2013 Els for Autism Golf Challenge Terms and Conditions.
Event Overview
Eligibility & Rules of Golf
Entries
Substitutions
Event Format
The Grand Finale
Prizes
Event Cancellation and Inclement Weather Policy
Publicity & Promotion
Terms for Submission of Entry
The Els for Autism 2013 Golf Challenge (Golf Challenge) is a series of golf events open to amateur golfers of either gender to benefit the Els for Autism Foundation, Inc. The Golf Challenge will be played throughout the US and Canada during the 7-month period from April through October, 2013. The Els for Autism Golf Challenge also includes a non-golfer option, called the Els for Autism Gallery Club. All rules and inclusion apply both to the golfer and non-golfer participants. The Golf Challenge is a two-stage competition. In the first stage, golfers will compete in two-person teams in one or more of up to 30 Super Regional events across the U.S. and internationally. Each of these events will have a maximum of 60 teams competing for Regional Event Prizes. Teams that raise $13,000 or more in donations will advance to The Grand Finale, to be held in Las Vegas on the 13th and 14th of October, 2013. Teams competing in Super Regional events or members of the Els for Autism Gallery Club can ONLY qualify for the Grand Finale by raising $13,000 or more. All teams across the series and in the Gallery Club will have up until 5pm EST on September 30, 2013 to qualify for Las Vegas via the $13,000 route. After this date teams can continue fundraising but they will not be able to qualify for Las Vegas via the $13,000 route. Participation in the Grand Finale will offer the opportunity to win prizes that could include trips to South Africa, the UK and/or Chile.
Eligibility and Rules of Golf:
The Golf Challenge is open to all amateur golfers. At least one team member must be 18 years of age or over. An official USGA handicap is not required to participate. Employees of Els for Autism, Inc., and any persons officiating in any capacity at any Super Regional or Grand Finale event are ineligible to compete.
Play is governed by the current USGA Rules of Golf and local rules for each course. Local rules will be provided by each course and will be available on site upon request. Questions with respect to the rules of golf and scoring will be settled by the on-site course Golf Professional presiding over the event, whose decision will be final.
Participants will enter by logging-on to www.e4agolf.com, completing the registration form, and paying the entry fee OR by completing an off-line registration form and sending the form and payment to: Tournament Director, Els for Autism Golf Challenge, 3900 Military Trail, Suite 200, Jupiter, FL 33458. Entry/registration fees and donations are non-refundable. Golf Challenge organizers reserve the right to reject any application that, in its sole discretion, is incomplete, not compliant with the terms and conditions of the Golf Challenge or is otherwise ineligible. Openings for each Super Regional event are limited and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis at the time of reservation. Teams may participate in any number of Super Regional events.
The Organizer is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected or otherwise undeliverable mail, or entries that cannot be processed due to phone, network, electronic or computer hardware or software failure, or technical failures of any kind.
Substitutes are permitted for registered team members at Super Regional events and the Grand Finale. Super Regional and Grand Finale event organizers must be advised of substitutions. If a registered participant must cancel and a substitute cannot be found, that team forfeits its entry fee and may not substitute participation in another Super Regional event for the one for which the team has registered.
The format for all Super Regional events and Grand Finale events will be a two-person team, 18-hole, combined, low net event using the Callaway Scoring System.
The Els Gallery Club teams may raise funds in various ways and do not compete in Super Regional golf events.
Els for Autism has two primary marks, the Els for Autism logo with the Ernie Els flag and an autism ribbon in blue and white with the Els logo within the ribbon. Use of either mark by teams must be approved by the Tournament Director.
Each competitor will play his or her own ball throughout the 18-hole round, net competition. The course professional will provide yardage for one set of standard men's tees, women's tees and senior's tees for use in the tournament. Total yardage for each color tee will vary by course, and will be determined by each course's golf professional. In the event of a tie for low net scores at the Super Regional events or the Grand Finale, the Club Professional will compare score-cards starting at hole 18 and working backward. Rules with respect to scoring and submission of score-cards, pace of play, use of distance measuring devices, dress code and other course rules and practices will be issued by each course's Golf Professional, whose decisions are final.
There will be a shotgun start for each of the Super Regional and Grand Finale events. Each Super Regional event's shotgun start time, published on www.e4agolf.com, will be confirmed with participants by email at least 48 hours in advance of the event. The Grand Finale start times will be communicated to finalists by email prior to the event. All players must personally register on-site at least 60 minutes prior to the start time and must be at the starting point at least five minutes prior to the start time. Failure to do so may result in a team forfeiting their opportunity to participate or being assessed a penalty.
The result of each Super Regional event is deemed to be officially announced when the result has been posted on the public scoreboard and approved by the course's Golf Professional. The competition is deemed to be closed when the Grand Final trophies have been presented.
All teams that raise $13,000 or more will be invited to participate in the Grand Finale in Las Vegas on October 13th and 14th, 2013.
The $13,000 fundraising teams will compete against each other in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 14, 2013.
Golf Challenge participants who qualify for the Grand Finale will receive:
- A complimentary 2-night stay for the nights of October 13 and 14, 2013 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, for each team member and a guest each. Accommodation provided is for the team member and his/her guest sharing one room with a maximum two-person occupancy.
- Private bus transportation from Las Vegas Airport to Caesars Palace on October 13, 2013 (shuttle service only available during select time period).
- One round of tournament golf with cart (for two team members only) on October 14, 2013.
- Transportation to/from the golf course on October 14, 2013.
- Invitations for each team member and one guest to a welcome reception on the evening of October 13, 2013.
- Invitations for each team member and one guest to an awards reception on the evening of October 14, 2013.
Teams qualifying for the Grand Finale must be able to be in Las Vegas on October 13 and 14, 2013. Team members qualifying for the Grand Finale are responsible for making arrangements and paying for their own transportation to/from Las Vegas to attend this event. Team members are expected to provide tournament organizers with the details of their travel arrangements at least 14 days prior to the event. Grand Finale participants are responsible for all costs associated with their participation in the Grand Finale, other than those detailed above. These may include additional nights at a Las Vegas hotel, meals, transfers, gratuities, taxes, entertainment or other expenses.
1) Fundraiser's Prize: One team raising $2,500 or more in donations will receive a 7-day ultimate IRISH LINKS golf tour to Ireland. This fundraising reward is provided by IRISH LINKS the leader in golf travel experiences. The team selected by Irish Links in recognition of their fundraising efforts will receive a trip for each team member (and a guest each) to experience the very best golf that Ireland has to offer. Teams raising more than $2,500 increase the likelihood that they will be selected. For example, teams raising $10,000 are 4 times more likely to be awarded this trip than those raising the minimum amount.
The trip will be awarded based on donations generated by September 30, 2013 at 5:00 PM EST. The awardee will be announced at the Welcome Reception in Las Vegas on October 13, 2013. Teams raising $2,500 or more will be considered for this award even if they do not attend the Grand Finale in Las Vegas.
2) Grand Prizes: Prizes will be awarded to the low net winning teams playing in the Grand Finale on October 14, 2013 at each course.
Winners of both the Fundraiser's Prize and Grand Prizes are personally responsible for all taxes, fees and additional expenses that may be associated with acceptance of their prizes. For details on expenses included in prizes, participants should contact prize donors IRISH LINKS and Mantis Travel. All prizes are non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash or anything else of value. Exclusions and restrictions will apply. Prizes are subject to change.
Event Cancellation & Inclement Weather Policy:
Super Regional events will not be rescheduled unless deemed in the best interest of Els for Autism and the participants. Teams registered for Super Regional events that are cancelled for any reason will be offered the opportunity to play 18 holes of golf on the planned course or a course deemed similar by the Tournament Director on another day or offered an opportunity to participate in a Super Regional event in another location. If neither of those options is viable, the team's registration fee will be refunded. Donations will not be refunded under any circumstances. Registered participants in cancelled Super Regional events will continue to qualify to participate in the Grand Finale based upon their eligibility by raising $13,000 or more by 5:00PM EST September 30th , 2013 Registered participants in cancelled Super Regional events will also maintain their eligibility to be selected to receive the Fundraisers' IRISH LINKS Prize
If fewer than nine holes of a Super Regional event can be completed due to inclement weather, or the course is deemed unplayable by the course's Golf Professional, an 18-hole, non-tournament, complimentary round certificate at the planned course or a similar course as deemed by the Tournament Director may be issued to teams that were unable to complete 9 holes of golf. Teams completing fewer than 18 holes, but more than 9 holes, will not be compensated.
If play is terminated by the course's Golf Professional, teams competing to go to the Grand Finale by raising $13,000 or more are unaffected.
The Grand Finale will not be rescheduled. In the event the Grand Finale must be cancelled in its entirety for any reason, prizes will be chosen by a random drawing at the Els for Autism headquarters in Jupiter, Florida. Winners will then be notified by email. If the golf portion of the Grand Finale is cancelled due to inclement weather or any reason the prizes will be chosen by random drawing and announced at the awards ceremony on October 14th, 2013.
The Organizer, sponsors, agents, successors, licensees, nominees and assigns may arrange for (a) promotion of the event, for radio and television broadcasting, print, online and other exhibition and publication of the event or excerpts thereof in various media, including so-called "new media" and (b) the design and manufacture of advertising and packaging which commemorates, promotes or memorializes the event throughout the universe in perpetuity. By registering to participate, team members consent to the use by the Organizer, Partners and Sponsors of his/her name, likeness, voice and references to him/her and photographs and other images or video of him/her and his/her play connected with his appearance in the Golf Challenge, or any portion(s) thereof, in connection with such media promotion, broadcasting and other exhibition and publication of the Super Regional events and the Grand Finale. The Organizer, Partners and Sponsors may utilize the rights granted it hereunder in connection with the promotion and/or commemoration of the Golf Challenge, and other Els for Autism events.
Terms for Submission of Entry:
Teams registering to enter these events agree to the Official Rules. All registrants agree that Els for Autism may use their name, picture, likeness, voice and responses to the questions contained in this registration for advertising and promotion purposes, without compensation. Any and all claims, judgments and awards from actions arising from this event shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Golf Challenge. Attorney's fees will not be awarded or reimbursed. Players are responsible for all costs associated with playing in the events unless where stipulated.
By entering this Tournament, I agree to receive emails from The Organizer (Els for Autism) regarding the event, i.e. tee times, and other tournament updates.
Terms and Conditions are subject to change without notice.
Els for Autism is a US public charity (EIN #26-3520396), recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as exempt from Federal tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. Donors should consult their tax advisor to determine whether they are eligible to claim a deduction associated with their donation to this event.
Regional Event registration fees (which vary in cost) are not tax deductible as they cover goods and services received. Funds raised and donated in excess of this amount (including sponsorships) may be eligible for a federal tax deduction. Please consult your tax advisor for specific guidance about your potential for a charitable tax deduction.
Certain sponsorship categories include access for a two-person team at a Regional event AND a two-person team (with a guest each) to the Grand Finale in Las Vegas. We estimate the fair market value of this to be between $3,500 and $5,000 per team depending on the regional event and the level of sponsorship. Funds raised and donated may be eligible for a federal tax deduction. Please consult your tax advisor for specific guidance about your potential for a charitable tax deduction.
The Els for Autism 2013 Golf Challenge is sponsored by Els for Autism, Inc., located at 3900 North Military Trail, Suite 200, Jupiter, Florida 33458.
