Pace of Play

PGA of Ontario Pace of Play Policy – Guidelines for Slow Play

The PGA of Ontario Pace of Play guidelines, fines, and penalties for slow play are in effect for all PGA of
Ontario stroke play events and will be shared with all registrants prior to each event.

Time Par

The PGA of Ontario Tournament Committee will establish a Time Par for each stroke play event. Each group is required to complete their round within the allocated Time Par.

Completion of Round

Completion of a stipulated round will be defined as all competitors within a group being seated at the scoring table immediately post-play.

Time Monitoring

PGA of Ontario staff will record completion times of each group based on when the full group arrives at the scoring table. During play, each group is responsible for monitoring their own time based on the Time Par provided on each player’s scorecard. The Referee may advise of timing issues as required, to encourage groups to stay in position.

Once an infraction has occurred (i.e. – a group arrives late to the scoring table) a 15-minute grace period will be applied to each group’s Completion time based on the actual Completion time of the group directly ahead of them.

Penalties & Fines

  • First Offense – any player within a group exceeding the stipulated Time Par for the first time will incur a warning.

  • Second Offense – any player within a group exceeding the stipulated Time Par for the second time will incur a $50 fine and will be allocated tee times at the end of the next tournament draw.

  • Third Offense – any player within a group exceeding the stipulated Time Par for the third time will incur a $200 fine and will be allocated tee times at the end of the next tournament draw.

  • Beyond Third Offense – Any further violations will be subject to review by the Tournament Committee. Additional disciplinary action may be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Details of Penalties & Fines

All players within a group which exceeded the stipulated Time Par at an event will be informed via email from events@pgaofontario.com following the event. If there is a fine incurred, it must be reconciled with the PGA of Ontario office before a player can register and/or participate in a future PGA of Ontario event.

From the year of a player's first offense, the offense(s) will be associated with the player for two seasons of play.

  • Example 1 – If a player incurs a pace of play warning offense during a 2025 event, they will carry this warning into the 2026 season. If they are penalized during a 2026 event, this will be considered their second offense, and they will incur a fine. These offenses will be dismissed at the end of the 2026 season, and the player would start the 2027 season without any pace of play offenses.
     
  • Example 2 – If a player does not incur an offense during the 2025 season, but incurs their first offense at a 2026 event, this offense will be associated with the player for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. This player would start the 2028 season without any pace of play offenses.

Multi-Round Events

In two-day championships, Round 1 and Round 2 are treated as separate events for the purposes of pace of play enforcement. If a player incurs an infraction in both rounds, it will be treated as two separate offenses.

Please note that due to event logistics, pace of play infractions cannot be formally reconciled or administered between rounds. However, players will have the opportunity to appeal either or both offenses following the conclusion of the event. A separate appeal must be submitted for each individual offense.

Appeals

Appeals must be submitted via Pace of Play Offense Appeal Form (included in notice of offense email) to events@pgaofontario.com within 24 hours of a player receiving written notice of the infraction. Only appeals submitted following this format will be considered for review.

PGA of Ontario Tournament Committee members will review all appeals utilizing all necessary resources to provide a fair and equitable resolution in a timely manner. Any decision rendered by the Tournament Committee shall be final.
If the player in question does not appeal within 24 hours upon notification of the offense, all decisions will stand, and fines will be invoiced if applicable.

General

Please understand that PGA of Ontario Staff, Tournament Committee members, and event Referees shall not be subject to abuse – verbal or otherwise. Their duty is to enforce the above guidelines, with intent to elevate the overall experience at all PGA of Ontario events. Please be respectful.