2026 SPCC Golf Rules Book
The information contained in this Golf Booklet is intended to provide each Member with an overview of the Golf Rules, Policies, and proposed SPCC Tournaments/Events Schedule for 2026. Changes and additions do occur as we encourage all Members to contact the Golf Professional Staff if they have any questions regarding the 2026 SPCC Golf Events Schedule. We hope you have a great year!
Club Phone Directory
Clubhouse Phone Number 410-477-0220
Golf Shop Phone Number 410-477-3636
Dining Room Reservations Ext. 2
Trophy Room / Carry-Out Ext. 3
Club Leadership Staff
Corey Andrews, General Manager Ext. 9 candrews@spcc1925.com
Lori Joy, Assistant General Manager / Accounting Ext. 7 ljoy@spcc1925.com
Emily Anderson, Director of Sales Ext. 4 eanderson@spcc1925.com
Erin Erb, Director of Membership Ext. 5 eerb@spcc1925.com
Jim Bennett, PGA Head Golf Professional Ext. 8 jbennett@spcc1925.com
Rob Moore, First Assistant Golf Professional Ext. 1 rmoore@spcc1925.com
Brian Dearstine, GCSAA Director of Agronomy bdearstine@spcc1925.com
Mark Sanders, Executive Chef msanders@spcc1925.com
General Golf Rules and Regulations
Each Member is responsible for knowing the Golf Rules concerning conduct, etiquette, golf course restrictions, golf cart rules, dress code, and the guest policy.
• All Members MUST register in the Golf Shop before starting play, whether on the Championship Golf Course or the Four -hole Loop. This consists of reporting their Membership number, walking or riding status, who else is playing in the group, Member classification , and Guest information, if applicable.
• Golf Guest Fees must be paid before they play golf; Guest Fees will be inclusive of Cart Fees even if they’re walking.
• All play begins on the First Tee on the Golf Course or Loop unless otherwise directed by the Golf Professional Staff.
• The maximum number of Guests in a Member-group is three; Members can have more than three Guests play with them on the same day in consecutive Starting Times; it is recommended that this specific Member who has more than three Guests invite another SPCC Me mber to play in the second Group; exceptions to not having another SPCC Member in the second Group can be made but must be approved by the Golf Professional Staff
• Members are not to censure or discipline any Club Employee. Complaints are to be directed to the General Manager and PGA Head Golf Professional.
• Golf Carts may not be operated by anyone without a driver’s license or who is under the age of 16.
• No more than two people may ride in a golf cart at any given time.
• Except for the Match Play Championship, single golf cart riders are not permitted. Members may not elect to take a cart by themselves, especially during busy times with golf cart usage/demand. Members may be asked to pair with another Member to ride together to maximize our golf cart fleet usage.
• Members are responsible for all damage incurred while driving the golf carts during their Rounds.
• It is the responsibility of each Member to know the Cart Rules for the day and to abide by all posted signs.
• Proper golf etiquette is expected at all times. This includes replacing divots, repairing pitch marks, raking sand bunkers, plus golf cart traffic/parking.
• Pace-of-Play: The maximum time for a round of golf is 4 hours and 15 minutes for a Four-ball Group. In addition, any Group that falls more than a Hole behind the Group in front of them will be considered out of position and must regain their proper position on the golf course. Your position on the golf course is relative to the Group in front of you, not behind you. Allow faster Groups to play through , especially when there’s at least one open Hole ahead of you.
• Members are asked to call the Golf Professional Staff to help “speed up” a slow Group or help rectify the slow pace-of-play situation.
• Competitors in Official SPCC Tournaments have the right of way on the golf course and the tee sheet.
• We ask Members who need to cancel their Starting Times to be respectful of these opportunities by cancelling them as soon as possible online or over the phone to allow other Members to use them.
• Blue Handicap Flag Members must fill out the SPCC Handicap Flag Policy Agreement Form and have it current each year with a State-Issued Disability Permit or a Physician’s Form. Golf Operations Staff will manage the issuance and usage of these Blue Handicap Flags daily.
• Players must report to the Golf Shop for any use of the golf carts more than the originally contracted number of holes being played at check-in.
Sparrows Point Country Club Dress Code
It is incumbent upon every Member and their Guests to observe and comply with the following Dress Code of Sparrows Point Country Club.
The Dress Code applies to all Members, Guests & Children (12-and-under).
Dress Code: At all times on the Golf Course, the Loop and all Practice Facilities, Men, Women and noted Children MUST (a) wear collared shirts (except that shirts without collars may be worn only if they have sleeves and were specifically designed for golf (Men- S/S or L/S Mock-neck shirts; Women- S/S or L/S Mock-neck shirts); (b) shorts must be of Bermuda-length or a style made for and designed for golf: (c) slacks are acceptable. Hats must be worn with the bill facing forward. Hats are to be taken off in the Clubhouse Main Dining Room. All shirts must be tucked-in except for golf shirts specifically designed to be worn untucked and camp (Tommy Bahama -style) shirts.
The following types of clothing are prohibited on the Golf Course, the Loop, and all Practice Facilities: denim of any kind, shorts with an inseam of less than six inches, sweatpants/sweatshirts/warm-up suits that aren’t golf-designed, cutoffs, tennis shorts or running shorts, tennis-length skirts, t-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, and warm-up suits. If you are in doubt concerning your golf attire, please check with the Golf Professional Staff.
SPCC Starting Time Information & Policies
Starting times are recommended on weekdays, weekends, and holidays throughout the year. Some Weekend Shotgun Starts will be in effect during the Winter months plus have some announced Starting Time restrictions due to the cold weather/conditions in the morning.
Please contact the Golf Professional Staff if you have any questions regarding the Starting Time policy.
Monday Play: Golf Course is available for Member-play on Mondays, conditions permitting, when there’s not a Private Golf Outing occurring and/or any special Golf Course Maintenance projects.
Non-Holiday weekday and weekend Starting Times may be reserved up to seven (7) days in-advance for all Member categories ONLINE, in-person , or over-the-phone except for Social Members. Social Members must call the Golf Shop to secure their Starting Times or do so in -person.
Fivesomes (Five-ball Groups) are allowed only with advanced approval from the Golf Professional Staff and MUST maintain their pace-of-play throughout the entire Round. No more than five players in any Group on the golf course while playing.
The Club may institute a Lottery System at its sole discretion if Tee Sheet conditions warrant. The Club reserves the right to pair singles and other smaller groups together during extremely busy periods to maximize Tee-Sheet access.
Additional Starting Time Rules
• Social Members may reserve Starting Times in-person or over-the-phone for play after 12:00 p.m.; Social Members can make Starting Times FOUR TIMES between March 1st and October 31st, which is considered ‘in-season’; unlimited Golf Course access in ‘off-season’.
o Social Members can have three Guests playing with them in their Group
o Social Members must pay a Greens Fee and Cart Fee for every Round of Golf; may not participate in League Play
• Limited Golf Members may only make a Starting Time after 12 p.m. year-round unless approved in advance by the Golf Professional Staff.
o Limited Golf Members may not participate in League Play
• Non-Resident Members must pay a Greens Fee and Cart Fee for every Golf Round they play (even when walking).
o Non-Resident Members may not participate in League Play
• Corporate Golf Members do not get charged for a Greens Fee nor a Cart Fee
o Corporate Golf Member Guests don’t get charged a Greens Fee, yet they will get charged a specific Corporate Guest Fee per Player
SPCC Handicap Policy and Score Posting Policy
1. Your Handicap Index may change. But that’s ok! Finally, players around the world will have an apples-to-apples handicap. Your new Handicap Index will be more responsive to good scores by averaging your eight best scores out of your most recent 20 (currently, it’s 10 out of 20 with a .96 multiplier). In short, your Handicap Index will be determined by your demonstrated ability and consistency of scores. In most cases for golfers in the U.S., it will change less than one stroke.
2. You need to know your Course Handicap. In the new system, your Course Handicap will be the number of strokes needed to play to par. This will result in greater variance in that number and presents a change, as historically it has represented the number of strokes needed to play to the Course Rating. This is a good thing, as par is an easy number to remember. Target score for the day? Par plus Course Handicap. The Course Rating will now be inherent within the calculation to be more intuitive and account for competing from different tees.
3. Net Double Bogey. The maximum hole score for each player will be limited to a Net Double Bogey. This adjustment is more consistent from hole to hole than the Equitable Stroke Control procedure. Net Double Bogey is already used in many other parts of the world and the calculation is simple: Par + 2 + any handicap strokes you receive.
4. Your Handicap Index will be revised daily. One way that handicapping is being modernized is because a player’s Handicap Index will update daily (which would provide a fairer indication of a player’s ability in the moment), if the player submitted a score the day before. On days where the player does not submit a score, no update will take place.
5. Safeguards in the new system. The new system will limit extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index, automatically and immediately reduce a Handicap Index when an exceptional score of at least 7 strokes better is posted, and account for abnormal course or weather conditions to ensure that scores reflect when a course plays significantly different than its established Course Rating and Slope Rating. SPCC Handicap & Score Posting Policy The Golf Staff will post all scores for the following events at Tournament Scores: Men’s & Ladies Stroke Play Championship Men’s & Ladies Match Play Championship The SPCC Founder’s Cup All One-Day Member-Guests played under the Rules of Golf All Club Member-Guest rounds for the Men, the 18-Hole Ladies and 9- Hole Ladies The SPCC Member-Member
These safeguards help maintain accuracy of a Handicap Index, greater integrity within the system and promote fun and fair play for golfers of all abilities.
If you’re new to the system and posting your initial three scores to establish your Handicap Index®, the maximum hole score you can post is par + 5.
Once your Handicap Index has been established, the maximum hole score for posting purposes is a net double bogey, equal to double bogey + any handicap strokes you receive based on your Course Handicap™.
The Golf Staff will post all scores for the following events at Tournament Scores:
• Men’s & Ladies Stroke Play Championship
• Men’s & Ladies Match Play Championship
• The SPCC Founder’s Cup
• All One-Day Member-Guests played under the Rules of Golf
• All Club Member-Guest rounds for the Men, the 18-Hole Ladies, and the 9-Hole Ladies
• SPCC Member-Member
SPCC Associations & Activities
Women’s Golf Association (WGA): Our Ladies 18- Hole and 9-Hole Groups play weekly; the 18-Holers WGA Group plays on Wednesday mornings, and the 9-Holers WGA Group plays on Thursday mornings; all Women with an Official USGA/WHS Handicap are invited to join the SPCC WGA Group.
Men’s Golf Association (MGA): Our Men’s MGA Group plays weekly on Thursday evenings, March through October, on weekend mornings in Tee-Sheet Blocks, and on specific Sunday mornings once a month, usually March through October, in a specific Tournament Format; All Male Members with an Official USGA/WHS Handicap are invited to join the MGA Group.
SPCC Men’s Two-Man Tango: This is an ‘in-season’ long Men’s Golf League for those SPCC-eligible Members with an Official USGA/WHS Handicap; play is on Wednesdays in the late-afternoons beginning in May and ending sometime in August, depending on the League-size. The Format is Net Four-ball (One NET Better-Ball of Two versus another Two -Man Team).
Ladies of the Evening (LOE): The Ladies of the Evening Group plays late Tuesday afternoons, mid-April through late-September; LOE play is less formal on most Tuesdays , with some planned Tournaments for the Group throughout the season; it is recommended that the LOE Golfers have an established USGA/WHS Handicap.
Men’s Senior Golf Association and MISGA Golf (SPCC MSGA): Our Senior Men’s Golf Group plays an extremely active year-round schedule plus Summer MISGA Home- and Away- Play-Days; For SPCC Male Members 50 years old and older; This Senior Men’s Group usually plays every Tuesday and Thursday morning in Modified Shotgun Starts; Official MISGA Home- and Away- Play-Days play with other MAGAarea Club Members in Tournaments May through October; There is an annual MSGA Registration Fee to join this Group and MISGA; You must maintain an Official USGA/WHS Handicap to play in MISGA Events.
Sparrows Point Country Club is a proud member of the Maryland State Golf Association, plus the Middle Atlantic Golf Association. All SPCC Members with an Official USGA/WHS Handicap are eligible to play in MSGA and MAGA Tournaments.
Sparrows Point Country Club Local Golf Rules
updated November 2024
1. USGA Rules of Golf will govern all play in addition to our Local Rules here at SPCC.
2. Out-of-Bounds are marked by all white stakes, lines, boundary curbing, and fences.
3. Any Ground Under Repair is also marked with white paint. The entire area around the 7th-Hole Restroom is deemed GUR/Obstruction, including the mulched paths between Hole #7 and Hole #9.
4. Red Stakes/Lines, uncut grass areas/native areas, and reed areas are Red Penalty Areas. Native Grass/Fescue Grass left of Hole #4 before the fencing is considered the General Area.
5. Yellow Stakes/Lines (& Country Club Cove on 18th Hole Tee-Shot) is/are deemed Penalty Areas.
6. The Embedded Ball Rule is in effect in the General Area.
7. Temporary Water: You must be virtually certain that your golf ball is lost in said condition (FR).
8. If your golf ball comes to rest within 24 inches of the cart path AND is on an area worn to dirt, you may treat this area as part of the cart path (obstruction), then take free relief if desired.
9. The use of USGA-approved distance-finding devices is allowed (distance only).
10. Permanent Fences on Holes #5|#11|#18 designate Out-of-Bounds.
11. Hole #11 (or any other Hole on the Golf Course): if your golf ball hits the powerlines, you MUST replay the golf shot (by placing as near as possible to the last spot you played from).
12. Loose stones in any bunker are to be treated as loose impediments or movable obstructions, thus allowing them to be removed without penalty.
13. Any Mulched Paths will be treated like regular Cart Paths (Obstructions). Free relief if chosen.
14. Country Club Cove on Hole #18 is treated as a Red Penalty Area ONLY from the White TeeMarkers, Purple Tee-Markers & Gold Tee-Markers on the Tee-Shot (plus Drop Zone Shot).
15. Country Club Cove on Hole #18 is treated as a Yellow Penalty Area from the Orange Tee-Markers and Black Tee-Markers on Tee-Shots. An Optional Drop-Zone is available just past the bridge under a one-stroke penalty (by dropping in the Drop-Zone).
16. All Native Areas/Fescue Areas/Reed-Grass Areas that are un-mowed & have a discernible difference in length from our rough as on Holes #2|#5|#6|#12|#14|#15 are Red Penalty Areas (per Rule #17); these a reas might not be painted with a red line or marked with a red stake.
17. There is a small creek between Holes #7 & #9 in the trees; this is a Red Penalty Area.
18. Model Local Rule E-5 is in effect for regular, daily play (Rule 18) for an “Alternative to Strokeand-Distance for Lost Ball or Ball Out-of-Bounds” (not for Unplayable Ball). This MLR E-5 won’t be in effect for all major Club Golf Tournaments.
A Golf Week at SPCC
Monday
Open for regular Member-play at 12 p.m. when there isn’t a Private Golf Outing scheduled or any other Tournament (weather and conditions permitting).
Tuesday
Senior Men’s Group Shotgun Starts in the morning; The First Tee is reserved for the SMGA Reverse Shotgun Starts for approximately 90 minutes after the Shotgun Start.
Wednesday
WGA Ladies 18-Holers Group in Shotgun Starts in the morning; The First Tee is reserved for the WGA 18-Holers Group for approximately 90 minutes after the Reverse Shotgun Start.
Thursday
Senior Men’s Group and WGA Ladies Niner’s Group Shotgun Starts; The First Tee is reserved for approximately 2.5 hours after the Reverse Shotgun Start.
Friday
Open for Regular Member-Play all day unless a Private Golf Outing is scheduled.
Saturday
Dew-Sweepers, MGA Groups, and Bandits will play in their respective Starting-Time Blocks in the morning; Regular Member-Play Starting Times are available before, in -between, and after these morning Groups unless we have a significant SPCC Member Tournament in this morning/early afternoon.
Sunday
Dew-Sweepers, MGA Groups, and Bandits will play in their respective Starting-Time Blocks in the morning; Regular Member-Play Starting Times are available before, in -between, and after these morning Groups unless we have a significant SPCC Member Tournament in this morning/early afternoon.