WELCOME TO THE CLASH OF THE CLUBS!  The Quest to determine who the best and most FUN club in NorCal really is. 🙂

Tournament Host: Jeremy Howard President of the Hittin Links Golf Tour

This is the Marque Club Versus Club Tournament (BY INVITE ONLY).  Welcome to the Clash of the Clubs! We launched this event in 2023 to collaborate with other local clubs as it is the best way to show off the incredible and fun players and clubs in our area and it greatly benefits everyone!  Bring your 16 player team for 36 holes of Ryder Cup Style matches, lots of awesome competition, good eats and treats, booze,  great music and the best people enjoying the game we love. Come compete and have a blast with some of the best people and players in NorCal. This will be a great opportunity to show off how awesome your club is to 100+ other players plus the playing public on the day of the event.

This is a collaborative event so any new ideas, updates or new sponsors are all welcome to be added! We want this event to benefit everyone!  So please reach out with your ideas and we will would love to work with you to grow your club!

HITTIN LINKS GOLF TOUR

831Golf Club

BIG CHOKE

Sunol Valley Mens Club

SSPGA

19th Hole Duffers

COUNTRY CLUB REJECTS

FOXHOLE GOLF CLUB

THE CHAMPION TEAM PRIZES ARE SPONSORED BY HITTIN LINKS with gifts from SUN CRUISER.  Champion Team earns $1000 to be used as wanted for their team and win the Giant Clash trophy to be kept for 1 year and brought back next year to defend the title. In addition all players on winning team win a custom champion medal and everyone takes home a custom Sun Cruiser Cooler and Sun Cruiser beverages. *$1000 prize is within USGA max and all players may keep their amateur status. 

*On Hole #3 West and #2 East ALL players will play from the one tee back.  Blues for Men and White for Women on these holes ONLY. To be eligible to win the hole in one $10k grand prizes on both hole #2 and #3, players must film all players shot through ball in hole to be eligible to win Hole in One money.  In addition 2 playing partners must validate the hole in one.  

For all other hole in one contest holes, NO VIDEO NEEDED.  Players that make hole in one must be validated by 2 playing partners in group.

Date: June 27th at Blue Rock Springs East/West Vallejo, CA

Entry Fee includes the following for every player

• $199 a player includes the following:
  • Green fees for 36 holes with cart 18 holes (East Course) and 18 holes (West Course)
  • Pre-Round range balls for all players (Walk or shuttle to range)
  • Mid Round Sandwiches Lunch at the clubhouse
  • Post Round Taco Bar Dinner at the banquet hall
  • Custom scorecards for tracking matches provided to each group
  • 2 Big Prize Hole in One Costs worth $10,000 each
  • 10 Hole In One Contest entry with chance to win $1000’s in prizes
  • 2 Longest Drive Contest entry for $100’s in prizes
  • 9 Closest To Pin Contest entry for $1000’s in prizes
  • Check in Package for each pair of players includes A LOT OF GOODIES:
    • 4 custom scorecards for each round
    • Range Ticket
    • Free Gifts from Sun Cruiser
    • Custom Commemorative Ball Markers
    • Custom Commemorative Stickers
    • Product discount cards including
      • 20% off Bridgestone Balls
      • 20% off True Golf Gear
      • 20% off Golftini
      • $100 off Revo Glasses
    • Free Shots
    • Free Cigar
    • Free snacks
    • Format and Instructions sheet
    • Sponsor Codes
  • All Admin fees/taxes

Event Overview:

• 8 Different Clubs from the NorCal and surrounding Area
• 16 players represented from each team
• 128 Players and 96 Team Matches + 64 Individual Matches
• 36 holes on 2 different 18 holes Courses
• 4 9 holes Matches for each player in 4 different formats:
  • 1st 9: 2 man Scramble Match
  • 2nd 9: Individual Net Stroke Match
  • 3rd 9: 2 man Shamble
  • 4th 9: 2 man Alternate Shot
• 2 $10,000 Hole in One Challenge
• 7 Bonus Hole in One Hole (Prizes valued $1000 each)
• 9 Closest to Pins and 2 Longest Drives for $1000’s in Prizes and Gift Certificates
• Pre Round snacks, mid round lunch and Post Round Ceremony with Taco Bar, music and games.
• 1 Winning Team wins the Giant Trophy (keep for one year), individual custom medals, Free booze and coolers from Sun Cruiser, $1000 for their club and Title of Champion Team of the Year

PLAYERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO WORK WITH CLUB TO WEAR SAME/SIMILAR OUTFITS SO EACH CLUB WILL BE DISTIGUISHABLE ON THE COURSE AND FOR GREAT PHOTOS!

Itinerary: R1:8am Start R3: 2pm Start.

1. 1. 7:00 – 7:30 am: Players arrive at golf course and check in at check in station. At Self Check-in Station please find your Clubs sections, find your Check-in Package with everything you need for the day and then find your cart to load up.
      1. NOTE: Players ARE NOT ALLOWED to check in any sooner than 7am.  
      2. NOTE: Players ARE NOT ALLOWED to take the carts out to the parking lot or the driving range.
   2. 7:15 am: Players find carts and get cart ready with clubs (cannot bring carts to car to load clubs)
   3. 7:15am – 7:30am: Players can warm up at the range and/or putting green
   4. 7:40 am: ALL PLAYERS MUST gather on West course hole #10 tee box for a Large group photo with all players.
   5. 7:50 am: Players MUST be in cart ready to be escorted to the east Course for their round.
   6. 7:55am:  Players tee off on their corresponding shotgun hole by 8am or as soon as possible after 8am.
   7. 8am – 1pm:  Players will complete their first 2 9 hole matches on the East Course.
   8. 1pm: Players will all drive back to the pro shop / cafe and park where designated for lunch stop
   9. 1pm-1:30pm: Players receive Lunch/drinks at the Cafe and will take a break in between rounds.  Players must double check their scores to ensure they know what the outcome of both matches are on paper card. Also, teams will place their corresponding match outcomes on the big boards for their teams once they return to clubhouse. These include physical stickers to place next to their team name: GREEN=Won (1pt), YELLOW=Tie (.5pt) and RED=Loss (0 pt)
   10. 1:45pm: Players go back to their carts and follow directions to drive out to designated holes for Round 2 on West Course.  Review the course scorecard to find how to drive to your hole.
   11. 2:00pm: Players tee off for Round 2 on the West Course
   12. 2:00pm – 6:30pm: Round 2 Shotgun on West Course is played out
   13. 6:30pm: Players complete round and drive back to club house where players may load bags into cars before returning carts to cart return.
   14. 6:45pm: Players must make their way to Banquet hall for Post-Round Festivities. Players must double check their scores to ensure they know what the outcome of both matches are on paper card. Also, teams will place their corresponding match outcomes on the big boards for their teams once they return to clubhouse. These include physical stickers to place next to their team name: GREEN=Won (1pt), YELLOW=Tie (.5pt) and RED=Loss (0 pt)
   15. 6:45- 8:00 pm: Post Round Dinner Taco Bar with Drinks and Music. Players can get their tacos from the Taco Bar. There will also be a full cash bar available as well to purchase drinks. Itinerary for post round ceremony:
       1. Players make their way and grab some tacos and drinks, find a table and eat up.
       2. Speech from Jeremy (Hittin Links)
       3. Jeremy will announce the winners of ALL contests*
          1. PLAYERS MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN PRIZES.
       4. Jeremy to announce the winner of the Clash of the Clubs and distribute trophy.

Social Media:

Please make sure ALL players are aware that if you are posting during the round, please tag @hittinlinks and use hashtag #clashoftheclubs when you can so we can see all the awesome footage and share with the world.  We want to grow this event, expand and show other clubs around the country they should do something similar so please please please share your social posts with us at Hittin Links!!!

Also, please feel free to send any awesome footage you get on the course directly to the Hittin Links President Jeremy Howard via phone (iphone only) at 9162152440 or if you have an android send via instagram to @hittinlinks.

LIVE CTP AND LD:

Welcome to the Future!  This is the Modern Way to Run CTP and LD Contests!  Learn all about the CLOPINZ app and download for Iphone and Android using the link here: https://clopinz.com/

CloPinz is the modern way to run Closest-to-the-Pin (CTP) and Long Drive (LD) contests on the golf course — live, accurate, and fully mobile. CloPinz replaces tape measures, stakes, paper leaderboards, and manual scoring with an accurate, smartphone-based measurement and live leaderboard system. CloPinz is the better and easier way to run on-course CTP and LD contests.

So what does this mean, no more physical stakes and papers to fill out on the course.  NOW, at each Hittin Links Tournament everyone will know where they stand on each contest with the live scoring.  If you don’t know which holes are the CTP and LD, we include in the event info page on unknown, it’ll be at the check in station for the tournament and it will be printed on the scorecards.

How does it work?

• Just one player** from each group must download the Clopinz app to use to measure the CTP and LD’s for the group. Please download before the tournament day so you don’t have to worry about it day of.  Hittin Links will send all players an invite code and link to use the app before the event day starts.
  • **For groups that have players playing for different tees you may need to have 2 players using the app, one from each tee box due to the LD measuring.
• On the app, it’s super easy to use.
  1. Swipe to the hole your playing for CTP or LD.
  2. If it’s a CTP hole, get up to the green and find the closest ball to the hole (must be on the green).
     • To measure the move your camera to find the hole and register the hole location with the app.
     • Then you move to the ball to measure the length of the CTP and select the ball location.
     • Enter the name of the player who’s ball was CTP for your group.
     • Leaderboard will update with the players name and how close they are.
  3. If its a LD hole, after all players have hit their tee shots you will need to measure from the tee box to the ball to determine LD. If your group has players hitting from different tee boxes then you must have 2 different players measuring using the app from each tee box.
     • NOTE: For LD to count for measurement, you must be in the fairway.
     • To measure the move from the location of the tee box and start measurement.
     • Then you move the move all the way to the location of the furthest drive to measure distance.
     • Enter the name of the player who’s ball was LD for your group.
     • Leaderboard will update with the players name and how close they are.

Unless specified by Tour management, CTP and LD contest winners will ONLY be declared based on results on the app.  So if your group doesn’t use the app or tries to measure manually, it will not be counted.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL winners MUST BE PRESENT at the Award ceremony to win prizes. So we encourage ALL players to enter their distance on each CTP and LD incase the leaders don’t show for the awards.

Scoring Protocol:

PLEASE NOTE: Last years event at the Clash we tried to implement LIVE SCORING through our Unknown Golf app. While we use this app for all of our Hittin Links events without issue, we encountered a variety of issues with the app and with user errors when using the app resulting in much extra time needed to validate scoring.  This year we return to the tried and true.  Easy score tracking by each team using physical scorecards and self reporting match results by all teams on their corresponding Team Big Board with final validation from event management and each teams captains.

After each 18 holes, teams will place their corresponding match outcomes on the big boards for their teams once they return to clubhouse. These include physical stickers to place next to their team name: GREEN=Won (1pt), YELLOW=Tie (.5pt) and RED=Loss (0 pt).

Please make sure ALL players follow the below protocol for scoring in the Clash of the Clubs.

1. REMEMBER, this is a MATCH play event, not stroke play!  This is very important, please ensure you understand how traditional match play works.  You are playing to win holes, not overall strokes. So if Team A shots a net par on hole one and Team B shoots a net birdie, then Team B goes 1 up in the match.  You do this until you have a winner for each of the 9 hole matches.
2. As is typical in Match Play, teams/players can concede holes or concede putts to the opponent.
3. Each team (2 players) will receive a scorecard in their check in package or on the carts for each of the 9 hole matches to be played.  These scorecards will show yardage from the tees and what holes your team gets a stroke on (if any).
4. After the 9 hole match please confirm scores and move to the next match.
5. After the first 18 holes and 2 matches, please confirm scores before making your way back to the pro shop cafe for lunch. Also, teams will place their corresponding match outcomes on the big boards for their teams once they return to clubhouse. These include physical stickers (in your check in package) to place next to their team name: GREEN=Won (1pt), YELLOW=Tie (.5pt) and RED=Loss (0 pt)
6. After lunch move on to the next 9 hole match and meet with your new opponents.
7. After the 9 hole match please confirm scores and move to the next match.
8. After the 2nd 18 holes and final 2 matches, please confirm scores before making your way back to the pro shop cafe to drop off your clubs at the car, return your cart and make your way to the banquet hall for dinner. Also, teams will place their corresponding match outcomes on the big boards for their teams once they return to clubhouse. These include physical stickers (in your check in package) to place next to their team name: GREEN=Won (1pt), YELLOW=Tie (.5pt) and RED=Loss (0 pt)
9. Tournament Management will tally up all the Big Scoreboards to determine which team scores the most points.

Booze Policy:

Now obviously, this is golf on a Saturday with all the homies (old and new) and we are going to have a GREAT time!  Naturally booze will be flowing as it should!  There will be a drink cart going around all day that players can buy drinks and support the course.

With that said, players are all free within their own rights to bring your own booze at your own risk.  For any player that elects to bring their own booze, please just try to do a good job of hiding it in your bag and wait to bring it out once on the golf course.  We don’t want anyone having their booze taken away from the course management, so please just be responsible and sly when partying out on the golf course.

Its a long day out there, so please pace yourselves.

HOLE IN ONE Rules:

Hole in One Contest: For the 2 MAJOR Hole in One contest worth $10000 each, each player MUST be filmed from shot to ball in hole to be eligible to win the Hole in One contest. For the other Hole In One contest filming is not necessary, but opponents must verify hole in one.  IMPORTANT NOTE: On Hole #3 West and #2 East ALL players will play from further tees for the big $10k prize.  Blues for Men and White for Women. Both holes must film all players shot through hole to be eligible to win Hole in One money.

*DURING ALT SHOT MATCHES, both players are allowed to hit a tee shot on par 3’s or Long Drive holes, but make sure to only play the correct players tee shot according to your order.

Playing Format and Rules (ALL PLAYERS):

The number 1 rule for this event… Just DON’T BE AN ASSHOLE. We are all out here for the love of the game and to enjoy our Saturday escape. This Event is made for EVERYONE and ANYONE to have fun on the course, get to know each other and get a little competition in that we may be missing, so don’t try to ruin anyone’s good time. And if you do you will be kindly asked not to return.

This is a MATCH play event, not stroke play!  This is very important, please ensure you understand how traditional match play works.  You are playing to win holes, not overall strokes. So if Team A shots a net par on hole one and Team B shoots a net birdie, then Team B goes 1 up in the match.  You do this until you have a winner for each 9 holes.

Traditional USGA rules apply to all golf being played so if there are any questions or concerns about a ruling please discuss with your playing partners and call the Commish Jerm at 9162152440 if needed.  Remember, this is a fun match play event, so there will be no making fun of players who may not know all the rules, please be respectful of all playing partners when making a ruling.

See some notes below on rules:

• EVERYTHING LATERAL: Whether you hit the ball OB, in a water hazard or environmental area, drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the location where the ball went out, NO CLOSER to the hole. Player gets a 1 stroke penalty unless noted as FREE on Course Scorecard. 
• GALLERY DROP IN PLAY:  If a player hits a ball into an area where both teams agree it landed, but cannot be located, the other team can grant you a FREE gallery drop and the player may take a free drop in the location where everyone believes the ball clearly came to rest.
• Players are permitted FULL use of any device to helps read course yardages, slopes, green contours, suggested clubs, etc. These tools are typically a watch, range finder, an app on your phone or physical book and all are welcome so long as use of them does not slow down your game.
• Bad Bunkers:  We know that there are some bunkers on this course that are pretty much hard dirt and some of perfect just like a typical muni.  For that reason, we are treating the bunkers as winter rules meaning, in every bunker you may pickup the ball, use a rake to clean up the lie and brush in some sand and then place the ball back in the bunker within a foot of the original spot of the ball.  IF the bunker is so bad there are no good lies, confirm with your competing team and if everyone agrees you may place the ball nearest point of relief outside of the bunker no closer to the holes
• There will be NO penalty assessed to any player that hits their shot out of turn. Pace of Play is key so if a player is out of position to hit in turn, other players may take their shot.
• ALL other USGA Tournament rule issues please check the Course Scorecard for local rules, check with your playing partners or call the Commish Jeremy.
• DON’T CHEAT: We are all out here to have fun and get a little competition fix, so lets keep it fair please.

• 9 holes match will be played 2 man scramble.
  • Traditional Scramble Rules Apply as each team plays from the best shot on every shot. *No tee shot minimum.
  • Players may mark their selected ball spot off each shot and place within one club length of the original spot no closer to the hole and cannot better the lie (cannot go from rough to fairway for example). Players may elect to change their ball with every shot if they would like.
• 9 holes match will be played a 2 man Shamble.
  • Traditional Shamble Rules apply as each teammate tees off on each hole and each player plays their own ball all the way in from the best shot off the tee box.  *No tee shot minimum.
  • Players may mark their selected ball spot and place within one club length of the original spot no closer to the hole and cannot better the lie (cannot go from rough to fairway for example). Players may elect to change their ball off the tee shot if they would like.
  • NOTE: For holes with Long Drive/Hole in One/Closest to Pin Challenges all players may tee off to participate in the challenge only.
  • Team with the most winning holes per 9 match wins 1 point. Tie is .5 points
• 9 holes match will be played as a Team Alternate Shot Match
  • Traditional Alternate Shot Rules Apply as each team will alternate shots through each hole and each tee shot must be alternated as well.
  • For this format the ball is played down and as is.  NO lift clean and place.
  • NOTE: For any holes with Long Drive/Hole in One/Closest to Pin Challenges all players may tee off to participate in the challenge only.
• 9 holes match will be played as Singles Net Match Play
  • Traditional Net Match Play Rules Apply as each player will play each hole against their opponent and low net score wins the hole.
  • For this format the ball is played down and as is.  NO lift clean and place.
  • Team/Players with the most winning holes per 9 wins 1 point. Tie is .5 points

Pace of Play  

• As with any large event, we are placing a HUGE emphasis on Pace of Play.  Please ensure your players KEEP UP WITH THE GROUP IN FRONT OF YOU.  These scores are not postable for the usga, so if your teammate is having a bad hole and you know their score wont be used for your team score, please just encourage them to pickup their ball and take the rest of the hole off.
• Max team score on any hole will be a net double bogey.  Once reached please pickup and if both teams reach max just write double net bogey for each team and the hole is pushed.
• As a team member, if your teammate is clearly going to be the score used for the hole, feel free to pickup.  These are not postable scores.

Contest Handicapping

Below are the standard calculations used in USGA handicapping of each of the formats used in the Clash.  We CANNOT update handicaps day of the event so all net strokes on scorecard are final.  Please review below.

*Note that the strokes given are based on 18 holes and the hardest holes in those 18 holes.  So it is possible that one of your 9 hole contests will not contain any strokes given as the hardest holes are not in that 9 hole stretch.

• 9 hole Team Alternate Shot matchup:
  • The partners for each team combine their course handicaps for 18 holes.  Each team gets 50% of the side’s total course handicap. For example:  Team A-B have a combined Course Handicap of 10 strokes is competing against team C-D with a combined Course Handicap of 20. The higher handicapped side, C-D, receives 10 net strokes.
• 9 hole Team Scramble matchup:
  • First, both golfers on a team determine their course handicaps. Then take 35-percent of Golfer A’s course handicap; and add it to 15-percent of Golfer B’s course handicap. Where Golfer A is the lower-handicapped player on the team and Golfer B the higher-handicapped. For example For team A-B, Player A’s course handicap is 8 and Player B’s is 21. Thirty-five percent of 8 is 2.8; 15 percent of 21 is 3.15. So add 2.8 and 3.15 to get 5.95, and this team’s scramble handicap is 6.  Now Team C-D calculate their handicaps and which results in a scramble handicap of 1.  So Team A-B will take 5 strokes more than team C-D.
• 9 hole Shamble matchup:
  • For shamble Each shamble team players receive their course handicap and will play to 70% of their course handicap. For example: Player A is a course handicap of 36 and player B is a 4 handicap. We take 70% of their course handicap to get 26 and 2. Opposing team calculates to a handicap of 20. So team A-B will get 8 more strokes.
• 9 hole Individual Net Match Play:
  • Each golfer from each matchup will get their full course handicap for the whole course.  Higher handicap in the matchup will receive more strokes than the lower handicapped player.  For example, Player A is a 6 course handicap and Player B is a 10 course handicap.  Player B will then receive 4 more strokes.

The club that scores the most points across their 40 matches will be declared the winner of the Cup and will receive the great honor that is “Champion Team of the Year” – The Clash of the Clubs! Winning team will also receive $1000 to use for their club.

What happens with a tie?

Should there be a tie, the clubs tied at the top will send their top 2 players each to play a sudden death playoff of alternate shot match play on Hole #1.  Should the playoff go too long or the course not allow completion on course, we will move to a alternate shot 3 hole aggregate putt off on the putting green.  If not decided after that then sudden death putt will presume until a winner is declared.

Hittin Links Member Points

Yes ALL participating Hittin Links Members will receive points towards the season long race to the Hittin Links Championship.  All players will recieve 200 points for playing in the Clash, 50 bonus points for each match win or tie and 50 bonus points for any contest won CTP or LD and 100 bonus points if your club wins.

Registration:

Hittin Links will look to fill all 8 clubs no later than April 1st and all clubs must have their teams paid in full NO LATER than May 15th. We will look to have verbal confirmation of participation from each club representative asap and then we would need a deposit of $199 on or before April 1st.  Deposit will be used as the club president/captains registration for the event.

*NOTE All players are required to have an active USGA handicap to participate

We offer 2 ways for clubs to complete registration.

1. Players register individually at our Clash website and indicate which team they are playing for.
2. Club Presidents or Captains will pay upfront for their entire team on the Clash website and then collect from their players.

Any Club cancellations before May 15th will receive full refund less a small processing fee. After May 15th will have no refunds.

Setting Matchups

The beauty of the Clash is ANYONE has a chance to win.  This is a 36 hole event with 4 different matches for each player and all matches are net so they can stay as close as possible.  Here’s how we handle the match ups and pairings to keep everything fair and fun.

1. After a Club is registered and has all 16 players, the club captain must put together your clubs Pairings List.  Due to time restrictions we CANNOT change team pairings for the 1st and 2nd 18, so your teams MUST stay the same ALL DAY.  Please walk through your 16 man roster and build 8 teams that you think will be successful together in match play.
2. Submit your final team pairings to Hittin Links management no later than June 10th.
3. Hittin Links management will take ALL the club team pairings and build the official matches.  The matches are built based on 2 principles. 1. Reviewing the handicaps we keep the club matchups as even as possible.  And 2. We set the matchups to make sure every single team will get to play against 2 different clubs during the event so everyone gets to meet and play against 4 other players from 2 other clubs.
4. The matchup building takes a LONG TIME as we try to keep it as even as possible, but we know some matchups have more handicap variance than others.
5. After the matchups are completed we will post and send to the Club Presidents for final approval and any adjustment requested.
6. Once finalized we updated our Clash website and let the players know their matchups and pairings.