committee.  Any Member of the Club can be appointed to a standing committee or special committee by the President, or by the chairman of that committee with the approval of the Board of Directors.

General

The above sections of the By-laws make the management of the Club within the scope and authority of the Board of Directors or by the President, as allowed by the By-laws or as directed by the Board.  Section 3 of Article IV states that the Board of Directors will consist of twelve Members.  There are six (6) elected Members: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two (2) Directors at Large.  The President appoints five (5) at-large Members to the Board with the approval of a majority of the other elected Board Members.  These appointments serve as committee chairmen: Special Events Chairman, Entertainment Chairman, Handicap Chairman, Communications Director, and Rules Chairman.  The Board may change the job titles and job descriptions to best serve the Club.  The President should convene the elected members of the Board to approve his appointments as soon as practicable after the election of the new Board at the November Annual Meeting.  The twelfth Member of the Board is the most immediate Past President who is willing and able to serve.  All Members of the Board vote on all matters before the Board except approval of appointed Members (elected Members only) and disputes involving a Member or Members of the Board (Members involved excluded).

Getting Started

The Board of Directors serves for a one-year term, however, there are no restrictions as to the number of consecutive terms a Board Member may serve in any office, or to be a Member of the Board in various offices. 

The November meeting is designated as the annual meeting of the Club and the election of officers is held at that time. According to the By-laws, the new Board takes over at the end of the December meeting or after the Christmas Tournament, which ever comes latest; however, in practicality the new Board needs to act right away on several issues:

Elections

The election of the Board of Directors is held at the November General Meeting each year, which is designated as the Annual Meeting of the Club.   The President, prior to the August General Meeting, appoints a Nominating Committee, consisting of a Chairman (usually the Immediate Past President) and two other members of the Club.  In August, the election is announced inviting all Members interested in running for an office to contact the Nominating Committee.  At the September General Meeting, a list of those members interested in running for each office is presented to the Club.  At the October general meeting, nominations are taken from the floor.  (At the October 2011 Board of Directors Meeting, the Board unanimously approved the ability to request the membership of the Club to approve an election by acclamation of those members nominated for the six elected offices, if each of the offices has only the requisite number of nominees, rather than conducting an election in November).  Ballots are prepared by the Nominating Committee, listing candidates in alphabetical order, and distributed to all Members in attendance at the Annual Meeting (one per member).  The ballots are counted by the Committee and one other member of the Club chosen from among those present at the Annual Meeting.

The Committee will destroy the ballots after the results are announced, through authority given by a motion, second, and voice vote of the Membership.  Once the election takes place in November, the new President will take charge of the transition described in the previous section.  As stated before, the incoming Board officially takes over responsibility for managing the Club at the end of the December meeting or after the Christmas Tournament, which ever comes latest.

Meetings

The monthly general meeting of the Club is held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7PM at the El Dorado Park Golf Course under the Big Tent.  Board meetings will be held each month at a time and place designated by the President.  Historically, the Board meeting has been the first Tuesday of the month for best results in management of the Club.  Each Board Member is expected to attend both of these meetings.  The President or his designee will chair the Board Meeting and the General Meeting.  If a Board Member cannot attend either the General Meeting or a Board Meeting for any reason, he is responsible for advising the President with as much advance notice as possible. As part of the Annual Budget, the Board generally approves up to $75 from Club funds, and each member of the Board donates $10, to offset food and beverage at each month’s Board Meeting.

A typical General Meeting Agenda will include:

Tournaments

Board Members are encouraged to participate in all tournaments, drive and bus trips, and weekenders.  Each Board Member is entitled to one tee time in each monthly tournament and a spot in each away trip.  If two or more Directors choose to play in the same group at a monthly tournament, the extra tee times will be made available to the general membership.  In addition to a reserved spot in each of these events, each member of the Board is expected to help the Director in charge of the event as assigned.  If a member of the Board of Directors cannot attend a tournament or away event for any reason, he is responsible to inform the Director in charge as soon as possible.

Financial Responsibility

Many Board Members will be collecting moneys from the Membership for the various activities for which they are responsible.  It is the Board Member's responsibility to get Club funds to the Treasurer in an expeditious manner.  All currency and coin (cash) is to be transferred in person and verified by the receiving party.  Receipts and reports are required to substantiate payouts.  The Treasurer will issue receipts for all financial transactions between the Club and a Board Member.  All Members of the Board will sign a Statement of Financial Responsibility (sample in Appendix) at the beginning of the year.

Job Descriptions

President
....from the By-laws 

ARTICLE V

Section 1.  The President.  The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Board of Directors, and in general shall perform the duties incident to the office.  He shall appoint the elected or appointed Members of the Board to chair the specific committees or carry out the specific jobs that are included in these by-laws or have been deemed necessary by the Board.  He is also authorized to appoint special committees as he or the Board of Directors may deem necessary or advisable to further the interests or purpose of the Club.  He shall report or cause to be reported to the Membership all actions of the Board of Directors. 

General

The President is the Club’s general manager and he represents the Club whenever and wherever necessary.  Each Member of the Board will be responsible to the President for their functional area.
 The President's tenure really starts with his election in November.  His first action is to nominate five (5) Members to the Board: Special Events, Entertainment, Handicap, Communication and Rules, who are then voted upon by the newly elected members of the Board.  This must be done by November 20th so the "Schedule of Events" card with the new Board Members can be printed for mailing to the membership in December.  The President also designates a Member of the Club to be the Club’s Southern California Golf Association Delegate.  The By-laws do not require that this position be approved by the elected Board members or the entire Board, but such approval is advisable.  The new Board Members have historically been invited to attend the December Board of Directors meeting.

The President, as well as the Treasurer and the Vice President, will be signatories of the Club bank account.  The Treasurer is responsible to assure this process takes place before the beginning of each year.  Club Policy requires that two of the above officers sign all checks.  For practical purposes, it is allowed for the Treasurer to have as many as ten checks pre-signed by either the President or Vice President, and it is acceptable for the President and the Vice President to each be in possession of one check that is pre-signed by the Treasurer for use in emergency situations.

Assignment to some specific tasks and sub-committees will be made by the President at the beginning of the year and as necessary throughout the year.  This includes determining the Director or Directors responsible for making periodic checks of the Post Office Box.  The two at-large Directors are most normally given most of the following tasks: Golfer of the Month, Golfer of the Year Tournament, nine-hole tournaments, putting contests, Long Beach Open Raffle and Scramble Raffle ticket sales, Quad Club, Flights, and Club Championship.  The assignment of these and any other necessary tasks is the purview of the President.

The President will advise the Treasurer to have a proposed budget prepared for the January Board meeting for discussion, revision, and adoption by no later than the February Board Meeting.
The President will initiate a financial responsibility statement and require all Board Members to sign it.

The President will write a monthly article for the Newsletter, "The President's Corner" that will contain general information for the Membership at the President's discretion.
The President may invite guests from the following organizations to the Christmas Tournament: Members of the Long Beach City Council; key personnel in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine; American Golf executives; pro shop personnel; and employees and management of the golf course restaurant. This should be done approximately a month and a half before the event.
If any Member of the Board cannot complete his term, the President will appoint a replacement for the duration of the term with the approval of the remaining Members of the Board of Directors.

Vice President/Tournament Chairman 
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE V

Section 2.  The Vice President.  The Vice President shall be the chairman of the Tournament Committee.  In the absence or inability of the President to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of that office, or assume that office as necessary.

ARTICLE Xl

Section 2.  The Tournament Committee shall take entries for, and conduct all tournaments scheduled at El Dorado Park Golf Course.

General

The Vice President is responsible for planning all monthly tournaments and directing the Board in all tasks required to conduct the monthly tournaments.  The planning starts after the election in November by establishing the format for each Tournament for the following year. This must be done by November 20th so the "Schedule of Events" cards can be printed for mailing to the membership in December.

A meeting between the VP and the GM of El Dorado will determine the upcoming home tournament schedule.  We are allowed one tournament each month, two of which are two-day tournaments, designated as the “Member-Member,” and the “Partner’s Tournament”, and one of which is four three consecutive weekend days for a Club Championship.

The Tournament Chairman sets the format for all tournaments.  The August BBQ/Raffle tournament has historically utilized a shotgun and the Christmas Tournament is a Shotgun (We have the course all day).

To ensure that subsidized or important events are open only to members who have been supportive of the Club, and have shown their true ability to the Handicap Committee, in order for a Member to participate in the Christmas, Member/Member, Club Championship events and Team Play, he must have participated in at least three (3) Club events over the preceding 12 months, and he must have an established SCGA handicap. Three Club sponsored events (including monthly tournaments, away trips, Team Play matches and Quad Club, but not 9-hole tournaments) will qualify the Member for participation.

A typical tournament will be run as follows:

Effective December 2011, sign-ups for all monthly events will be taken at the meeting prior to the month of the tournament.  Members of the Board of Directors will advise the Tournament Chairman of the members of their group at the Board Meeting one week prior to the sign-ups.

The Tournament Chairman will assign duties to each Member of the Board for the day of the event.

The Tournament Chairman is responsible for all entry fees for the event and will collect from participants and submit said moneys to the Club Treasurer, who shall pay the course at the end of the day of the tournament. The Club is responsible to pay the course for all of the groups reserved and not returned to the course at least 48 hours before the event.  A member may only receive a refund for an emergency situation as determined by the Tournament Chairman.  To avoid having excessive cash laying around on tournament days, to ease the job of the Tournament Chairman and to ensure the Club is not charged for unpaid fees, beginning in December of 2011, the Board instituted a policy requiring a $5 penalty for any entry not paid by the night of the meeting before the tournament. This $5 fee shall be added to the purse for that tournament.  

The Tournament Chairman will determine all flight designations and payoffs.  Ideally, this is done prior to the tournament and is part of the format/rules sheet.  Unless incompatible with a particular format (i.e. One Ball Gross, Two Balls Net, etc.) there shall be a one gross payout in each flight and net payouts to approximately one third of each flight.  The Tournament Chairman will provide a copy of the results of each tournament to the Treasurer and the Special Events Chairman.  The Treasurer shall compare the results with the entry fees received for the particular tournament and the greens fees paid to the course, and then write a check for the amount of the winnings made out to the golf shop.  This check will be given to the Special Events Chairman who shall provide the check and the winnings to the Golf Shop for the creation of the gift cards and the Special Events Chairman shall place them in the Scrip Box.

A Format/Rules sheet will be prepared by the Tournament Chairman and will be available for all participants prior to their tee off time.

The Tournament Chairman will schedule himself so as to be available to all concerned on the day of the event.

Results of the event will be posted at the Club and on the Website by the Tournament Chairman within five days of the event. An additional window of 4-5 days should be observed between posting of results and generating of gift cards or payout envelopes in case mistakes are identified and changes need to be made.

The Tournament Chairman must be prepared for last minute changes and rulings on disputes.
The Vice President/Tournament Chairman will be prepared to advise the Board of tournament status at each Board Meeting, to speak at each General Meeting regarding tournament matters, and write a tournament report for each Newsletter.

Some tournaments require special handling. The Member-Member and August BBQ usually include food. Arrangements must be coordinated with the restaurant.  Also, advise the restaurant to be properly staffed for the Christmas Tournament (early shotgun means lots of early breakfasts).
The Vice President must be willing and able to serve as President either temporarily or to fulfill the current term of President in the event that the President cannot so serve, or designate another member of the Board to do so.

Secretary
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE V

Section 3.  The Secretary.  The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the Club and of the Board of Directors.  He shall give and serve all notices of meetings. He shall be responsible for, and have charge of, all correspondence, files, and papers of the Club.  He shall serve as the Membership Chairman and be responsible to perform all duties incident to the office or required by the association with which the Club is affiliated.

General

The Secretary is responsible to take minutes of each General Meeting and make sure said minutes are published in the monthly Newsletter.  He is also responsible to take minutes of all Board Meetings and Special Meetings and make them part of the Club correspondence file.

The Secretary is responsible for all correspondence for the Club, including sympathy cards and/or flowers for Members who are sick or pass away.  He will keep the correspondence files for the Club including minutes of all meetings and all newsletters.

As Membership Chairman, the Secretary deletes Members from Southern California Golf Association Membership that do not renew their Club Membership prior to December 15th and adds new Members according to the schedule set by the SCGA in each year.  New Members are added to the Southern California Golf Association Membership and their email addresses are submitted to the Club Webmaster.  The Secretary makes sure there is an adequate supply of new Member applications at the golf course. The Secretary sends a welcoming package to all new Members that includes a welcome letter from the President, the New Member Information Sheets and a Schedule of Events card.

Monthly newsletters (as described in Article IX – Communications Director) are e-mailed monthly to all members who have provided the secretary with an email address.

The Secretary maintains the Membership roster and provides an electronic copy to the Webmaster with a roster prior to the January Newsletter.  Periodic updates are provided as new Members are added throughout the year. 

The Secretary also reconciles the Membership roster with the SCGA records on a monthly basis.  He collects the Membership renewals and new Memberships in concert with the Treasurer and insures that all renewal and new Membership fees are given to the Treasurer. The Secretary reconciles the monthly SCGA list/billing via receipt from the Treasurer.  In June or July, the Secretary will revise the renewal form and provides it to a printing company for printing and mailing by August 15th.  

 Treasurer
 ....from the By-laws

ARTICLE V

Section 4.  The Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of all moneys received, and shall deposit the same in the name of the Club in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  He shall disperse all moneys under the direction of the Board of Directors.  He shall have the authority to receive and to give receipts for all moneys due and payable to the Club from any source whatever, and to endorse on behalf of the Club all checks, drafts, notes, warrants and orders, and to give full discharge for same.  He, and the President or Vice President jointly, shall sign all checks, drafts, notes, warrants and orders for payment of Club funds.  He shall present at each monthly meeting of the Club, a written report of the financial affairs of the Club from the previous month, and shall make such a report available whenever requested by the Board of Directors.  He shall prepare an annual report to be audited as may be directed by the Board of Directors. He shall perform all duties incident to the office.

General

The Treasurer will submit a Treasurer's Report to be published monthly in the newsletter.  This report will cover the previous month's financial activity with beginning and ending balances to satisfy the By-laws requirement.  Acceptance of the report will be made by motion of the Membership at the General Meeting.

When the position of Treasurer changes from one Member to another, full coordination and cooperation is required more than any other office because they are dealing with Club funds and the dollars involved are considerable.  The outgoing Treasurer should complete the previous year's December Treasurer's Report and ending balances before turning the checkbook and other related items over to the new Treasurer.  This can be done at a mutually agreeable time for the outgoing and incoming Treasurer.  An address change should be executed so bank statements go to the new Treasurer.  There are currently two bank/checking accounts for the Club, which alternate in odd and even years so as to have a clear yearly accounting of funds.

After soliciting input from the President and other Board Members as well as consulting previous budgets, the Treasurer will prepare a proposed budget for presentation to the Board at the January Board meeting.  The Board will discuss, revise if necessary, and approve the budget.  The approved budget will be the financial guideline for the year.

After paying the Membership dues to the Southern California Golf Association, the Treasurer and the President or Board should consider the possible amounts and duration of Certificates of Deposit for excess funds not immediately needed to meet the Club's financial obligations (i.e. can enough money for a six month CD be set aside, or is it better to put larger amounts in two or three month CDs, etc.)
The January Treasurer's Report should contain a recap of "prepaid expenses" (i.e. items paid in the previous year such as bus trip deposits and Team Play entry fees) and assets carried forward each year, e.g.: Hole-In-One Fund, 50/50 raffle proceeds, bus trip entries, etc.

The Treasurer is responsible to reconcile the bank statement each month.  The statement will arrive approximately the 15th of the month so the reconciliation and Treasurer's Report can be completed in time to be included in the Newsletter.

The Treasurer is responsible to ensure the Nonprofit Tax Return is completed either by himself or by a Member qualified to do it.  This return is due by May 15th.

In September, the Treasurer along with the President and the Board should consider placing funds received from dues for the upcoming year in a Certificate of Deposit.

In November, the Treasurer will solicit input from all Board Members of upcoming expenses and encumbrances so that a budget for a subsidy to the Christmas Tournament prize fund can be established.

At the beginning of the term of the Board (November or December), the Treasurers (old and new) should review the need of changing banks with the incoming President.  In any event, a new signature card with the President, Vice President, and Treasurer authorized, is to be submitted to the bank.  To help with organization and record keeping, effective in approximately 2008, the Club created two checking accounts to be used for funds from even and odd years.  Effective in approximately 2009, the Club created a checking account for just the monthly tournaments and away trips.

Any Board Member who has Club funds to be deposited should get them to the Treasurer in person as soon as practicable.  Currency and coin (cash) must be given to the Treasurer personally, and receipted; checks may be left in the Men's Club box, if necessary but should be endorsed before being put in the box.  The Vice President and Treasurer have endorsement stamps. 

Club Policy requires that two of the President, Vice-President and Treasurer sign all checks.  For practical purposes, it is allowed for the Treasurer to have as many as ten checks pre-signed by either the President or Vice President, and it is acceptable for the President and the Vice President to be in possession of one check that is pre-signed by the Treasurer for use in emergency situations.

At Large Directors 

The Club By-laws provide that two (2) At-Large Members be elected to the Board of Directors.  These At-Large Directors serve as directed by the President.  Traditionally, the Directors are assigned the following responsibilities: Golfer of the Month, Golfer of the Year Tournament, Quad Club, the Putting Contest, the Nine-Hole Tournament, and the Flight Championships.  Other responsibilities include raffle ticket sales for the Long Beach Open Pro-Am and the “September Scramble.” The Club Championship has been assigned to a Director in the past but has also been assigned to the Handicap Chairman, and handled by the President.  All these assignments are at the discretion of the President, and assigned early in the year.

The At-Large Directors are also the first back-up for key assignments if the Board Member primarily responsible cannot perform his duties at a particular event (e.g. the Tournament Chairman is unavailable to conduct a tournament for a business or personal reason).

The At-Large Directors must be prepared to discuss their assigned responsibilities at Board Meetings and address the General Meetings as necessary.  They must submit articles to the newsletter appropriate to their responsibilities and assignments each month.

Golfer of the Month / Golfer of the Year

Each month the Club awards two Golfer of the Month (GOM) Awards, one for net and one for gross. The Net GOM is determined by using the player’s LI (Low Index) in effect the day the round was played (voted at 11/1/11 Board Meeting).   Members must submit individual cards for rounds played at El Dorado only.  The card must be filled out as described in an example in the Pro Shop, and must be attested by another Club Member.  The cards are deposited in the Club’s mailbox in the Golf Shop. A Member can win Golfer of the Month only one time per calendar year.

The Director in charge collects all cards submitted immediately at the end of the month.  He reviews the cards and establishes a winner.  In the case of a tie for first, the winner is determined by a card off using the method recommended by the United States Golf Association (i.e. back nine, last six holes, last three holes, last hole. The same sequence applies on front nine).  Plaques for winners are engraved in time to be presented at the General Meeting.  The Director in charge makes the Golfer of the Month presentations at the meeting.

Early the following year, all Golfers of the Month compete in the Golfer of the Year Tournament planned and run by the Director assigned.  Net golfers of the month compete for Net Golfer of the Year and gross golfers of the month compete for Gross Golfer of the Year.  The date is established by the Board; normally this is a Saturday Team Play time in early March after the regular team play season has been completed.  The Director in charge forms a small committee from the Board.  The committee contacts all those who have qualified and notifies them of the date and starting times. The tournament format is stroke play for gross players, and net, current handicap, for net winners. Plaques are presented at the first General Meeting after the tournament.  The Net Golfer of the Year Tournament will be played to each monthly winner’s LI as of the date of the GOY Tournament.

Nine-hole Tournament

During Daylight Savings Time, a nine-hole tournament is held in conjunction with the General Meeting.  An announcement is made regarding the nine-hole tournament by the Director in charge at the General Meeting the month prior to the first tournament.  On the day of the General Meeting, any Member who plays El Dorado with another Member and pays an entry fee (established by the Director in charge) in the Pro Shop prior to play, is eligible to win a share of the pot based on his net score on the front nine using one-half of his current handicap. The tournament is played from the blue tees.  The number of places paid and the Director in charge will determine amount of each payoff with 100% of entry fees being paid. Payoffs are awarded at the General Meeting.

Putting Contest

During Daylight Savings Time, a putting contest is held in conjunction with the General Meeting.  An announcement is made regarding the putting contest by the Director in charge at the General Meeting the month prior to the first contest.  The Director in charge sets up a course on the practice putting green and for an entry fee, Members can "play" the course.  The Director in charge establishes the format.  Each entry fee entitles the player to one round but there is no limit to the number of times a Member can pay said fee and play.  The number of places paid and the Director in charge will determine amount of each payoff with 100% of entry fees being paid.  Payoffs are awarded at the General Meeting.

Quad Club

Each year, four local Men’s Clubs play a “Quad Club” event: El Dorado, Recreation Park, Skylinks, and Lakewood. Generally, there are 40 players from each Club playing for “points.” There is one player from each Club per foursome. Format is total score less full handicap. Three points are awarded by group for first low net, two points for second, one point for third, and zero points for last.  Ties split points available.  The total points are added and the Club with the greatest number of points possesses of the Quad Club Trophy until the next tournament. The tournament site rotates among the four courses. The Quad Club is run by an At-Large Director, as assigned by the President.   The Director in charge announces ideally at least two months before the event that sign-ups are being taken, usually ensures that any member who recorded 3 points the previous year is on that year’s team, seeks other members of the Board to assist him in running this event, and may run optional side pot games.  The Club hosting the Quad Club is usually responsible for making the pairings based on reasonable requests for starting times, and making the pairings so that the variations on course handicaps in each group are minimal.  The Head Professional at each course (or designee) is usually paired in the first group against the professionals from the other courses, and the President of each Club is usually paired together in a show of camaraderie and so that ideas and best practices may be shared among all of the Clubs.

Club Championship

The Club Championship is generally contested over 54 holes each year in June.  The Club Championship is open to all Members with current handicap indexes of 8.4 or less and who have played in at least 3 events in the prior 12 months. The Senior Club Championship is open to Members age 50 and older, and is generally held over 36 holes in August. There are also flighted Club Championships for between 2-4 flights depending upon total entries.  With the cancellation of the Fathers’ Day tournament in 2012,the Board shall decide if the Club Championship shall be three or four rounds.   To qualify, a Member must have participated in at least three Club events in the twelve months since the last Club Championship.  The Club Championship and Senior Championship are gross tournaments, while the flighted Divisions may be played gross or net within each flight at the discretion of the Director in charge. Each year the Director in charge must identify the qualifications for participating in any SCGA Tournament of Champions events, and decide (with the input of the Board) whether those qualifications shall be imposed on the participants of the various Championships.  Any qualifications that lessen eligibility for a Club event should be carefully examined before being implemented.

The Director responsible for planning and conducting the Club Championship will place a notice and entry blank in the Newsletter (this is the only Club event to allow sign ups other than at a monthly meeting) two months prior to the Championships and begin sign-ups.  The tournament planning and execution process is as follows:

Confirm tee times with American Golf.  (times should have been arranged by the tournament Chairman at December scheduling meeting with American Golf).

• Establish a deadline for entries and stick to it!
• Inform participants of their specific tee times at least a week ahead of time.
• Have a Rules sheet available to all participants prior to their tee time, along with preprinted scorecards.
• Arrange for a small committee of Board Members to help run the tournament.
• Post all scores as tournament scores
  Get trophies (or plaques) for the winners of the all Divisions.  Have the nameplate on the Club Championship Trophy engraved.
• Send names of winners to Southern California Golf Association to be published in FORE magazine and write article for the newsletter.
• Ensure the Club Champion is entered in the SCGA Tournament of Club Champions in December.  The USGA allows for the entry fee for this event to be paid by the Club.

 

Both the Club Champion and the Senior Club Champion receive their Club Membership sponsored by the Club for the following calendar year if they fill out a membership renewal application.

Flights Championships

In the June to November time frame each year, the assigned Director runs the "Flights".  The flights are net match play; single elimination rounds played at El Dorado, in brackets of 16 players, grouped by handicap.  The first round must be played by the end of August, the second round by the end of September, the semifinal round by the end of October, and the finals by the end of November. Participants arrange for their own matches and starting times.  The Director in change takes sign-ups, checks handicaps, assigns brackets, and ensures all matches are played on time.  If matches are not played on time both of the players should be disqualified, unless the Director in charge verifies that one member made considerably more effort to arrange or complete the match, in which case that member should be declared the winner.  A binder with all pairings is located in the pro shop.  Winners are presented with plaques and winnings at the December General Meeting. 

Past President

The By-laws provide that the most immediate past President who is willing and able to serve is made a Member (with a vote) of the Board of Directors.  In most cases, the Past President has spent many years on the Board and possesses knowledge and insight not always documented.  Since he has been President, he should be familiar with all jobs and schedules required to manage the Club.  In this role, the Past President provides the President and the Board with guidance and advice on Club matters.
The Past President is charged with the responsibility of planning and running the Directors' Outing.  The Board of Directors generally goes on one golf weekender per year. Each Board Member receives an annual stipend of $350.00 (as approved by the Membership in 2011) to be spent in whatever way an individual Director desires. The stipend is generally applied to the cost of the weekender. Site selection, date, and format are the responsibility of the Past President with advice of the rest of the Board.

The Past President will give an indoctrination session to all new Members attending their first General Meeting.  Included in the indoctrination will be how to sign-up for tournaments and events, details about Club functions, how to post scores, and a question and answer process.
The Club has a Hole-In-One Insurance Fund.  On a voluntary basis, each Member may pay a "premium" (currently $5.00) to get in.  If a Member that has paid into the Hole-In-One Insurance Fund gets a hole-in-one in a full-field monthly tournament, he receives the proceeds of the fund.  Once paid out, the fund is reestablished by Members again paying the "premium".  Away trips, Team Play, and events not considered the Club's monthly tournament at El Dorado or in the rounds of the Club Championship Divisions that are not part of a full-field monthly event, are excluded from the payoff.  The Past President is the administrator of the Hole-In-One Insurance Fund. He collects the "premium" and submits these funds to the Treasurer.  The Treasurer maintains this as a separate line item in all financial reports.  The Past President maintains records of who is in the Hole-In-One Insurance Fund and solicits those who are not, to join.  He posts a list of the Members in the Hole-In-One Insurance Fund on the Club's website.  Should two holes-in-one occur in the same event, the Insurance will be split.

Special Events Chairman
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE Xl

Section 6.  The Special Events Committee shall be responsible for, and manage, any and all special events at Club functions.

General

The primary, ongoing responsibilities of the Special Events Chairman are the special events (e.g. Closest to the Hole, Skins game, etc.) held as part of each monthly tournament.  Additionally, he handles two Opportunity Drawings (After the September Scramble Tournament and after the December General Meeting).  The Special Events Chairman is also responsible for maintaining the gift cards for tournament and special events payoffs.  Any other special event (e.g. a Club dance, etc.) would be organized and run by the Special Events Chairman and his committee.

The Monthly Membership drawing is conducted to encourage attendance at our General Meetings.  The Secretary has a numbered list of the Membership (i.e. each Member as an arbitrary number).  If the Member whose number is drawn is present, he gets the "pot". If the Member is not present, the pot is increased by $10 each month with a starting point of $50.00.  One number is drawn per meeting.  At the December meeting, numbers are drawn until we have a winner. Depending on available funds in the Annual Budget, an additional drawing for a predetermined amount as approved in the annual budget is held after the growing Monthly Membership drawing; this drawing is for a set amount depending on the annual budget, and members are drawn until a winner is present.
The Opportunity Drawings conducted in association with the August Scramble and the December General Meeting are on a larger scale. The overwhelming majority of the items purchased for these two raffles are to be purchased from the golf course, with as much as 25% of the items being purchased from other sources (alcohol, etc.).  With the exception of an approximately $1,000 bank, all of the proceeds of the raffle should be distributed to ticket holders in the form of cash.
The Special Events Chairman will record all Opportunity Drawing transactions and submit records to the Treasurer, along with all profits if any, which shall be carried over to the subsequent year’s Opportunity Drawings.

Special Events at Monthly Tournaments

The Special Events Chairman and his committee are responsible for all special events at the Club's monthly tournaments.  A special event is defined as any event taking place at a tournament that is not part of the tournament itself (e.g. skins game, circles on greens, long drive, straight drive, etc.) for which a separate and not mandatory entry fee is paid. 100% of the “side pots” are paid to the winners in cash.  The process for each monthly tournament is as follows:

Advise course Superintendent which holes and what size circles or other markings are required.  This is to be done in writing at least one week prior to the tournament.

Ensure course is marked prior to tournament start and place appropriate signs and placards on special event holes.

The Check-in table will be manned from the beginning of the tournament until all participants have checked in, by the Special Events Chairman or committee member to collect special events entry fees.     Flights will be broken into approximately equal flights based on the handicap being used in the particular tournament (i.e. a tournament played at LI, will have Special Events Flights determined using LI).  It is the responsibility of members to submit potential winning scores or results to the Scoring Table when they return their card, however the TPP Computer program may serve as a check and balance.

Results of the event will be posted on the Club bulletin Board and Website by the Special Events Chairman within five days of the event.  An additional window of 4-5 days should be observed between posting of results and generating of gift cards or payout envelopes in case mistakes are identified and changes need to be made.  The Special Events Chairman shall submit to the Treasurer (for his own protection, the purposes of record keeping and as a check and balance), a form listing the amount of money collected on the day of the tournament, any expenses (raffle tickets, envelopes, etc.) and a copy of the special events paid in cash.

Club Winnings

The Special Events Chairman is the keeper of winnings for all events until claimed by the winning Member.  Once winnings (from any event or tournament) have been prepared by American Golf or the Special Events Chairman, the Special Events Chairman verifies that they are accurate.  The Special Events Chairman is charged with keeping unclaimed winnings at all Club events available to be claimed by winners.  If winnings are unclaimed 60 days after the date of the next General Meeting after the tournament, they are turned back to the Club and become part of the General Fund.  The mechanics of this process includes unclaimed winnings being used to purchase things from the Golf Shop for the December Meeting Raffle or to augment the Christmas Tournament prize fund.

Entertainment Chairman
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE Xl

Section 4.  The Entertainment Committee shall be responsible for, and manage, entertainment at Club functions and shall be responsible for arranging and conducting approved functions away from El Dorado Park Golf Course.

General 

The Entertainment Chairman plans and runs all tournaments held at courses other than El Dorado Park Golf Course.  These include one-day drive or bus trips each month (about seven to nine per year) and one weekend trip usually held the first weekend of October.

The planning process starts by booking a schedule for the upcoming year (i.e. book 2007 tournaments during 2006).  The Entertainment Chairman must ensure the schedule he books does not conflict with other Club events.  The one day tournaments will include getting starting times and bus if applicable.  The number of participants will be based on past history of participation and tee time availability.  The planning for the Weekender will include lodging, tee times, hospitality suite, payouts, etc. The Special Events Chairman shall have the Treasurer pay any advances or deposits from the upcoming year’s checking account.

The away tournament formats are the responsibility of the Entertainment Chairman and must be announced prior to the beginning of sign-ups.  Results of the event will be posted on the Club Bulletin Board and Website within two days of the event.  The Entertainment Chairman is responsible for all entry fees for the events he runs and will collect from participants and submit said moneys to the Club Treasurer.   The Special Events Chairman shall submit all entry fees to the Treasurer, who shall provide a check for paying the golf course (unless paid in advance).  Upon completion of an away trip, the Special Events Chairman shall submit a copy of his records for the event as well as the payout, and the Treasurer will provide him with a check to cover the winnings, which shall either be disbursed at the next General Meeting or given to the Special Events Chairman for placement in the Scrip Box.

Results of the event will be posted on the Club bulletin Board and Website by the Special Events Chairman within five days of the event.  An additional window of 4-5 days should be observed between posting of results and generating of gift cards or payout envelopes in case mistakes are identified and changes need to be made. 

Communications Director

The Communications Director is responsible for collecting and providing the webmaster with all newsworthy and informational material for publication in the Club's monthly Newsletter on the Club’s Website.  Key articles that must be in the Newsletter include:

• The President's Corner - submitted by the President
• Minutes of the previous month’s General Meeting - submitted by the Secretary
• Tournament results, upcoming tournament information - submitted by the Vice President/Tournament Chairman
• Treasurer's Report - submitted by the Treasurer
• Golf Commission Report - submitted by the Golf Commission Representative
• Directors' Reports – submitted by the Directors who have an activity that month
• Rules update - submitted by Rules Chairman
• SCGA Information – submitted by the SCGA Delegate

 

The Communications Director ensures that the articles listed plus other articles of interest to the Membership are submitted to the Webmaster by the 25th of each month.  Other Directors that have current assignments should be questioned to ensure their information has been sent to the Webmaster. (NOTE:  At the 11/1/11 Board Meeting, it was determined that the Club would no longer provide hard copies of the newsletter at the Golf Shop).

The Communications Director is responsible to have new "Schedule of Events" cards with the new Board of Directors with home (or if preferred, cell) phone numbers printed.  At the 11/1/11 Board meeting it was decided that there would no longer be a mailing of the Schedule Card, but they would be made available at the December, January and February Meetings and Tournaments, and on the counter by the Posting Computer in the Golf Shop. The Webmaster will also provide a printable PDF of the Schedule Card on the Website.  He also is responsible to work with the Secretary to have renewal cards printed for an August mailing.  The Communications Director is the liaison with a printing company (historically Seaside Printing) and the Webmaster, and is jointly responsible with the Secretary to ensure the Membership home and email address list is complete and accurate.  This includes additions, deletions (at the beginning of a new year or if a Member dies during the year), and changes of physical and email address.  The Communications Director reviews any questionable items with the Board prior to publication (e.g. advertising, charging for ads - we are a non-profit organization, etc.).

The Communications Director must coordinate and cooperate with the Secretary to make sure members properly receive Internet E-Mail Newsletter, as well as the “Events Card” and paper Renewal Card.  

Handicap Chairman
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE Xl

Section 3. The Handicap Committee shall be responsible for the supervision and administration of handicaps of active Members of the Club, and shall be the contact group with other organizations in all matters pertaining to handicapping.

General

The Handicap Chairman administers the USGA/SCGA handicap system for the Members of the Club. His Handicap Committee may consists of other members of the Club as appointed by the Handicap Chairman, with the advice of the Board of Directors.  A synopsis of the Handicap Chairman’s duties follows:

Work with the Golf Shop to ensure the computer in the pro shop is operating properly. Post current printout of Member indexes on the Club's bulletin board by the morning of the 1st and the 15th of the month.

Provide copies of current printout of Member indexes for Board Members and Team Play captains as necessary.

Announce method of posting before each tournament: the current procedure is for the TPP Program to post all monthly tournaments from the scorecards; players do not post.  At away trips, the Entertainment Chairman will insure that scores are posted to the TPP and downloaded.

• Work with the Secretary to post new Members’ scores into the computer.
• Post out of town/state scores into the computer from scorecards submitted.
• Assess penalty rounds as applicable.
• Adjust Member indexes when necessary.

 

These are the basic philosophies of the El Dorado Park Men’s Golf Club’s Handicap Committee and will guide its actions and decisions:

The primary goal of the Committee is to make sure that the members of the Club play to handicaps that accurately reflect their ability, as that should result in a fair playing field for the entire membership.

The Committee is a varied, but not complete cross-section of the membership of the Club.  Therefore, the Committee will actively seek and encourage input from the Board members who work at the scoring table each month, as well as any member who feels a handicap may not accurately reflect a member’s ability.  The Committee will also accept input about groups that seem to perform better than their collective handicaps would indicate.

The Committee feels that “double pops” can randomly--and in some cases unfairly--help a teams’ scores in a multi-ball event (i.e. is it fair to the entire field if one member’s par or bogey on #6, #8, #10 or #13 dramatically helps his team more than it would on another hole?).

The Committee believes that if a handicap is reduced – even if just because of the philosophy of avoiding “double pops” – that the reduced handicap should be used for all Club events or activities (in particular for side pots and flight breakdowns).

The Committee accepts the statistical abnormality of exceptional rounds---66 and below---and will act as necessary to adjust a member’s handicap to that member’s obvious ability.

The Committee strongly believes that it is doing what is fair for the overwhelming majority of the Club.  The Committee will hear and act on all appeals of its decisions. 

The members of the Committee are prepared to take the criticisms it or they may receive.

Handicap/Index Information Management

On the 1st and 15th of each month, Updates from GHIN will be available online.  The Handicap Chairman will make copies of the Current Index/Course Handicap printout (and post it in the Glass Case) and the Low Index printout (and post it on the Bulletin Board in the Hallway).

The handicap chairman will post the following events as “T” (Tournament) scores:

• Golfer of the Year
• Member - Member (Second round only)
• Member - Guest
• Christmas Tournament
• Club Championship
• Fall weekender (Second round only)

 

The Handicap Chairman must stay abreast of changes to the computer and handicap rules changes from GHIN and SCGA.  He also assists in educating the Membership regarding handicap issues. 

Rules Chairman
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE Xl

Section 5.  The Rules Committee shall arrange for the proper marshaling of Club tournaments, shall be the arbiter in all disputes arising from play, and with the Tournament Committee, shall formulate any necessary local rules, in harmony with the policies of the governing body of golf in the United States.

General

The Rules Chairman and his committee will have the final decision on rules disputes at any Club tournament or event.  The Club Budget should include (as necessary) a line item allowing the Rules Chairman to attend either an SCGA or PGA/USGA Rules of Golf Workshop. He should have a current copy of the Decisions on the Rules of Golf as a reference for this purpose.  As an extension of those responsibilities the Rules Chairman will have the following duties:

Educate the Membership regarding the current USGA Rules of Golf.  This should be done through the newsletter and at general meetings.

Advise the Membership about any significant rules changes.

Review and revise the local rules as determined by the Board of Directors and the Membership.
Coordinate rules announcements and/or handouts with the Director in charge of any Club tournament or event.

The Rules Chairman or a designee from his committee must attend every Club tournament or event for the purpose of being the arbiter in rules disputes.

Assist course marshals in maintaining speed of play policies during tournaments.

Southern California Golf Association Delegate
....from the By-laws

ARTICLE V

Section 8. The Club's delegate to the Southern California Golf Association shall serve as a non-voting, ex-officio Member of the Board of Directors.

General

The Southern California Golf Association Delegate is the Club's liaison with the Southern California Golf Association.  As such, he will receive all correspondence from the SCGA and report to the Board and the Membership as necessary.  He, in conjunction with the Secretary, will also be the conduit for correspondence from the Club to the SCGA.  The President may appoint any Member of the Club to this position however it is desirable that this be assigned as an additional duty for a Member of the Board.

Golf Commission Representative
....from the By-laws 

ARTICLE V

Section 7. The Club's representative to the Long Beach Municipal Golf Commission (or its successor city advisory group) shall serve as a non-voting, ex-officio Member of the Board of Directors.

Overview

The Long Beach Municipal Golf Commission is an advisory commission created by the Long Beach City Municipal Code.  It consists of thirteen (13) Members who are appointed by the Mayor and approved or confirmed by a vote of the City Council.  It is a requirement that the golf commission representative must be a resident of Long Beach.  The City Municipal Code Charter states that ten of the Members of the Municipal Golf Commission shall be members of the recognized Men's and Women's Clubs.  It has been interpreted by the City Attorney that this means the Mayor must appoint a member of each Club to the Commission.  The actual practice has been that each Club submits a name to the Mayor who in turn recommends that person for appointment.  The remaining three Members of the Commission are designated "at large", having no ties to any recognized Club.

The Golf Commission Representative from each Club must perform a balancing act. His primary responsibility is to the Mayor and the City Council.  At the same time, he must consider the merits of championing causes that are in the interest of the Club or the Clubs in general, so long as they are not at odds with his responsibilities to the city.  Beginning in approximately 2004, all members of all City Boards and Commissions are required to submit a California Fair Political Practices Commission Financial Disclosure Statement, and those interested in seeking this position should be made aware of this fact.  

General

The name of the Club's recommended Commission representative must be submitted to the City by June in even numbered years.  A Nominating Committee is appointed by the President prior to the March General Meeting.  In March, the election is announced inviting all interested to contact the Nominating Committee.  The Long Beach resident requirement is explained at that time, as is the Financial Disclosure requirement.  At the April general meeting, a slate of candidates is presented to the Club.  At the May general meeting, nominations are taken from the floor.  The election of the Golf Commission Representative takes place at the June general meeting for a two-year term.  The Golf Commission meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 3:30 PM.  The Commission is historically “dark” in July and December.  The meetings last from one to two hours. Each Member of the Commission is expected to attend each meeting unless job related activities prevent him from attending.  After three absences in one calendar year, the city staff is required to inform the mayor.  Each Member of the Commission is also expected to serve on up to two sub-committees, which meet periodically.  The Golf Commission Representative should update the Membership through the newsletter and/or at the General Meetings regarding what is going on with the City's golf courses and on the Commission.  He serves as a liaison between the Club and the city staff and as needed, the course staff.  As an ex-officio Member of the Board of Directors, he should attend the monthly Board meetings for the purpose of keeping the Board informed on any matters that may affect the Club.

Team Play Captain(s)

For many years, the El Dorado Park Men's Golf Club has participated in Southern California Golf Association Team Play.  We have a representative team in both Thursday and Saturday leagues, whose entry fees are paid by the Club.  The Club also provides an annual financial supplement to each Team, based upon funds available for the year, and approved as part of the annual budget process.  Each team shall have a Captain and a Co-captain. The Co-Captain shall assume the Captaincy after two years in that position, upon the Team’s completion of play for the year.  He shall choose a new Co-Captain and present that person to the Board, which shall approve the appointment by a majority vote, or request another nominee be presented.

In September, the Captain submits the appropriate application including the entry fee obtained from the Treasurer to the Southern California Golf Association prior to the deadline.  The Captain negotiates tee times (for practice/qualifying rounds, matches and practice rounds for opposing teams) with the Course General Manager for the season, starting with three "practice" rounds used to help determine the players.  Practice rounds can be held in October, November, and or December.  The regular season runs from early January to late February and playoffs run through April with the finals usually scheduled for the first week of May so times must be obtained for each week in this time frame.  Once a team has been eliminated, it is imperative to return the unused times to the golf course, so as not to risk abuse of the starting time privilege afforded by the City.

In September and October, sign-ups are taken prior to the start of practice rounds. The Captain and Co-captain determine those who will make the team.  The Captains will use fair criteria that may include performance in practice rounds, attitude, and past performance in Team Play.  Players are recruited as necessary. Once the schedule is published, tee times not required are released back to the course as soon as practicable. Times for rainouts, make up matches, and playoffs are maintained.

The Team Play Captains will report to the Membership on the progress of the team including announcement of sign-ups at the General Meetings and in the Newsletter and Website throughout the Team Play season.  They will report to the Board on any extraordinary events including disputes as they occur.  The Team Play Captains and their team Members represent the Club and must get the advice and consent of the Board prior to taking any action that might affect the Club.

 

 

EL DORADO PARK MEN’S GOLF CLUB
PO BOX 15687
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

 

December 6, 2011

To:       EL DORADO MEN’S GOLF CLUB 2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

From:  Tom Retterath, PRESIDENT 2012

Re:      FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

As members of the EL DORADO PARK MEN’S GOLF CLUB’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, the undersigned accept the following responsibilities:

• Accept and control all moneys collected on behalf of the Club in the course of their regular duties (Tournament Chairman, Special Events, etc.) or such duties as assigned by the President.

 

• Submit all moneys collected with accounting date to the Treasurer within a reasonable time.

 

______________________                       _____________________
Tom Retterath, President                            Terry Fulford, Vice President

 

______________________                       _____________________            
Rob Kuehn, Secretary                                  Bob Livingstone, Treasurer

 

______________________                       _____________________
Mike Vaughn, Director                                 Nick Zamora, Director

 

______________________                       _____________________
Dennis Tramer, Past President                  Jerry Leininger, Handicap

 

______________________                       _____________________            
Cliff Aichele, Special Events                       Greg Englant, Entertainment

 

______________________                       _____________________
Mike Montgomery, Communications       Rich Dennison, Rules