General

Season 1 of the The Loop Tour will be conducted as a series of FIVE 18-hole individual stroke play tournaments followed by a 54-hole Season Final Event .

Each event is played in the same manner as a traditional outdoor tournament. The same rules of golf as they pertain to simulator play apply.

Thus:

• A player must not start a tournament round with more than 14 clubs. If he/she started with fewer than 14 clubs or damages a club in the regular course of play, he/she may add or replace a club(s), provided the total number does not exceed 14.
• Tees may be used on shots from the tee box only.
• No changes to the environment (tee area, lighting, alignment aids, etc.) are allowed during the round.
• Ensure there are no non-transparent obstructions (i.e. anything other than the protective acrylic shield used in some facilities) placed in front of the Trackman 4 device.
• ALL SHOTS MUST BE HIT FROM WITHIN THE “STRIKE ZONE.” Shots hit outside the strike zone will not count and you will be disqualified. Refer to the “Marking the Strike Zone” section below for guidance on how to properly identify and mark the strike zone in the simulator where you play your round.

Scorecards and Player Responsibility

The Loop Tour live leaderboard typically updates automatically shortly after the scorecard is updated in Trackman Performance Studio ***. If a player finds their scorecard has not updated in a timely manner, it is the player’s responsibility to contact The Loop Tour as soon as possible.  A full accounting of player scores is essential for the timely verification of tournament results.

Field Size

The maximum number of entrants for Events 1 and 2 is 32. The Season Final is limited to the top 40 players on The Loop Tour Order of Merit through the first five rounds.

The Loop Tour reserve the right to distribute additional spots in any round at any time, conditioned on payment of the appropriate entry fee. Limits on field size may be subject to change at the discretion of The Loop Tour Rules Committee.

Spin Axis and Forced Mulligans

• Forced mulligan: If the system detects a player has hit three shots with a ball speed exceeding 134 mph (215 kph) and a spin axis reading of zero, the player will then be required to re-hit any such shots (a “forced mulligan”) for the remainder of the round, with no penalty.
• Strike zone: Players in a simulator with a Trackman 4 launch monitor are still responsible for hitting shots from within the “strike zone” (see Marking the Strike Zone below).
• Test and verify: players with higher ball speeds are asked to verify that spin axis readings are being captured consistently during their pre-round warm-up.

Marking the Strike Zone

The Loop Tour will mark the “strike zone” in the Trackman 4 simulators.

NOTE: There is no action required to mark the strike zone when using Trackman iO, which does not allow the player to continue until the ball is positioned for optimal tracking.

If the Trackman 4 is bumped or repositioned in any way during a round, the strike zone will be re-marked.

Once the strike zone has been marked, begin the practice session/warmup/round.

REMEMBER: Every shot during a The Loop Tour round must be hit from within the strike zone. Any shot hit from outside the strike zone will not count toward your score, even if it launches normally on screen, and you will be disqualified.

It is the players’ responsibility to verify that the strike zone is properly marked and ensure all shots are hit from within the strike zone.

Trackman data will be analyzed during the post-round validation process to confirm all shots were hit from within the strike zone.

Alignment Aids

The use of equipment that gives artificial help to a golfer’s play is restricted. Players may not place alignment sticks or other objects (including adhesive tape) on the hitting surface or between the hitting surface and the hitting screen to guide shot direction. This does not include lines or markers permanently embedded in the hitting mats — or the hitting mats themselves, which are generally placed in alignment with the screen— as they are considered part of the basic design of a golf simulator.

In some golf simulators, a “strike zone” is marked on the hitting surface for the purposes of radar calibration and indicating where the ball should be placed for optimal tracking. While this could be regarded as an indirect aiming aid — even though it does not help the player hit in a particular direction — such indicators are not a violation of the The Loop Tour rules. However, when marking the ”strike zone,” only adhesive dots or small pieces of tape (max. 2 in/5 cm) should be placed in each corner. It is also acceptable to mark the target calibration point on the hitting screen itself or just beneath the hitting screen (max. 2 in/5 cm). Longer strips of tape applied to the hitting surface or between the hitting surface and the hitting screen may be considered an alignment aid and result in a penalty and/or disqualification.

Penalty for breach:

• Penalty for the first breach: General Penalty (Two-stroke Penalty in Stroke Play). If the breach happens between two holes, the penalty applies to the next hole.
• Penalty for the second breach: Disqualification. This penalty applies even if the nature of the breach was entirely different from the breach resulting in the first penalty.

General rules from the R&A can be found at www.randa.org

Side Games

Each tournament will include side games not related to the order of finish, with cash payouts to winners.

There are no tiebreakers on side games. All players sharing the same scores/stats will share the prize amount. Side games are subject to change at the discretion of the Rules Committee.

Payouts

The Loop Tour will process payouts via direct deposit within 3 days of the completion of each tournament.

How to Play

Once players have created a Trackman account and registered through the tournament website, they are eligible to play.

In the simulator, entrants should first sign into their Trackman account, then select the appropriate The Loop Tour event. All settings (course conditions, tees, etc.) will be pre-set and cannot be changed.

Practice Rounds

As in traditional golf, entrants are allowed to play practice rounds on The Loop Tour tournament courses. On the Schedule page players can find information about the course and course setup (tees and length, pin position difficulty, wind conditions, firmness of greens, etc.). Courses and settings will be announced two weeks before each tournament.

Putting

Players are required to putt when on the green and outside the gimme circle (2.4 m/7.87 ft). See the Gimme Circle section for more details.

For guidance on optimizing your setup, tournament settings and on-course practice, refer to the news article about manual putting here.

Green stimp and firmness may be subject to change from round to round. All settings can be found on the Schedule page two weeks before each tournament begins.

Putting rules are subject to change at the discretion of the Rules Committee.

Gimme Circle

The gimme circle on the The Loop Tour is set to 2.4 meters.

“Pick Up” Rule

If a player picks up the ball (by tapping the “Pick up” button on-screen) before holing out, the score will be a quadruple bogey, regardless of the number of shots hit before picking up. If a player continues until holing out, then all strokes on the hole will be counted, with no maximum. Accordingly, players are advised to pick up the ball before holing out if they wish to limit their score on a given hole to quadruple bogey.

Tie Rules

In the event of a tie for first place, the following rules will determine the winner:

1. Lowest back nine
2. Lowest score on last six holes
3. Lowest score on last three holes
4. Lowest score on hole 18
5. Lowest score on holes 4–9
6. Lowest score on holes 7–9
7. Lowest score on hole 9
8. Aggregate closest to the pin
9. Longest birdie (or better) streak
10. Most greens in regulation
11. Longest drive

When two or more players are tied for a non-winning position, the prize money will be divided evenly.

Validation of Results

Each entrant must video record each round in full using the NEXT Recorder app on their smartphone in order to validate round results. Review the NEXT Recorder app section on this page for more details. The video recordings may be reviewed by the Rules Committee and cross-referenced with Trackman data to confirm the round was completed according to the Rules of Golf and the NEXT Golf Tour. Use of the NEXT Recorder app is required to play on the NEXT Golf Tour. Rounds completed without use of the NEXT Recorder app will be disqualified.

Video Uploads and Rights

A central part of The Loop Tour is promoting the tour and the players via social media. Players are urged to share videos and pictures related to their tournament experience. Players retain all ownership rights to the content they share, but grant the The Loop Tour, MKL, Swing Shack, and The Loop Tour partners a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform that content in connection with the The Loop Tour.

By participating in a tournament, players also grant to The Loop Tour, MKL, Swing Shack, and The Loop Tour partners a perpetual, royalty-free, fully paid-up, worldwide, right and license (with the right to grant sublicenses) to copy, display, distribute, edit, host, store and otherwise use their name, logos, trade or service marks, nickname, initials, likeness, image, photograph, animation, avatar, autograph, voice, video or film portrayal, public persona, game play data and statistics, biographical information and/or backstory for purposes of advertising the The Loop Tour.

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee consists of representatives from Swing Shack. The Rules Committee has exclusive authority over all aspects of the The Loop Tour and is the final arbiter of all rulings, disputes and any other issues that may arise.

Disclaimer

Registration, entry into and participation in a tournament does not in any way imply any guarantee of specific results or prizes, and neither The Loop Tour or Trackman can always control, foresee, or anticipate technical or other difficulties which may result in loss of tournament data or other service interruptions. Therefore, by entering into a tournament, each player accepts that the tournament is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, and neither Trackman nor the The Loop Tour are or can be held responsible for any issues that may occur while at a facility including, but not limited to: power/internet outages, simulator not working properly, failure to save the round, failure to complete the round, etc. Any and all disputes related to technology issues that affect gameplay and/or the order of finish will be addressed and resolved at the sole discretion of the Rules Committee.

Technology Issues

NOTE: The Loop Tour website provides guidance on most issues that may arise before/during/after play. Please read this carefully.

As with any technology platform, there may be issues that arise during gameplay. Examples include ghost shots (i.e., a shot that was tracked without being hit), untracked shots (i.e., a shot that was hit but not tracked) and system crashes. In the event of:

1. Ghost shots (and/or other clear glitches) — The issue should be noted with video and details and submitted to the Rules Committee for review. If it is an obvious glitch and has been properly video documented, then drop the ball to its original position with one penalty shot (click “Re-hit +1”) and continue play. The Rules Committee will then review the video and edit the score as needed. If not deemed a glitch by the Rules Committee, the shot(s) will count.
2. Untracked shots — The player will need to rehit/putt until the shot is tracked.
3. System crashes — The player/facility should restart TPS, sign back in and tap “Resume Round.” Be sure to document any such issues to share with Trackman support and/or the Rules Committee.
4. Other issues — Document and share with Trackman support and/or the Rules Committee as needed.

Trackman will review log files to verify any system errors. Restarting the round will not be allowed by the software. Each entrant is entitled to only one attempt at completing a tournament round.

Disputes

In the event of any dispute during the course of play, the simulator facility owner may make a preliminary ruling based on the information available. The facility owner will be required to sign off on the validity of the round if any disputes arise. The facility owner is asked to send an email to the Rules Committee with an explanation of any disputes and rulings. Upon request or in situations where the preliminary ruling remains in dispute, the Rules Committee may review video recordings and Trackman data to make a final ruling.

Disqualification

We want every player on The Loop Tour to have fun and compete with integrity. All scores will be carefully monitored. Entrants are encouraged to win with grace and lose with dignity. Any form of cheating or attempt to gain an unfair advantage will not be tolerated. Trackman and the Rules Committee reserve the right to disqualify and/or ban players from future participation if there is a suspicion of cheating in general or anyone is believed to be breaking the official rules. This includes but is not limited to impersonation (including using another player’s Trackman account, creating multiple accounts, or men playing from women’s tee boxes).

Timing

Each player must finish their tournament round during one uninterrupted session within the defined tournament window for their score to count. Pausing the round and resuming at a later time is not allowed and may result in disqualification. Entry fee will not be refunded if a player does not complete the tournament round within the tournament window.

Registration and Entry

Register for Rounds 1–5 on the Schedule page. The top 40 players (and ties) on the Order of Merit following Event 5 will be automatically entered in the Final Event of the season.

Sign-ups close when the event window opens. Players may not join an event already in progress.

The entry fee for both professionals and amateurs is R2,000 (including R250 for administration and VAT). Players may need to pay separately for access to a Trackman simulator.

Trackman Account

A Trackman account is required to enter and play in a The Loop Tour event. Entrants who do not yet have a Trackman account can create one in the Trackman Golf app. Entrants are allowed to create and use only one account while participating in The Loop Tour. The Loop Tour and the Rules Committee reserve the right to disqualify any entrants who are found to have used more than one account.

Limitation of Liability

As a condition to participating in a tournament and to the greatest extent permitted by law, each player agrees to hold harmless The Loop Tour, Swing Shack, MKL, Trackman, and their respective related parties from and against any and all claims or demands arising out of, relating to, or in connection with such player’s participation in a tournament. In no event shall any player have, and each player hereby irrevocably waives, any right to sue, and covenants not to sue, based upon its participation in a tournament.

Resolution of Disputes

The Loop Tour has final and binding authority to decide disputes with respect to breach, termination, enforcement, or interpretation of any part of the above tournament rules.