26th Founders Cup

1. WELCOME MESSAGE

Greetings!

As we gather to celebrate this remarkable event, we are reminded of the passion, camaraderie, and competitive spirit that have defined the Founders Cup over the past 25 years. This tournament is more than just a competition; it is a testament to our shared love for the game and the vibrant community that makes our Club truly special.

This year, we are thrilled to offer an exciting lineup of events and prizes that reflect the grand tradition of the Founders Cup. With over P10 million in prizes, which will include four (4) cars that are up for grabs as a golf participant and as a Grand Raffle ticket holder. There will be other high-value raffle items as well to make this year’s Tournament another thrilling event.

But beyond the excitement of the game, we take immense pride in our ongoing commitment to education through the Conrado Benitez II Educational Assistance Program. Thanks to your support, last year we were able to make a significant difference in the lives of our caddies and their four (4) deserving children, helping them to pursue their dreams. This year, we are aiming even higher, with plans to expand our scholarship reach and impact.

As we tee off and participate in this tournament, let us remember that this event is a celebration of everything The Orchard stands for: excellence, generosity, and the joy of community. On behalf of our Board of Directors, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for taking this journey with us.

Let’s make the 26th Orchard Founders Cup an unforgettable experience for everyone! Cheers!

Sincerely,

Tomas Julio A. Benitez
President & CEO

2. ABOUT THE GOLF COURSES

The Orchard Golf & Country Club is home to a pair of 18-hole championship golf courses designed by two golfing legends, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
The Palmer Course is a traditional parkland layout that curves its way through groves of stately mango trees and is protected by deep lakes and huge bunkers. It was the venue for the 1995 Johnnie Walker Golf Classic, Asia’s most prestigious golf tournament, where the likes of Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros, and many others wowed the gallery with their shot-making skills.

The Player Course, on the other hand, is a linkstype course layout with its rolling fairways, deep bunkers and strong winds reminiscent of Scottish courses. It was the venue for the 1997 Qualifying School for the Asian PGA.

The Palmer Course has TifEagle on its greens while the Player Course has Sea Isle 2000 Paspalum.

3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Vicente R. Santos
Chairman

Tomas Julio A. Benitez
President & CEO

Exequiel D. Robles
Corporate Secretary

Mariza Santos-Tan
Asst. Corporate Secretary

Henry Cua-Loping
Treasurer

Jose S. Gonzales
Jose Arturo M. Tugade
Philip L. Go
Independent Directors

SPORTS AND GAMES COMMITTEE

Tomas Julio A. Benitez
Chairman

Philip L. Go
Vice Chairman

Jose S. Gonzales
Emmanuel Q. Canivel
Carlos Renato P. Javier
Ernilo P. Famy
Members

FC OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

Tomas Julio A. Benitez
Chairman

Philip L. Go
Vice Chairman

Jose S. Gonzales
Alfonso L. Santiago
Thomas Rodolfo R. Elazegui
Members

4. ELIGIBILITY

Open to all members, spouses, dependents, and their invited guests in good standing. All participants must be amateurs.

5. FORMAT

36-hole Stableford scoring system with handicaps
Stableford points will count as follows:

SCORE	POINT
Net Double Bogey	0
Net Bogey	1
Net Par	2
Net Birdie	3
Net Eagle	4
Net Double Eagle	5
Hole-in-One	6

Palmer Course – 18-hole Net Aggregate Stroke Play competition; combined points of partners count as the team’s score
Player Course – 18-hole Net Four-Ball Stroke Play competition; Better net score for the hole counts as the team’s score

6. HANDICAP

Participants must have an established NGAP WHS handicap index with at least twenty (20) recorded games between January 1, 2024, and October 31, 2024. For those with incomplete rounds, a corresponding reduction will be applied.
Participants without an established NGAP-WHS handicap index shall also be subject to handicap reduction at the discretion of the Committee.
Participants without an Orchard NGAP-WHS handicap record must submit their handicap certificate from their home club to the Golf Office by November 15. This certificate must include the NGAP-WHS number and the handicap index as of November 1, 2024, along with the latest records of their 20 games.
Guest players without a handicap certificate will be given a zero (0) handicap.
The handicap index as of November 1, 2024, shall be used for handicap computation.
The participants’ tournament handicap shall be based on the slope and course rating of Palmer Course.
The maximum handicap shall be as follows:

MEMBER		GUEST
Men	Ladies	Men	Ladies
36	36	24	27

The Committee reserves the right to adjust or deny any participant’s handicap if it deems fit and necessary.

7. SIZE OF FIELD AND SCHEDULE

Maximum of 800 players or 400 teams.
Schedules and shotgun tee times are as follows:

SCHEDULE A	SCHEDULE B	SCHEDULE C	SCHEDULE D
Thursday, Nov. 21 @ 6:15 AM	Thursday, Nov. 21 @ 12:15 PM	Friday, Nov. 22 @ 6:15 AM	Friday, Nov. 22 @ 12:15 PM
& Saturday, Nov. 23 @ 12:15 PM	& Saturday, Nov. 23 @ 6:15 AM	& Sunday, Nov. 24 @ 12:15 PM	& Sunday, Nov. 24 @ 6:15 AM

The Committee’s decision on pairings and hole assignments shall be considered final.

8. STARTING TEES

MEN (below 55 years old by Nov. 21, 2024)	MEN (55 years old and above by Nov. 21, 2024)	LADIES (regardless of age)
Blue Tees	Silver Tees (Optional)	Red Tees

Men, aged 55 years old and above may opt to play from the Silver Tees, provided that it is declared on/or before November 15, 2024.

9. LATE TO TEE

Participants who are late to tee:

Must mark “X” on the scorecard for the holes not played.
May join play starting on the next tee.

10. CLASSIFICATION

Group A – Top 25% of the field with lowest team handicap
Group B – Next 25% of the field
Group C – Next 25% of the field
Group D – Bottom 25% of the field
Sponsors Division – Open to sponsors

Note: Team handicap is the average of the partners’ handicaps

11. CONFIRMATION OF ENTRIES

Registration entries shall only be considered confirmed after the settlement of tournament fee, and submission of completed entry form.
Priority should be given to primary members and spouses.
A priority waiting list shall be made available for those primary members or spouses who missed to register a slot. Allotment of re-opened slots shall be on a first-come, first served basis.
A secondary waiting list shall be made available for enrolled junior dependents by October 1 and slots shall be allotted by November 1, if available.
Another waiting list shall be made available for other dependents by October 1 and slots shall only be given when there are no more waitlisted on the priority and secondary lists by November 8, 2024.

12. PRACTICE ROUNDS

Invited guests have two (2) complimentary practice rounds subject to the following guidelines:
1. Weekday – one round per course and must be accompanied by a member.
2. Weekend or Holiday – one round on either course, provided that the 2 weekday practice rounds are not yet used. If one weekday round is already used, the other weekend practice round will be subject to 50% green fee. In both cases, invited guests must be accompanied by a member.
May only be availed after entry is confirmed.
Non-transferable.

13. CHANGE OF PARTNER

Allowed not later than November 10, 2024.
New guest-partner must meet the handicap requirements. Otherwise, he shall play with zero (0) handicap.

14. CANCELLATION POLICY

100% entry fee refund shall apply for cancellations made on/or before 5 PM of Sunday, November 10, 2024.
50% penalty shall apply for cancellations made after 5:00 PM of November 10, 2024. The Club shall refund the remaining 50% of the entry fee.
Members who will cancel shall be charged the equivalent green fees in case the invited guest has availed of the practice rounds.
Teams shall no longer be entitled for refund once tournament giveaways are claimed regardless of the timing of cancellation.

15. PACE OF PLAY

“Gimme” Putt – Any ball lying within or above the line of the 22-inch gimme circle shall be considered holed on the player’s next stroke. The player must pick up his ball and add one stroke to his last stroke’s score.

Reminder:
Balls outside the gimme circle must be putted out to avoid the risk of disqualification. This rule must be strictly followed.

A participant must pick up his ball if his next stroke is for a net double bogey or zero points.
Each round must be completed within 4 hours and 30 minutes, or at an average of 15 minutes per hole.
Marshals and rulesmen are empowered to penalize a participant for slow play under the guidelines set by the Committee as follows:
1. 1st offense – warning participant placed on the clock
2. 2nd offense – 2-point team penalty
3. 3rd offense – disqualification for the day

16. SCORECARDS

Each team shall serve as the marker of the opposing team in the flight.
The markers shall observe the following for each hole:
1. Record only the gross scores; or
2. Write an “X” mark in case of pick-up or hole not layed by the opposing team
Only official scorecards shall be accepted and must be:
1. Signed by at least one member of the opposing team
2. Submitted within 15 minutes after completing the round
Participants must be responsible in checking their hole by hole scores.
Scorecards not submitted on time shall be voided, and the team shall be disqualified for the day.

17. AWARDS

Each member of the team gets a trophy:

Overall Champion – team with the highest 36-hole net Stableford points
Low Gross Champion – team with the highest 36-hole gross Stableford points
Group Champion – team with the highest net Stableford points in each group
Group Runner-up – team with the next highest net Stableford.

Note: A team may only win one (1) award. Should a team win both Overall and Low Gross champions, the team will be awarded as the LOW GROSS CHAMPION.

Teams under the Sponsors Division are not eligible to win
the Overall and Low Gross Award.

18. HOLE-IN-ONE

Prizes will be up for grabs on all par 3 holes.
As a general rule, prizes for the hole-in-one shall be equally divided among the winners.
All hole-in-one prizes will be subject to winning tax.
Exclusively for the 26th Founders Cup, an additional P60,000 in cash and P20,000 worth of gift certificates each for the Proshop and F&B will be given away, on top of the prizes for each hole.

19. TIES

Ties shall be settled as follows:
1. Most points at the Player Course;
2. Most points at the Player Course’s last 9-holes totals (10-18); then,
3. Most points at the Player Course’s last 6-holes, (13-18); then,
4. Most points at the Player Course’s last 3-holes, (16-18); and finally,
5. Countback on most points from the 18th hole.
Points based on net scores shall be used to break ties for the Overall Champion and group categories. Points based on gross scores shall be used to break ties for Low Gross award.

20. MULLIGAN

Mandatory for all participants
P500.00 for two mulligans per 18-hole round
Not valid for hole-in-one prize
May be used anywhere except on the putting green

21. CADDIE FEE

Minimum P800.00 per round and must be settled immediately after each round.

22. AWARDS NIGHT

Awards dinner shall be held within the Club premises
Doors shall open at exactly 6:00 PM
Awards night attendance will be exclusive to all participants. There will be no accompanying spouse per player to ensure an intimate and exclusive awards night experience and priority to all participants.

23. DRESS CODE

Proper dress code shall be strictly observed. Participants wearing shorts, collarless shirts, any open-toed footwear (for men) and slippers of any kind shall be denied entry to the cocktails and awards dinner venues.
It is the member’s responsibility to ensure that his invited guest adheres to the dress code to avoid any inconvenience on the day of the event.

24. RULES OF PLAY

Play shall be governed by the latest Rules of Golf as published by R&A Rules Limited and the Club’s Local Rules. Concerns about rulings shall be settled under Rule 20.2.