RULES AND REGULATIONS

Golfzon^® Tour - General Golfzon of America, Inc. (“Golfzon”) located at 3863 Centerview Drive Suite #300 in Chantilly, VA 20151, is the sponsor of this golf competition, called the Golfzon® Tour, in which teams fielded by group of twelve (12) host facilities in various locations selected by Golfzon (each a “Host Facility”) will compete remotely against one another on Golfzon Simulators in a virtual golf tournament using simulated golf courses starting on September 12^th 2024 with the final two teams to compete head to head for the $150,000 grand prize at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida on January 23, 2025 (the “Golfzon Tour”). NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER THE GOLFZON TOUR; but participants are responsible to pay standard fees for their use of simulator hitting bays. THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Golfzon reserves the right, at any time, to cancel, suspend, or postpone the Golfzon Tour. Similarly, Golfzon reserves the right to modify the contest and/or these Rules & Regulations in response to circumstances that are not in the reasonable control of Golfzon.

Each Host Facility will independently fund, design, organize, host, manage, promote, referee, and score a competition for the purpose of selecting five (5) members of the Host Facility Team; provided that one (1) member of each Host Facility’s team may be selected via a Host Facility “exemption.” A Team member selected by “exemption” may be a Host Facility employee; but the other four Team members may not be employees of the Host Facility. Employees of Golfzon are not eligible to participate. All participants must be legal residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, or Mexico; however, the contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Contact Steve Brown at marketing_gza@golfzon.com for a list of Host Facilities; and contact the relevant Host Facility to learn more about their qualifier competitions and rules and eligibility requirements (each a “Qualifier Event”). Qualifier Events will begin on or about September 12, 2024. For clarity, Golfzon is not a sponsor of any Qualifier Event, and Qualifier Events are not part of the Golfzon Tour.

Each Host Facility is responsible to deliver their fully executed Team Entry Form to Golfzon by September 30, 2024, to Steve Brown at marketing_gza@golfzon.com. Individuals who have not qualified or been selected to participate on a Host Facility team as presented in the Team Entry Form will not be eligible to compete in the Golfzon Tour. Each team member must be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time the Host Facility submits its Golfzon Tour Team Entry Form is submitted to Golfzon, and must otherwise be eligible for participation in the Golfzon Tour per these Rules & Regulations. The Host Facility Teams may consist of any combination of Participants of any gender. A representative from each Host Facility will act as the Team Captain and select the participating players for each match. Golfzon shall provide each of the five (5) Team Members a stipend of USD$1,000, except for any Team Member selected via the Host Facility’s exemption, who shall not be eligible to receive any stipend from Golfzon. The purpose of the stipend is to subsidize the Team Members’ costs and expenses and participation in the Tour Events. Golfzon reserves the right to require such Team Member to provide necessary information and documentation prior to paying such stipends.

The 12 Host Facility Teams will be divided into 2 divisions: East and West. Each Host Facility Team will play five 18-hole Matches Round Robin within division as the Seeding Round. Each of the matches will be a 3-person aggregate team score stroke play with a Win = 2 points, Tie = 1 point, Loss = 0 points. Overall seeding tiebreakers will be determined by lowest team score for all rounds in round robin play. Points earned from each Seeding Round match will determine seeding for bracket play single elimination tournament. The top 2 teams from each division will receive 1st round bye in the subsequent bracket play single elimination tournament.

Bracket play matches will be played single elimination 3 vs 3 with best 2 out of 3 scores per team match play. Tiebreakers will be determined by a sudden death stroke play with all 3 players scores counting starting from the first hole of the tournament course. There will be no reseeding between rounds.

The final two teams will play in Orlando at PGA Show in January 2025 (the “Tour Finals”). The Tour Finals match will be played 5 vs 5 in a match play format. Any necessary tiebreaker will be determined by a 1 vs 1 sudden death stroke play starting on the 1st hole of the championship match course. Competition Rules

1. Tournament Committee: A group of at least three individuals selected by Golfzon will have the authority to make all final interpretations and determinations under these Rules & Regulations. In accordance with Rules & Regulations and as otherwise set forth herein, the Tournament Committee, shall have the sole and exclusive authority to apply and enforce these Rules & Regulations throughout the Golfzon Tour and shall, where necessary, make decisions regarding the interpretation of these Rules & Regulations. Golfzon reserves the right, in accordance with these Rules & Regulations, to investigate, adjudicate and resolve any Host Facility Team and any individual participant disciplinary matters that arise in connection with the Golfzon Tour. The decisions of the Tournament Committee shall in all cases be final. Each Host Facility and each participant may take no action to hinder the activity or authority of Golfzon and/or the Tournament Committee, nor their ability to enforce the Rules & Regulations as set forth herein.
2. Gender and Course Length Determinations: The Golfzon Tour is open to participants of all sexes and gender identities. Participants whose biological sex is female shall have the option to participate from designated tees selected to result in a total course length that is approximately 85% of the length played by other participants, as determined by the Tournament Committee. The Tournament Committee will have the authority to make case by case determinations on whether participants qualify for the shorter course length, and will apply the principles set forth in the then-current Gender Policy of the LPGA currently located at https://www.lpga.com/gender-policy.
3. Amateur Status: All participant are individually responsible to determine the impact of their participation in the Golfzon Tour, and/or acceptance of any stipends or prize money from Golfzon, on their personal amateur status. Golfzon makes no representations or warranties regarding such impact.
4. Participant Release & Waiver: As a condition of entry, each Team member must sign Golfzon’s separate Participant Release & Waiver, and Golfzon must receive such signed Participant Release & Waiver from each Team member prior to participation in a Qualifier Event and/or any Golfzon Tour Event. Without limiting anything in the Participant Release & Waiver, each Team member understands that by signing Participant Release & Waiver, such Team member (i) acknowledges that Golfzon has had no involvement on the qualification and/or selection of Team members, and (ii) acknowledges that such Team member has given consent to Golfzon to use such Team member’s name, image, and likeness for commercial purposes. For a copy of the Participant Release & Waiver, contact Steve Brown at marketing_gza@golfzon.com.
5. Medical Authorization: Each Team member hereby authorizes medical personnel engaged by the Host or by Golfzon to provide medical or diagnostic services in the event a Team member becomes ill or sustains an injury in connection with his/her participation in the Golfzon Tour.
6. No Manipulation of Results: Neither the Host nor any Team member may (i) take any action designed to manipulate the results of any individual match or to manipulate any Golfzon Tour bracket; or (ii) participate or assist in any activities associated with the Golfzon Tour that violate U.S. federal gambling laws or the gambling laws of the city, state, province, or nation having jurisdiction over such activities.
7. Prize Money: The grand prize to be awarded to the team that wins the Tour Finals event in Orlando, Florida on January 23, 2025 shall be an aggregate of One Hundred Fifty Thousand United States Dollars (USD$150,000.00). Golfzon will remit the prize money in equal parts (1/5 each) to each of the five (5) members of the winning team. The Golfzon Tournament Committee has the sole right and authority to determine the winning team, and eligibility to receive prize money, in accordance with these Rules & Regulations and all applicable laws. Golfzon is responsible for the payment of all prize money in accordance with these Rules & Regulations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the payment of all prize money is subject to compliance by the Host and each Team member with all terms and conditions of the Team Entry Form and these Rules & Regulations. Awards of prize money shall be subject to Golfzon’s timely receipt of timely funds transmission information from each Team member, and may be subject to Golfzon’s receipt of a 1099 or other similar documentation from each Team member. The prize money is inclusive of all taxes, fees, and other charges; and each Team member is responsible for the reporting and payment of all taxes that may be due on amounts received.
8. Scheduling: For round robin “Seeding Round” play, all rounds must be played within the stated week time frame at the agreed upon time between both team captains Golfzon. For the subsequent “Bracket Play” portion of the Golfzon Tour, all rounds must be played on the given date and time by both team captains and the Golfzon America representative. All rounds must be played with the corresponding team – at no time are rounds allowed to be played without the opposing team.
   
   • Forfeiture: If a team is cannot field the appropriate number of players at the scheduled round time, the team will be deemed to have forfeited the round. Any forfeit will result in the loss of the match.
9. Simulator Failure: If both Host’s systems crash/freeze, the round is to be resumed at the tee of the hole currently in play. If one of the systems crash/freeze, the other team is allowed to finish the current hole and record a score, while the team with a system failure, will restart from the tee of that hole.
10. Account Usage: Participants must not log in and play using another person’s ID for qualification or competition purposes. If caught, this will be considered a violation of the rules against ID theft and proxy play, which could lead to disqualification. Participants must only use their own ID, and proxy play may result in being referred to the disciplinary committee, potentially leading to future disqualification in competition participation.

Tournament Regulations

1. Finals Attendance Notification
   
   • If a participant is unable to attend the Tour Finals due to unavoidable personal circumstances, they must notify the team captain and the Tournament Committee by January 1, 2025. No replacement players will be allowed to fill the vacant spot.
2. Player Registration
   
   • Players must arrive at the tournament venue and complete their registration at least 30 minutes before the tournament starts (tee-off). A delay in registration will result in a two-stroke penalty at the first hole. If a player fails to arrive at the designated bay at least 15 minutes before the tee-off, they will be disqualified.

3. Bay Access

   • After the tournament begins, only the players assigned to that bay, tournament officials (broadcast personnel, competition committee members, technical committee members), and other related staff may enter the bay. Any other player entering a bay they are not assigned to will be disqualified.
4. Etiquette Violations
   
   • Players whose actions violate golf etiquette and affect other players will be penalized according to the player behavior code. Severe violations may result in disqualification. Spectators violating etiquette may be removed from the tournament venue and banned from future events.
5. Protests
   
   • Only the player themselves may protest the results or decisions of the Tournament Committee. Failure to follow the Committee’s instructions may result in disqualification or referral to a Disciplinary Committee established by the Tournament Committee, leading to possible suspension or revocation of player eligibility.
6. Determination of Winner
   
   • The winner and final standings will be confirmed and verified by the Golfzon Tournament Committee.
7. Tournament Cancellation
   
   • In case of natural disasters or circumstances at the venue that make it impossible to proceed with the tournament, the Tournament Committee will decide whether to hold over or finalize the current tournament results.
8. End of Tournament
   
   • The tournament officially ends when the trophy is presented to the winner. No objections or disputes will be entertained after the tournament has concluded, and all decisions made by the Tournament Committee are final.
9. Medical Time Allocation
   
   • Players who suddenly fall ill or are injured during the tournament are typically allowed 15 minutes of recovery time, in the discretion of the Tournament Committee.
10. Practice Rules
    
    • After the practice session ends, players must log in immediately. Any practice strokes taken after logging in but before the tournament starts (tee-off) will result in a penalty. (1-stroke penalty for violations)
11. Use of Practice Tools
    
    • Practice tools used for anything other than stretching (such as practice swings) will result in penalties. (1st violation: 2-stroke penalty, 2nd violation: disqualification).
12. Video Recording
    
    • Recording videos at the finals venue for the purpose of uploading to media channels is strictly prohibited. Exceptions may be made with approval from the Tournament Committee.
13. Group Formation and Booth Assignment
    
    • The formation of groups and bay assignment will be decided by the tournament organizing committee for each location.

Please be aware that these regulations have been established by Golfzon to uphold the authority and culture of the Golfzon tournament. We ask that you thoroughly understand and adhere to the above guidelines.

Player Behavior Code

The Golfzon Tournament Committee has established the following Player Behavior Code. If a player violates the behavior code, the Committee may impose penalties based on the severity of the violation. If the same behavior code is violated multiple times during the tournament or if additional violations occur, the next level of penalty will be imposed.

Article 1: Behavior

• If a player’s behavior falls under the following categories, the Committee may apply penalties as outlined in Article 4:
  
  • Repeated use of abusive language
  • Damaging or throwing clubs
  • Engaging in disrespectful or offensive behavior towards other players, competition officials, spectators, or staff
  • Damaging tournament facilities or the course (e.g., bunker mats)
  • Delaying play by using function keys other than directional keys at kiosks
  • Engaging in violence, or smoking at the tournament venue (considered extremely improper behavior)
  • Using electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones) during the tournament is permitted and must be in silent mode.
  • Repeatedly violating tournament rules (more than twice is considered extremely improper behavior)

Article 2: Attire

• Players must dress neatly and in accordance with any specific dress code regulations for the tournament. Team uniforms provided by the Host Facility and pre-approved by Golfzon must be worn appropriately during all rounds.

Article 3: Player Friends, Family and Spectators

• Friends or family of players and spectators must also dress neatly and comply with any dress code regulations for the tournament. (If a friend, family member or spectator is involved in a behavior code violation, the Committee will decide if the player should be held accountable, and the Committee’s decision will be final).

Article 4: Penalties

• If a ruling is required regarding the behavior code, the relevant committee will determine whether a violation has occurred, and the decision will be final.
  
  • Step 1: Warning
  • Step 2: General Penalty (2-stroke penalty)
  • Step 3 or Extremely Improper Behavior: Disqualification
  • Note: Violations occurring between holes or rounds will have penalties applied to the next hole or round.

Article 5: Committee Decision

• The Tournament Committee will determine whether any behavior code violation constitutes “extremely improper behavior,” and their decision will be final. If the Committee believes the violation warrants referral to the Disciplinary Committee, they must submit a written report to the tournament organizing committee.

Important Information

• Please ensure that you review the tournament guidelines before participating.
• You must complete all designated tournament holes after logging in to be considered as having properly participated in the tournament.
• The final ranking for this tournament will be determined based on the rankings displayed on the Golfzon website’s tournament page after the tournament ends.
• Winners are responsible for any taxes related to the prizes, and additional verification of personal information is required for tax reporting purposes. (Golfzon will contact you separately for personal information verification. If you are unreachable after two attempts or if your contact information is unclear, your prize will be forfeited.)
• Individuals who do not consent to the use of their personal information will be excluded from participation and will not be eligible for stipends or prizes.
• Individuals who have not signed their Team Entry Form and/or who have not signed their Participant Release & waiver will be excluded from participation and will not be eligible for stipends or prizes.
• All prize eligibility is given to qualifying team participants with registered scores.
• Prizes cannot be exchanged and will only be sent as specified according to the final results.
• Duplicate awards are not allowed.
• If there is no address, funds transmission information, or contact information when verifying member information for stipends or prize delivery, the stipend or prize will be forfeited. Stipends and prize money will not be re-sent if returned due to inaccurate information.
• The final list of winners will be announced upon completion at the PGA Show January 2025.
• The final list of winners will be officially announced by Golfzon after final inspection, and may differ from the winners displayed on the event or tournament page. (Misuse of ID, proxy participation, etc., will be considered fraudulent and will result in disqualification). A list of winners can be obtained by contacting Steve Brown at marketing_gza@golfzon.com after January 25, 2025.
• Participants will be excluded from the awards in the following cases:
  
  1. If someone other than the participant played on their behalf or if the participant’s identity cannot be verified.
  2. If any form of cheating, interference with other players, manipulation of equipment, or any behavior contrary to sportsmanship is detected.
  3. If any attempt is made to exploit loopholes in the tournament rules to unlawfully claim prizes or awards.
  4. If rounds are played improperly, all awards will be forfeited.
  5. If it is deemed that the participant is otherwise unsuitable for awards, or if there are issues not specifically mentioned, Golfzon’s terms of service and tournament guidelines will apply.
  6. For any other reasons expressly set forth in these Rules and Regulations.
• The tournament period, content, and prizes may be changed with a separate notice depending on Golfzon’s and the Host Facility’s circumstances.
• Golfzon is not liable for any losses or failure to achieve expected gains due to the participant’s own reasons.

Hitting Surfaces:

Each simulator has various surfaces to hit off of and the system indicates in the bottom right which surface is appropriate. Anytime a player is putting a ball into play on any surface in the simulator, the player is allowed to place their ball. There are no restrictions on ‘grounding’ a club before a stroke when hitting out of the bunker surface.

Players must place their ball in the area indicated by the software prior to making their next stroke. Playing a stroke from an incorrect hitting surface will result in that player’s score on the hole being disqualified. They still must continue to play the hole until the ball is holed.

• All hitting surfaces must be set-up with the light rough and white fairway bunker closest to the striped fairway surface.
• When the simulator states “FAIRWAY”, the ball is to be placed in the striped fairway hitting surface.
• When the simulator states “APRON”, the ball is to be placed in the striped fairway hitting surface.
• When the simulator states “GREEN”, the ball is to be placed in the striped fairway hitting surface.
• When the simulator states “BUNKER”, the ball is to be placed in the white fairway bunker surface.
• When the simulator states “GREEN BUNKER”, the ball is to be placed in the orange greenside bunker surface.
• When the simulator states “ROUGH”, the ball is to be placed in the shorter rough surface.
• When the simulator states “HEAVY ROUGH”, the ball is to be placed in the longer rough surface.

Tee Height:

Players may adjust the height of their tee on the screen console or by pushing the tee down. The tee height setting option will not go below 1 inch so players must manually set a lower height if desired. To utilize a tee on a Par 3, a player must change their club selection on the screen console to ‘Driver’. No use of external tees or teeing systems will be allowed. Playing a stroke from an unauthorized tee will result in that player’s score on the hole being disqualified. They still must continue to play the hole until the ball is holed.

Aiming Putts:

When a putter is to be used for the shot, players will be restricted from using the L and R keypad buttons or the touchscreen kiosk to adjust their aim point. For all other clubs adjustment to the aim point is allowed.

Playing Out of Turn:

The system indicates which player is to record the next stroke. Playing a shot for another member of your team will result in the score for player’s turn it was to be disqualified for the hole. The player must continue to play their ball until it is holed. Players should be careful around the ball when preparing to make a stroke. If the system registers an unintentional stroke let an official know immediately. No player initiated mulligans allowed. Upon completion of the round, each team captain must submit a signed scorecard that correctly attributes each hole-by-hole score for all players.

Penalty Areas:

As dictated by the system, players will not be able to hit a ball that lies in a penalty area, the player will always be required to take relief.

Seeding Round Events - Dates and Courses*

Bracket Play Events - Dates and Courses*

*All dates and courses subject to change in Golfzon’s discretion.