LPGA AMATEURS QUAD CITIES CHAPTER POLICIES (Developed in 2014; revised April 2021)

Registration Policy:
We are happy to offer the convenience of online registration and payment with credit cards through PayPal. Participants in all LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities golf events, leagues, educational opportunities, or social functions (that require pre-registration, whether or not a fee is involved), must use the online registration and payment process offered to our Chapter members and non-member guests.  Registrations must be completed by the stated registration deadline for each activity.  When there are extenuating circumstances, such as a member’s inability to register online, with sufficient notice, the event coordinator may make an exception.  In these instances, payment and submission of a registration request must be received by the event coordinator by the stated registration deadline.

Please note:  Any service fees PayPal charges us for unexpected transactions, such as reversal of payment from your credit card company, will be charged back to the member.

Non-Member Guest Participation Policy:
Non-member guests are invited to participate in LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities' activities as detailed in each category below.  Non-member guests may be charged a higher fee than members at these events.  A non-member guest may not participate in more than three (3) Chapter events in the same calendar year, excluding social events.  Guests are required to join LPGA Amateur Golf Association in order to attend additional events during the year. The Chapter guest policy applies to men and women equally.

Golf Events:  Non-member guests are welcome to participate, if there is availability, at a higher rate than members.

Leagues:  League play is open to members only.  However, participation by non-members on the couples/pairs league is acceptable.  For the duration of the league it will count as one of the three allowed events for non-members.

Educational Clinics and Programs:  Educational and Player Development Activities are open to non-members at a higher fee. The opportunity to become a member of the Chapter will be offered at a $20 reduction in the membership fee to non-members who participate in the New Golfer Series.

Non-Golf Functions:  Non-member guests are welcome to attend those social functions that are not restricted to members only.  Since it is common for the organization to subsidize the Holiday meal cost and provide a gift, it is suggested the non-member fee be increased to offset the subsidy.

Cancellation and Refund Policy (Golf Events, Golf Education, Social Functions):

A registrant who must cancel her registration and seeks a refund must contact the event coordinator no later than the stated registration deadline to receive the refund. The Chapter will return payment to the registrant in the form of a credit card refund.

If cancellation notification cannot be made prior to the registration deadline, a replacement participant may attend on her behalf. The replacement must notify the officials at the check-in table the name of the person for whom she is a substitute. Replacement participants must be eligible for the same registration fee or pay the difference at check-in.

If the venue does not require us to pay for the absent person a refund will be given.  If the venue does require the chapter to pay for the absent person and no substitute attends, then no refund will be granted.  

If an exception to the online registration policy has been made and the coordinator has agreed that the registrant may pay by cash or check on the day of the event, and the registrant cancels on short notice or is a “no show”, that person is still financially liable for the registration fee.

The Chapter Treasurer will contact the individual and request payment.

This policy applies to both members and non-member guests.

Pre-Paid Leagues:

• No refunds will be given for pre-paid golf leagues once the number and payment has been provided to the golf course. If the league member cannot play, it will be her responsibility to find a substitute. The League Captain will provide a list of possible substitutes. Subs must be members and will pay a $10 sub fee upon arrival at the course. The $10 sub fee is paid to the League Captain, not the golf course.
• If a paid league member finds that she will be unable to participate for the rest of the season, or a portion of it, she may make arrangements with another LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities member to assume her participation on the league. An arrangement for the replacement to reimburse the original league member for the remaining weeks of the league is entirely between those two individuals and not a function of the League Captain or the Chapter Treasurer. The League Captain must be advised of this action prior to the replacement taking over the spot.

Cancellation Policy (Due to unsafe weather) & Rain Checks:

During a Chapter golf event, after play has commenced, cash refunds will be given only if the golf course agrees to refund the Chapter.  Rain checks may be issued by the course to be used at a later date by the golfer, independent of an LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities event. This is an individual golf course policy.

Member/Sponsors Complimentary Exhibit Booth at Kick Off Event:

Members of LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities, who are also Chapter Sponsors, may host an exhibit booth at the annual Kick Off Event (should space for booths be available) to feature their sponsored business. The cost of the exhibit booth will be waived, but registration and payment for the optional food offering is required. Contact the Events and Activities Director to obtain a registration form to reserve an exhibit booth.

League Policies:

The leagues offered by LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities are either paid in advance at registration, or they are “pay-as-you-go” leagues, meaning you pay at the course only when you play.  Members who register to play on a league that has paid in advance have more “skin in the game” and the incentive to play regularly. Unfortunately, the pay-as-you-go leagues don’t seem to enjoy the same level of commitment from some league members.  Like the paid in advance leagues, when you register to play on a pay-as-you-go league, you are indeed asking to be a regular member of the league.  Our golf courses reserve the number of tee times that we tell them we will need, but when league members decide not to play, the number of tee times required may need to be adjusted.  It is extremely important that we notify the golf course in a timely fashion to release unneeded tee times so the course is able to use those tee times for other golfers.  If we don’t cancel unneeded tee times, we are doing them a disservice and they lose revenue. Each Captain of the pay-as-you-go leagues will establish notification procedures for that league’s members to report their plans to play or not play so she can adjust the number of tee times required.  We ask that all league members faithfully follow the procedures for notification that the League Captains establish.

Chapter Memorials:

When a current member of LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities passes away, a cash memorial may be donated to a charitable cause that would be in consonance with the deceased member’s wishes or as indicated by the family.  Determination will be on a case-by-case basis; may be done if Chapter finances are sound; and the following qualifying criteria are met:

• The deceased was a current member in good standing at the time of her death;
• She had served a minimum of two years as a member of the Chapter Board of Directors and/or served in a leadership capacity at the Association level;
• Was a respected leader in the LPGA Amateurs Quad Cities community.

The amount of the donation will be a decision made by the Chapter Board of Directors in office at the time of the death but must not exceed $100.

EXCESS FUNDS (revised June 2019)

Use of excess funds should promote/reward participation in events.  In the event there are excess funds in a given year, the first priority use for those funds should be to subsidize the Holiday Dinner Cost for each attendee and to subsidize a Holiday Gift for each attendee.  The second priority of use of excess funds should be for a free membership prize or prizes as noted below.

For use as an incentive and to reward volunteerism within the chapter, it is recommended that we budget 1 free membership to be awarded at the Fall Recognition Dinner.  This free membership can be used by the Membership Director as an award to encourage volunteerism.  This doesn’t have to be done every year but it’s there should the Membership Director wish to use it as an incentive to volunteer.

The participation fee for other events held throughout the year will include an amount for prizes, favors/decorations, goodie bags, and food so that each event pays for itself.  No more than $50 should be spent on prizes for a single event.  The Events Director should use discretion on how much is spent on prizes compared to the number of participants.

These prize levels will be revisited as necessary but, at a minimum, at least once per year to ensure that the chapter remains in sound fiscal health.