League Rules
SCOPIH
Supreme Court of Putter In Hand
Jeff Luke
Chief Justice
Nick Keil
Ranking Justice
Open for Vote
Justice
Open for Vote
Junior Justice
Two robes are up for grabs. Pick the putters you trust to keep this league honest, and make your case.
Start
The league is 10-weeks long starting Thursday, October 15th at the Paddock Golf Dome in Tonawanda.
Schedule
There are 6-regular season matches and 4-majors. Weekly match values are as follows: Week-1: Regular season match (1x) (Oct. 15) Week-2: Regular season match (1x) (Oct. 15) Week-3: The Masters (1.75x) (Oct. 22) Week-4: Regular season match (1x) (Oct 29) Week-5: The US Open (1.5x) (Nov 5) Week-6: Regular season match (1x) (Nov 12) Week-7: The Open Championship (1.5x) (Nov 19) Ride Her Cup (Thanksgiving week) Wednesday Nov. 26 Week-8: Regular season match (1x) (Dec 3) Week-9: The PIH Championship (2.0x) (Dec 10) Week-10: Fed Ex Final and Regular season match (1x) (Dec 17)
Ball & Putter
You're encouraged to bring your own putter and ball.
League Fees
The league fee this year will be $120 and cover your greens fees for all 10 weeks (only on the day of league play), prize money each week, and the final prizes. Any unpaid greens fees will be disbursed at the end of the year across prizes.
Weekly Pairings
Pairings are completely random based on attendance and will be announced every week at the shotgun start.
Marking Attendance
Each week, members mark their attendance in the app for the upcoming week — either "I Will Be There" or "Pre/Post Putting". A text reminder will be sent, and all attendance records must be submitted by noon the day of the round.
Weekly Attendance
All 10 weeks are used to determine final league standings. If you show up on Thursday, your greens fee is covered. If you miss a week, and the next week is played, your score will be +2 strokes of the worse recorded score that week. There are no exceptions. Please see below for pre and post putt rules.
Pre-putt
If you know in advance that you're going to miss a week, you may pre-putt. Pre-putting may occur no less than one hour prior to that week's play (thus, pre-putt rounds must be over before 5:30pm).
"The Wilks Rule"
Any pre-putting the day of a Major must occur after the Major Championship round is played. Any violation of this rule shall result in that putters major round being discarded. Also, you may not pre-putt for a Major immediately following a round. (ex. after week-2 has been completed you can not putt for week-3 The Masters).
Post-putt
If you miss a week and you did not pre-putt, you may make it up any time before 5:30pm the following week for regular weeks and before Thursday the week of a Major. There is no post-putting the day of a Major.
"The Rehm Rule"
You are not permitted to post-putt, putt for that week, and then pre-putt for the following week on the same day. A maximum of two rounds may be played in a given day.
Pre/Post Putt Witness
You can post/pre putt during the week as long as you play with at least 1 other league member and submit your score through the scoring app. Putting without a witness will result in a nullified score.
"The Flemming"
Putters are not permitted to pre or post putt with only Bryan An. There must be another witness to the round to ensure the witness was not paid off.
"The Commish Must Be Present Rule"
No week shall be played in its entirety without the commissioner present. This may result in later or earlier start times for all participants.
Green Jacket Eligibility
To be eligible for the green jacket, you must putt with the groups at your scheduled tee-time and must be present at the green jacket ceremony. Any and all other variations of the above are not eligible for the weekly prize despite your score. Also, you must cover your greens fee if you are not at the group tee-times. Any exceptions to this, or any rule, will be decided by the Commissioner and, in some instances, the SCOPIH.
The "Rotella Rule"
When playing multiple rounds at once…If you know in advance you are going to miss multiple weeks, the "Rotella Rule" states that a player putting a single hole multiple times in succession for the purposes of speed of round, gaining a read on the hole or feel for the putt, is deemed illegal and the players 2nd round score will be +2 strokes of the worse recorded score that week. Additionally, you may not pre-putt for a Major the same day you pre-putt for a regular week.
Tee-time Tardiness
Any putter late to their tee time will now face a $5 penalty or be pushed to the last grouping, an option of their choosing. All monies collected will be set aside for an end-of-year celebratory shot—a small price for time management, and, as some say, a "necessary evil" to keep the league in line.
"Wilks 2 Rule"
Any putter that shall wear the green jacket home after claiming victory and fails to return it in time for the next week's tee-off will appear before the SCOPIH to plea their case. One of two outcomes are likely: The putter will be expelled from the league and their PIH tour card immediately revoked or they forfeit any and all future winnings for their career. The responsibility cannot be given to another league member without both parties and the Commissioner being present for that decision.
Keeping Score
All rounds — regular, pre-putt and post-putt — must be entered through the league scoring app. Before teeing off, make sure the correct week is selected in the app, as scores entered under the wrong week cannot be counted. Decide before the round who will keep score for the group, or have each player keep their own score. Submit your scores through the scorecard immediately after finishing the round, and avoid refreshing or closing the app before submitting — in-progress entries are only kept for the current session.
Scoring
Participants earn points each week based on their finish and the value of that week's match. Points are then tallied and the player with the lowest total score is the League Champion. Your weekly ranking is determined by your score; if two or more players are tied the player with the most holes-in-one will be ranked higher. If still tied after that, then it's a tie. Example: 1. Jim: 64 – two holes-in-one. He finishes 1st, therefore if it were week one he would get 1 point (1x his ranking); if week six he would get 2 points (2x his ranking). 2. John: 64 – one holes-in-one. He finishes 2nd, therefore if it were week three he would get 3.5 points (1.75x his ranking); if week six he would get 4 points (2x his ranking). 3. Jason: 64 – no holes-in-one. He finishes 3rd, therefore if it were week four he would get 4.5 points (1.5x his ranking); if week six he would get 6 points (2x his ranking). 4. Jerry: 65 – four holes-in-one (he finishes 4th, therefore if it were week one he would get 4 points (1x his ranking); if week six he would get 8 points (2x his ranking). T5. Bob: 66 – no holes-in-one (he finished tied for 5th, if it were week one he would get 5 points (1x his ranking); if week six he would get 10 points (2x his ranking). T5. Bill: 66 – no holes-in-one (he finished tied for 5th, if it were week one he would get 5 points (1x his ranking); if week three he would get 8.75 points (1.75x his ranking).
Out of Bounds
Adjusted in 2025 – If the base of the ball is not on the green, it is out of play and a stroke penalty is given. The only exceptions to this rule are for those holes where there is a bordering rock and a gap between it and the green. This ball is considered in play, a penalty is not given, and the putter is awarded relief. On hole-11 and other holes where there is a gap and the ball shoots through and is not touching the green, it is OB. If the base of the ball is sitting on green, it is in play, regardless if it is touching the walkway concrete. If the ball is touching any part of the green and any part of a wall (wood rail, cement wall/border, bordering large rocks or any other object that is deemed in play) then the player may take relief following standard relief rules (one foot away from OB in a line towards where the initial stroke had occurred). If there is a discrepancy, a vote among your playing partners is to occur. If majority still cannot be had, the commissioner will decide. If the commissioner is part of the decision or can benefit significantly from the decision, then the SCOPIH (Jeff Luke, Nick Keil, Tom Barbopoulos and Jay Flemming) will be the deciding judges. If you still cannot come to a conclusion, then flip a coin.
Ball Out of Play
1-stroke penalty and you may place the ball one foot length away from where it went out of play…shoe size doesn't matter…perpendicular to the wall. Relief can be towards the hole. If a ball is in play but resting within a foot of the wall or bordering rock, the player may move the ball one foot perpendicular to the wall without penalty.
No Gimmies
Play everything out.
Ball in Trap
There is no longer sand in the traps however the sand traps are marked with white paint. Any ball in the sand trap is to be played from where it lies. No stroke penalty. No relief. Play it where it lies.
Bounce-out
If a ball goes in the hole and bounces out, it doesn't count. Keep hitting until it stays in the hole.
Hole Play
Players are to finish the hole before the next player in line plays.
Pull Your Pin
You can pull the pin before or after the first shot is taken. No penalty for keeping the pin in. Failure to pull the pin is not a penalty but players can't claim it would have gone in if it were pulled. Players are responsible for ensuring the pin is pulled on holes they are playing.
Max Score
There is no max score per hole. Play until you put it in the hole!
"Roesch Rule"
The player who scores the best on a hole is to play first. Players intentionally not playing in this order will be assessed a 2-stroke penalty per hole.
"Mondoux Rule"
Belly putters are legal in PIH as long as the player doesn't anchor the club.
Pay Outs
All money collected will be paid out less the costs for the trophy. League Champion: $TBD. Player with the fewest points. If two or more players tie, tied players go into sudden-death beginning with hole-1. Play will continue until a champion is determined. If three players are tied, and player one and two score a two and player three scores higher, players one and two advance and player three is eliminated. (Note: holes-in-one are not factored in the final standings and are only used to break ties in the weekly rankings.) 2nd place: $TBD 3rd place: $TBD 4th place: $TBD Bracket Championship Winner: $TBDPerformance Championship: $TBDTotal Holes In One: $TBD Awarded to the player that records the most holes-in-one over the ten weeks. Weekly Low Score: $110/week: $50-1st; $30-2nd; $20-3rd; $10-4th The player with the fewest strokes every week. Tie breaker of holes-in-one will be used to determine the weekly winner; if two or more participants tie for first after the tie breaker, the winnings will be split. If two putters tie for 1st, 3rd place may still be paid out. If two tie for 3rd place, winnings are split among the putters. All 1st place carried over winnings go to 1st place pot the next week.
THE FINAL WEEK
Should there be a tie for the final week or the league championship, a 3-hole playoff will be played by those that are tied. Holes 16-17-18 will be played with the lowest aggregate score after 3-holes being declared the winner. Should there still be a tie, play will move to a sudden death at hole-1 and carry on from there. If more than two players were tied going into the playoffs, only those putters tied after the 3-hole playoff move into the sudden death.
The Belt vs. Green Jacket
The green jacket is awarded to the weekly low score (provided there are no ties). The belt is awarded to the season leader. The belt is retained until the belt holder is unseeded meaning, if there is a tie, the current belt holder remains the undisputed title holder.
Fed Ex Scoring
Scoring will remain the same through week-9 with the exception of The PIH Championship will be held on week-9 where points are doubled. The change is to week-10 where only the top-8 putters are eligible for the league title — unless two or more putters are tied in points at the cutoff, in which case all tied putters advance as well. After week-9's points are awarded, the putter in 1st will receive 5 strokes off their score. 2nd will receive 4 strokes off. 3rd 3 strokes. 4th 2 strokes. 5th 1 stroke. 6th-7th-8th 0 strokes. Each eligible putter will complete week-10, the strokes will be deducted, and the winner will be declared. This gives a better chance to all top-8 putters to be declared PIH Champion!
Performance Championship
The Performance Championship rewards beating your own average. Your week-1 round sets your baseline and earns no points — no matter when it is recorded, so a putter who pre-putts a later week still waits for week-1 to establish the baseline. After that, every week you earn points equal to your entering average (a full-precision average of all prior weeks) minus your score — shoot under your average and you add points, shoot over and you subtract them. The putter with the most season points wins. Missed weeks simply earn no points and do not pad your average.
The Bracket Challenge
All active putters are ranked by career rounds played, then career scoring average, and split into two halves: the Veterans bracket and the Underclassmen bracket. Each side runs a single-elimination bracket played across the season: Weeks 1-2 Preliminary, Weeks 3-4 Round of 32, Weeks 5-6 Round of 16, Weeks 7-8 Round of 8, Week 9 Final 4 (single-round matches), and Week 10 the Finals, where the Veterans champion meets the Underclassmen champion (single round). Matches in the Preliminary through Round of 8 are decided by combined stroke totals across their two league weeks — lower total advances. Final 4 and Finals matches are decided by that week's single round. Ties are broken by holes-in-one, with a playoff if still deadlocked.
Team PlayOLD — Not valid in 2026
After week-1, 11 teams of 4 will be created based off of the average of week-1 results and career averages (for putters who were in the league in the past). Teams will then compete in weeks 2 through 10. The team with the highest score will be eliminated each week, and two in week 9. All the strokes and holes in one will be totaled to get the teams score. If two or more teams tie for the low score, all the teams are eliminated. This could result in the teams competition ending sooner and/or only one team needing to be eliminated in week-9. Should a putter not be able to make a round, a one-time allowance will be granted and the putter's season average (rounded up/down) will count towards the team total. This allowance is only for the team event. Team 1: 1, 44, 22, 23 Team 2: 2, 43, 21, 24 Team 3: 3, 42, 20, 25 Team 4: 4, 41, 19, 26 Team 5: 5, 40, 18, 27 Team 6: 6, 39, 17, 28 Team 7: 7, 38, 16, 29 Team 8: 8, 37, 15, 30 Team 9: 9, 36, 14, 31 Team 10: 10, 35, 13, 32 Team 11: 11, 34, 12, 33
Red "Mulligan" FlagsOLD — Not valid in 2026
First and last place finishers present for the green jacket ceremony are awarded a Red "Mulligan" Flag. These flags can be used week's 2 through 10 (yes, they can be played the final week). How the flags work: If a putter makes their tee-shot, anyone holding a red flag AND has not completed their round, may throw the flag, requiring the putter to re-hit. Only one flag can be thrown at a putter per ROUND. Putters can accumulate multiple flags over the course of the season. Flags can not be thrown at putter on any shot other than their tee shot and can only be thrown when a putt is made. Red flags must be thrown BEFORE the putter retrieves their ball from the hole. If there is any discrepancy on whether the flag was thrown before the ball was retrieved, the flag shall be returned to the thrower and the hole-in-one stands. If the red flag is thrown in error (the putter did not make a hole in one) the putter who threw the flag loses the flag and the player who was targeted may keep the flag. This includes flags thrown at The Grill. Additionally, flags may not be bought or sold on the black market. They must be earned.
Pink JacketOLD — Not valid in 2026
The putter that finishes just outside the money is awarded the pink jacket. If there is a tie, the green jacket winner picks one of the tying members to wear the jacket the next week. Failure to comply with the wearing of the jacket will result in the forfeiture of any and all future winnings for the year.
Course Reference Photos
