PSGL Rules of Play & Fair Play Regulations

Philippines Simulator Golf League Cebu City · Draft v0.1 · Oct 14, 2026 · @totim

1. Purpose, authority and definitions

PSGL plays by the R&A/USGA Rules of Golf and the World Handicap System (WHS), changed only where a simulator makes a rule impossible or unfair. Where this rulebook is silent, the Rules of Golf apply; where they conflict, this rulebook wins.

1.1 Governing documents, in order of precedence

1. The Terms of Competition for a specific event (published before entries close)
2. This PSGL Rulebook, including its Local Rules and Venue Standards
3. The R&A/USGA Rules of Golf (current edition)
4. The World Handicap System rules, as adapted in Section 7

1.2 Authority

• League Committee: sets rules, ratifies results, rules on appeals, and certifies venues. Initially 3 to 5 people appointed by the league founder, with at least one representative of partner clubs.
• Club Committee: each partner club names a League Coordinator who runs the club league, verifies scores, and handles first-level disputes.
• Tournament Director: appointed per inter-city event; final say on the day, subject to appeal.

1.3 Definitions

• Partner Club: a simulator business certified under Section 4.
• Home Club: the one Partner Club a player represents for rankings and team events.
• Bay: one hitting area with one launch monitor, screen and turf.
• Launch Monitor (LM): the device that measures ball and club data.
• Sim Software: the program that renders the course and computes ball flight.
• Gimme Radius: the distance from the hole inside which the software auto-holes the putt.
• Misread: a shot the LM failed to register or registered with clearly impossible data.
• Marker: the player or official who attests to another player's score.
• Round: 18 holes (or 9 where Terms of Competition say so) played in one session in one bay.
• PSGL Index: a player's handicap index for simulator play, calculated per Section 7.

2. League structure

A season runs 12 months in six 2-month Cycles. Each Cycle, every Partner Club runs its own Club League; results feed one league-wide Order of Merit, and the top-ranked players meet at an Inter-City Tournament at the end of the Cycle. The season ends with a Grand Final.

Season flow: Club Leagues (every partner club, weekly round windows, 4+ rounds per Cycle) → Order of Merit (one league ranking per division, rolling 6 months) → Inter-City Event (end of each Cycle, top 4 per club, 36 holes, one platform) → Grand Final (after Cycle 6, top 24 per division, plus club team title). Repeats every 2 months: 6 Cycles per season.

2.1 Club League (ongoing, at each Partner Club)

• Each club sets a weekly or fortnightly round window (for example Monday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59).
• One counting round per player per window. A player may play extra rounds in the window, but must declare before teeing off which round counts.
• Course for each window is set by the League Committee for all clubs, so every score in the league is comparable.
• Minimum 4 counting rounds per Cycle to be eligible for that Cycle's Inter-City Tournament.

2.2 Divisions (by PSGL Index)

Category awards run alongside divisions: Ladies, Seniors (55 and over on 1 January), and Juniors (under 18 on 1 January). A player's division is fixed at the start of each Cycle and does not change mid-Cycle.

2.3 Order of Merit (rankings)

Points are awarded on net finishing position within a division, with gross points awarded separately for the Championship division.

Rankings use a rolling 6-month window so new players can climb quickly and inactive players drop out. Ties in ranking are broken by more wins, then best single-round net score.

2.4 Inter-City Tournament (every Cycle)

• Field: the top 4 per division from each Partner Club's Cycle standings, plus the top 16 on the league Order of Merit not already qualified, plus up to 4 Committee wildcards.
• Format: 36 holes stroke play (net and gross), over one day or two.
• Venue: rotates among certified clubs. All bays used must run the same Sim Software, version and settings (Section 5). Same LM model across bays is strongly preferred and mandatory for the Grand Final.
• When the league spans more than one city, a Distributed Event may run at several host venues on the same day, with a League Official or live video at each venue (Section 9.5).

2.5 Grand Final

Held after Cycle 6. Field: the top 24 on the Order of Merit per division plus each Cycle's Inter-City winners. Includes a club team championship (Section 8.4).

2.6 Expansion tiers

As the league grows beyond Cebu, the same structure nests: Club League, then City Tournament, then Regional (Visayas, Luzon, Mindanao), then National Final, then International Invitational. Each tier qualifies from the tier below by Order of Merit.

3. Eligibility, registration and home clubs

Anyone may play once they hold a verified PSGL account, have paid the season fee, and have chosen one Home Club.

3.1 Eligibility

• Open to amateurs and professionals. Professionals (anyone receiving pay for playing or teaching golf) play in the Championship division only and are not eligible for net prizes.
• Juniors under 18 need a parent or guardian's consent on registration.
• Amateur-status note: cash prizes may affect a player's amateur status under the R&A/USGA Rules of Amateur Status. League prizes are therefore non-cash only (Section 3.5).

3.2 Registration

1. Create an account with real name, date of birth, mobile number and email.
2. Verify identity at the Home Club on the first visit (government ID or school ID shown to the Club Coordinator; the ID itself is not stored).
3. Pay the season registration fee online. The fee covers league administration and Order of Merit; bay time is paid to the club separately.
4. Declare handicap history: an existing WHS Handicap Index (with NGAP or other national association ID) if any, and a self-declared typical score.
5. Play 3 qualifying rounds with a Marker to set the initial PSGL Index (Section 7.3).

3.3 Home Club

• Each player has exactly one Home Club for the Cycle. Club League points count only at the Home Club.
• A player may play casual or practice rounds at any Partner Club; they do not count unless the Terms of Competition say so.
• Transfers: one free transfer per season, effective at the start of the next Cycle. Mid-Cycle transfers only if the club closes or loses certification.

3.4 Fees and refunds

• Season fee and tournament entry fees are set by the League Committee and published before registration opens.
• Refunds in full until the player's first counting round; none after, except where a Cycle is cancelled by the league.
• Partner Clubs may charge their own bay rates and may offer league-night discounts.

3.5 Prizes and side bets

• PSGL awards only non-cash prizes: vouchers, bay credit, merchandise, trophies, and partner rewards such as green fees, resort stays or dining. No league prize may be paid out or exchanged for cash.
• Prize partners (golf clubs, resorts, restaurants, brands) are listed on the league site. Each prize is described with its value and expiry before entries close.
• Side bets: PSGL does not organise, hold, or collect money for any wager, and it does not recognise any. A private bet between players has no effect on scores, rankings, rulings or prizes.
• Partner Clubs may not run betting pools, calcuttas or paid prediction games tied to league events or results.
• A player who places a bet against themselves or their own team, or who agrees an outcome because of a bet, is in breach of Section 9.2 item 7 (collusion).

4. Approved simulators and venue certification

Only bays certified by the League Committee may host counting rounds. Certification checks the hardware, the room and the venue's processes, and is renewed every 12 months or after any hardware change.

4.1 Approved launch monitors

The Committee keeps a published list, reviewed each season. Starting proposal:

A model not on the list may apply for approval. The Committee tests it against a Tier 1 unit before it counts.

4.2 Approved Sim Software

Open platforms: GSPro, Trackman Virtual Golf, Foresight FSX Play, E6 Connect, Full Swing Golf and Uneekor View/Refine. Integrated systems (Golfzon, Kakao, TruGolf) use their own software. The Committee names the course for each window and, where the course is not on every platform, an equivalent alternative course with a similar Course Rating and Slope. Being brand-neutral is PSGL's point of difference, so no platform is excluded for its brand; fairness across platforms is handled by matched settings (Section 5.2) and platform tracking (Section 7.5).

4.3 Bay requirements

• Space to make a full driver swing safely, as specified by the LM maker (as a guide: at least 3.0 m ceiling, 4.5 m width, 6 m depth).
• Impact screen and enclosure with no ball escape; side netting or padding.
• Hitting mat in good condition with a consistent tee height system; a separate or integrated putting surface where the LM requires one.
• Lighting that meets the LM maker's spec (critical for camera-based units).
• Software set to show the full shot data panel (carry, total, ball speed, launch, spin) after every shot, visible to both players.
• A fixed camera recording the hitting area and screen during league rounds (Section 9.4).
• First-aid kit and posted safety rules.

4.4 Calibration and maintenance

• Calibration and levelling per the maker's procedure before each league night, recorded in a Calibration Log (date, bay, staff initials).
• Firmware and software kept on the version the Committee names for that Cycle. No updates during a round window unless the Committee approves.
• Monthly bay check: 5 shots with a 7-iron by a staff member, carry and ball speed logged; any bay that differs by more than 5% from the club's other bays on the same model is taken out of league use until fixed.
• Balls of the type the LM maker specifies (for example, marked balls for units that need them) are supplied by the venue for league rounds.

4.5 Certification process

1. Club applies and pays the partner fee.
2. A League Official visits, checks 4.3 and 4.4, and plays a test round.
3. Certification issued per bay, with a bay code shown on every submitted scorecard.
4. Spot audits may happen at any time; failing one suspends that bay until it passes a recheck.

5. Standard game settings

Every counting round in a window uses the same settings, published by the Committee as a one-page Settings Card at the start of the window. A round played on any other setting does not count.

5.1 Prohibited software features in counting rounds

• Keyboard or mouse shot entry, "auto-chip", "auto-putt" beyond the gimme radius, and any hint or caddie feature that suggests aim, club or putt line.
• Free drops or ball repositioning other than as the Rules allow (Section 6).
• Editing a hole score after the hole is complete.

5.2 Platform differences

Where a platform cannot match a setting exactly, the Settings Card lists that platform's nearest equivalent. Clubs must not change any other setting.

6. Rules of play for simulator golf

The core principle: the screen is the course. Play the ball as the software presents it, and apply the Rules of Golf to what the software shows. The rules below cover what a real course does not have: misreads, software faults and the mat.

6.1 Before the round

• Warm-up of up to 10 minutes in range or practice mode is allowed before the round. Once the first tee shot is struck, no practice strokes are allowed until the round ends (Rule 5.5).
• The Marker checks the Settings Card against the software before the first tee shot, and both players confirm the bay code, course, tees and pin set.

6.2 Playing from the mat

• Tee shots: the ball may be teed, at any height, within the tee area of the mat.
• All other shots: the ball is placed on the mat without a tee, whatever the lie on screen. The software applies the lie penalty for rough, bunker or other lies.
• Where the bay has a separate rough or sand strip, the Settings Card says whether players must use it. If not stated, play from the main mat.
• Putts are struck from the putting area the LM maker specifies, with a putter or any club the player chooses.

6.3 Strokes the launch monitor does not read correctly

• No read: the ball was struck but no shot appeared. Replay the stroke, no penalty.
• Phantom shot: a practice swing, waggle or ball knocked off the tee registers as a shot. Cancel or replay it, no penalty.
• Misread: the shot registered with clearly impossible data (for example, ball speed recorded but zero carry on a clean strike, or spin far outside physical limits). A misread may be replayed with no penalty only if: (a) the player claims it before making the next stroke, (b) the Marker agrees, and (c) the shot data panel supports it. A poor shot is never a misread.
• Whiff: a swing that misses the ball entirely is a stroke. The Marker adds one stroke for that hole.
• Each replay is logged on the scorecard with the hole number and reason. More than 3 misread claims in one round triggers a Committee review of the bay and the round.

6.4 Software faults on the course

When the software produces a result no real course could (ball stuck in mid-air, falling through the ground, rendered under an object it cannot be played from), treat it as an abnormal course condition: free relief by replaying the previous stroke, or by the software's reset or drop function, with no penalty. Marker must agree and the relief is logged.

6.5 Out of bounds, lost ball, penalty areas, unplayable ball

• Out of bounds and lost ball: stroke and distance (Rule 18). In Club League only, the Committee may adopt Model Local Rule E-5 (two-stroke alternative) to speed up play if the software supports it.
• Penalty areas: one-stroke relief using the software's options that match Rule 17. Where the software offers only one drop option, use it.
• Unplayable ball: one-stroke relief through the software's unplayable option, if it has one. If it does not, the ball must be played.
• Taking any relief through the software that the Rules would not allow is a breach of Section 5.1.

6.6 On the putting green

• Putts inside the Gimme Radius are holed automatically. All others must be putted.
• In Club League stroke play, a player may pick up once they have reached net double bogey; record net double bogey. In Inter-City and Grand Final events, every hole is completed.

6.7 Clubs and balls

• Maximum 14 conforming clubs (Rule 4). Clubs may not be added or swapped during the round except to replace a damaged club.
• Only balls supplied by the venue for that bay, of the type the LM requires.
• Any club speed or distance settings in the software (for example virtual club profiles or "distance boost") must be off.

6.8 Advice and aids

• Players may use the hole flyover, the green contour grid and the shot data panel.
• No help with aim, club or line from anyone except a partner in a team format or a registered caddie (Rule 10.2).
• No phones, tablets or second screens used to preview, practise or analyse the hole during the round.

6.9 Pace of play

• Each player has 40 seconds to play once it is their turn (Rule 5.6 recommendation), measured from when the screen is ready.
• Target times per 18 holes: 1 player 60 min, 2 players 1 h 45, 3 players 2 h 30, 4 players 3 h 15.
• A player who is repeatedly over 40 seconds gets one warning, then a one-stroke penalty, then two strokes.

6.10 Crashes, power cuts and interruptions

1. Completed holes stand if they are on the software scorecard or the Marker's scorecard.
2. A hole in progress when the fault happens is replayed from the tee; strokes on that hole are cancelled.
3. If play cannot resume within 30 minutes, the round is void and may be replayed within the same window.
4. If a fault happens in an Inter-City event, the Tournament Director decides, including moving the group to another certified bay with identical settings.

7. Handicapping (adapted from the WHS)

Every player has a PSGL Index, calculated with the WHS formula from simulator rounds only. It is separate from any official WHS Handicap Index, because real-course and simulator scores are not interchangeable.

7.1 Acceptable scores

A score counts toward the PSGL Index only if it was played in a certified bay, on that window's Settings Card, attested by a Marker, and submitted the same day. Both counting rounds and declared casual rounds that meet these conditions are acceptable.

7.2 Score Differential

\text{Score Differential} = \frac{113}{\text{Slope Rating}} \times (\text{Adjusted Gross Score} - \text{Course Rating})

• Course Rating and Slope are the real-world ratings for the tees played, as published in the software or by the course. If the software has no rating for a course, the Committee sets one before it is used.
• Adjusted Gross Score caps each hole at net double bogey.
• WHS's Playing Conditions Calculation is not used, since conditions are fixed by the Settings Card. The Platform Adjustment in 7.5 takes its place.
• 9-hole rounds use the WHS 9-hole method.

7.3 Index calculation

• With 20 or more scores: average of the best 8 of the most recent 20 differentials.
• With 3 to 19 scores: the WHS sliding table (3 scores: lowest 1 minus 2.0; 5 scores: lowest 1; 8 scores: average of lowest 2; and so on up to 19 scores: average of lowest 7).
• A new player's index is set after 3 qualifying rounds. A player who also holds an official WHS Index plays their first Cycle off the lower of the two.
• Maximum PSGL Index is 54.0. Soft cap and hard cap apply as in WHS: increases beyond 3.0 above the 12-month low are halved, and the index can never rise more than 5.0 above that low.
• Exceptional score: a differential 7.0 to 9.9 below the index cuts it by 1.0; 10.0 or more below cuts it by 2.0.

7.4 Course Handicap and allowances

\text{Course Handicap} = \text{Index} \times \frac{\text{Slope Rating}}{113} + (\text{Course Rating} - \text{Par})

7.5 Fairness across platforms

• Every score is tagged with its platform and bay code.
• Each Cycle the Committee compares average Score Differentials by platform for players who have played on more than one platform. If one platform plays more than 1.5 strokes easier or harder on average across at least 200 rounds, the Committee applies a Platform Adjustment (positive or negative) to that platform's differentials for the next Cycle.
• Inter-City Tournaments and the Grand Final are played on a single platform per event, so no adjustment is needed there.
• If adjustments are not enough to keep things fair, the Committee may split Club League rankings by platform family.

7.6 Handicap review

The Committee may adjust any index, up or down, where it believes the index does not reflect the player's ability (WHS Rule 7.1). Signals include tournament scores much better than Club League scores, or a large gap between a player's sim and real-course handicaps. The player is told the reason and may appeal (Section 10).

7.7 Official handicap

Since 2024 the WHS has let each national association decide whether simulator scores may count toward an official Handicap Index. Whether NGAP (the Philippines' association) allows this is an open question to confirm with them. Until it does, PSGL scores do not count toward official handicaps.

8. Formats, scoring and ties

Club League weeks default to individual net stroke play; the Committee may run other formats to keep the season varied, announced at least one window ahead.

8.1 Approved formats

8.2 Ties

• Club League week: tied players share the points for the positions they cover, divided equally and rounded up.
• Inter-City and Grand Final, for first place: a sudden-death playoff on holes the Tournament Director names, in the same bays and settings. If a playoff is not possible, use card countback.
• Other places and all non-playoff ties: card countback on the last 9, then last 6, last 3 and last hole. Net countback uses one-half, one-third, one-sixth and one-eighteenth of the playing handicap.

8.3 Scorecards

• The software scorecard is the primary record. The Marker also records hole scores in the league app (or on a paper card) as each hole ends.
• After the round, the player and Marker both sign off in the app within 30 minutes. A photo of the final software scorecard screen is uploaded with the round.
• If the two records disagree, the Marker's record and the software screenshot decide; the Club Coordinator rules if they also disagree.
• Rule 3.3b applies: a player who signs for a lower score than actually taken on any hole is disqualified from that round; a higher score stands.

8.4 Club team championship

Each Partner Club enters a team of 4 at the Grand Final, picked by its top Order of Merit players (or by the club when tied). Format: 2 days, best 3 of 4 net scores count each day. This builds club loyalty and gives every venue a stake in the season.

9. Fair play and integrity

A simulator score is only as trustworthy as the bay, the settings and the people watching. PSGL relies on four checks for every counting round: a Marker, a certified bay, a video record, and automatic data flags.

9.1 Markers

• Every counting round needs a Marker present for the whole round: another registered player or a Partner Club staff member.
• In ranking events a Marker may not be a family member or someone in the same pairing in a team format.
• A Club Coordinator may not mark or verify their own rounds.

9.2 Prohibited conduct

1. Changing any software setting from the Settings Card, or using a prohibited feature (Section 5.1).
2. Playing under another player's account, or letting someone else play your shots.
3. Moving, tilting, re-aiming or covering the launch monitor, or otherwise trying to provoke a favourable misread.
4. Using non-conforming clubs, unapproved balls, or software club profiles that change distance.
5. Making false misread or software-fault claims.
6. Deliberately submitting high scores to inflate a PSGL Index (sandbagging), or holding back good scores.
7. Agreeing results with an opponent, or agreeing to ignore a Rule (Rule 1.3b).
8. Practising on the course during a counting round, or receiving outside help (Section 6.8).

9.3 Data records

• Clubs keep the software's shot data for each counting round for at least 60 days, and export it on request.
• Where a platform allows it, the league app pulls the round's scorecard and shot data directly, so scores are not typed in by hand.

9.4 Video

• Every league bay has a fixed camera covering the hitting area and the screen. League rounds are recorded.
• Footage is kept for 30 days for Club League rounds and 90 days for Inter-City and Grand Final rounds, or until any dispute is closed.
• For prize events, the Committee may also require the player to submit a continuous recording of the round, as the NEXT Golf Tour does.
• Privacy: players consent to recording at registration; bays show signage; footage is used only for league integrity and handled under the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173).

9.5 Distributed events (several venues at once)

• Each host venue has a League Official or Committee-appointed referee present, or streams live video of the bay and screen to the Tournament Director.
• Settings are verified by a screenshot sent to the Tournament Director before the first tee shot.
• All venues start within the same time window, and the event course is revealed no earlier than 48 hours before, so no venue gets extra practice.

9.6 Automatic flags and audits

A round is held for review before it counts if any of these happen:

• Score Differential 7.0 or more below the player's index.
• More than 3 misread or software-fault claims.
• Submitted more than 30 minutes late, or missing the scorecard photo.
• Shot data outside normal ranges for the player (for example, driver ball speed much higher than their history).

The Committee also audits a random 5% of rounds each Cycle. A flagged round is reviewed within 7 days; the player may be asked for the video or shot data.

9.7 Home-venue advantage

• Inter-City and Grand Final events rotate host venue, and the event course is revealed no earlier than 48 hours before for every event, not only distributed ones.
• Club staff may play in the league but may not set up or calibrate the bay they compete in on the day.

10. Conduct, disputes and penalties

Disputes are settled at the lowest level that can settle them: Marker, then Club Coordinator, then League Committee, then an Appeals Panel whose decision is final.

10.1 Code of conduct

• Respect other players, venue staff and equipment. Club-throwing, abuse, harassment or deliberate damage to a bay are serious misconduct.
• Follow each venue's house rules, including on alcohol, safety and booking times.
• Stand clear of the hitting area while another player is playing; no talking or movement in their line of sight during the swing.
• Report suspected breaches to the Club Coordinator or the League Committee, privately. Reports made in good faith are never penalised.

10.2 Disputes during a round

1. Players try to agree on the Rule with the Marker. If they cannot, the player may play out the hole under both options and record two scores (Rule 20.1c(3)), then report it before signing off.
2. The Club Coordinator rules on the day (or the Tournament Director at Inter-City events).
3. Either party may refer the ruling in writing to the League Committee within 48 hours of the round.
4. Committee decisions on Rules or eligibility may be appealed within 7 days to an Appeals Panel of 3 people not involved in the matter. The panel's decision is final. An appeal fee is refunded if the appeal succeeds.

10.3 Penalties

10.4 Club sanctions

A Partner Club that changes settings, fails audits, or does not keep video or calibration records gets a warning, then suspension of its affected bays, then loss of certification. Players at a decertified club may transfer at once without using their free transfer.

11. Venue obligations, amendments and open questions

11.1 Partner Club checklist (each league night)

• Bay levelled and calibrated; Calibration Log signed
• Software and firmware on the Cycle's named version
• Settings Card loaded and checked against the screen
• Approved balls in each league bay
• Video recording on and covering hitting area and screen
• Club Coordinator (or a deputy) on site to rule on disputes
• Rounds submitted and signed off in the league app before closing
• Faults, crashes and misread claims logged

11.2 Amendments

• The League Committee may amend this rulebook between Cycles, with 14 days' notice to players and clubs.
• Urgent changes (safety, a software bug, a discovered exploit) may take effect at once, published with the reason.
• Partner Clubs may propose changes; each club has one vote in an advisory poll before major changes, such as new divisions or fee changes.
• Each version is numbered and dated; the version in force on the day of a round governs it.

11.3 Open questions for totim and the founding clubs

• Does NGAP accept simulator scores for official handicaps, and would it endorse PSGL?
• Which platforms do ADEN and other founding clubs run, and can Kakao VX and TruGolf systems meet Tier 1 standards in a test?
• Gimme radius and green speed: test these with founding clubs, since putting feel varies most between platforms.
• Prize partners: which golf clubs, resorts and restaurants to approach first.
• Fee levels for players and partner clubs.

Sources

• R&A Rules of Golf and USGA Rules of Golf
• World Handicap System (handicap formula, caps, allowances, 2024 changes)
• Republic Act 10173, Data Privacy Act of 2012
• Project research: competitor-simulator-leagues.md and cebu-simulator-venues.csv in the project's research folder