INTRODUCTION

The International Pattaya Golf Club is a not for profit organisation set up to organise, administer and run golf in and around Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. Originally founded in 2000, it now comprises a number of separate golf societies running golf out of their own locations, but under a common administration. The reasons for a common administration include, but are not limited to;

•  Adoption of the one centrally administered handicapping system.

•  Centralised point of negotiation with golf course management regarding green fee discounts and other terms of play.

•  Uniform application of the Rules of Golf, including local rules.

•  Coordinating and supporting society “majors” and running inter-society match play leagues.

1. NAME

The name of the organisation is the International Pattaya Golf Club (‘IPGC').

2. OBJECTS

The IPGC was established in 2000, as a ‘not for profit' organisation in order to:

All I.P.G.C. competitions are played in accordance with the Rules of Golf, as jointly administered by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (‘R&A') and by the United States Golf Association (‘U.S.G.A.'), and supplemented by the Local Rules of the course on the day and by any Local Rules of the I.P.G.C.

4. MEMBERSHIP AND COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE 

Membership of the IPGC is open to permanent residents of the Eastern Seaboard, as well as to temporary residents, visitors and holidaymakers.

Membership of the IPGC is also open to individuals irrespective of handicap, race or gender.

Membership is available under a two or five year subscription, the terms of which are approved yearly at the Annual General Meeting.

There are two classes of membership;

Class A; Any financial member who has played not less than 50 rounds of golf with the one IPGC society in the preceding 12 months.

Class B; Any other financial member.

The Committee may, if requested by the organiser of a member society, bestow Class A membership to any member if it deems appropriate. Such member would likely have met the requirements for Class A membership but for abnormal circumstance.

The Committee will comprise two members from each member society. One member shall be that society's golf organiser. The other shall be a Class A member elected by fellow Class A members from that society. The organiser shall be responsible for ensuring an election takes place each year.

Committee members may nominate an Alternate to cover any absence. The Alternate must come from the same Society, and have the Chairman's approval. Alternates have full voting rights.

The Committee may, from time to time, bestow full Committee membership to an individual member whose particular skills and experience they deem appropriate and beneficial to the IPGC Committee in meeting its stated goals. Such member may not have an Alternate.

Members who are normally resident in Thailand and who fail to renew their membership will be withdrawn from the handicap list and listed on an "inactive" list until they choose to renew.

Members who are normally resident outside Thailand can renew their membership on their return to Pattaya.

IPGC competition entries are restricted to members only.

Membership of the IPGC conveys the right to take part in IPGC competitions organised by any of the IPGC approved Societies.

It is emphasised that members of the IPGC are not members of individual approved societies.

 

5. IPGC-APPROVED SOCIETIES 

Only golf societies approved by the Committee of the IPGC are entitled to organise and run competitions under the IPGC banner.

The Committee is empowered to oversee the operation of its approved societies in order to confirm that they are operating in accordance with the rules of, and standards expected by, the IPGC.

The Committee requires approved societies to submit a basic monthly report of their activities, including new members admitted, and to submit a schedule of competitions for the coming month(s).

The Committee is empowered to consider and approve or reject applications by Societies to join the IPGC and operate under its banner. All new applications must be supported by a viable business plan, along with the name and relevant background of their golf organiser.

In the event that an approved society fails to meet the rules and operating standards of the IPGC, the Committee is empowered to require the said society to take prompt action to meet the rules and standards.

The Committee reserves the right to review a Society's status in the event that Society's playing numbers fall to an unacceptable low level.

In the event that a society consistently falls below the standards required and, hence, threatens the good name of the IPGC, the committee may suspend or terminate the societies approved status. In such an event, the said society will no longer be entitled to operate as an IPGC approved society or run competitions under its banner.

 

•  OFFICERS OF THE IPGC 

Only Committee members may hold Office.

The Officers of the IPGC shall be:

The Officers of the IPGC shall be elected annually by the Committee and shall hold office for 12 months when they shall retire and be eligible for re-election.

The election of Officers shall take place at a meeting held immediately before the Annual General Meeting. The successful nominations will then be announced to members attending the AGM and will then be posted on the IPGC website.

The Honorary Secretary will be responsible for scheduling monthly meetings of the Committee to oversee the management of the IPGC and to receive monthly reports from the organisers of the approved societies.

The Committee is empowered to approve an annual budget for IPGC activities and to receive monthly finance reports from the Honorary Treasurer indicating actual progress compared to budget.

The Committee is empowered to address and resolve any disputes between approved societies.

The Committee is also empowered to approve or reject applications for approved society status.

The Committee is also empowered to suspend or terminate the membership of any member(s) who fail(s) to comply with the competition rules of the IPGC or whose actions during IPGC organised events are likely to damage the good name and standing of the IPGC.

The Committee is empowered to form sub-committees where appropriate to run the affairs of the IPGC in an efficient and orderly fashion.

Where the Committee considers a matter to be of such magnitude that a special meeting of the members is required, it will call a Special General Meeting of the members.

7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting at the IPGC shall be held not later July in each year.

The Honorary Secretary shall give twenty-eight clear days notice to each approved Society. In addition, notice of the meeting will be publicised on the IPGC website at least twenty-one days before the meeting.

Only financial members of the IPGC may attend the Annual General Meeting.

All class A members are entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting.

The meeting shall include the following business.

All matters at the meeting will be resolved by a simple majority vote of the members present who are entitled to vote.

 

8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

A Special General Meeting of the members may be called by not less than 50% of the Committee instructing the Honorary Secretary that they require such a meeting.

The notice must give reasons for calling the meeting and include a resolution.

The Honorary Secretary shall within seven days of receiving such instruction advise in writing the organisers of the approved societies of the meeting. The meeting must also be advertised on the IPGC website

Any decisions taken at a Special General Meeting will be determined by a vote of the members present. For a proposal to be approved, a two-thirds majority of the actual votes must be achieved.

9. NOMINATIONS OF THE OFFICERS OF THE IPGC

To be read in conjunction with clauses 4 and 6.

Only IPGC Class A members shall be eligible to serve as Officers of the IPGC.

Nominations for appointments as Officers should be notified to the Honorary Secretary at least 14 days in advance of the AGM. Nominations may only be submitted by members of the Committee.

10. RULES OF PROCEDURE OF MEETINGS

Quorum
The quorum for a meeting of the Committee will be attendance by more than 50% of eligible members.

The Quorum for an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting will be not less than 12 members.

Except for Special General Meetings, any proposals shall be voted on and decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote. For a Special General Meeting, a proposal will only be treated as approved if it achieves a two-thirds majority of the actual votes cast.

Save for the Chairman exercising a casting vote, voting shall be conducted in such a manner as to ensure the secrecy of voting positions taken by voting members.

No member of the Committee shall exercise more than one vote, notwithstanding that he/she may have been appointed to more than one position on the Committee.

In the event of a voting deadlock, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second vote.
Minutes
Minute books shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary.

Minutes shall be maintained of all meetings of the Committee, as well as for Annual General Meetings and Special General Meeting.

Minutes shall be confirmed at the next meeting and shall then be accepted as a true record of proceedings.

11. POWERS

In furtherance of the Objects of the IPGC, but not otherwise, the Committee may do all such lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the Objects of the IPGC.

These powers include:

All members will pay a subscription to the IPGC, as explained in Section 4.

All monies raised by or on behalf of the IPGC shall be applied to further the objects of the IPGC and for no other purpose, provided that nothing contained in this Constitution shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any employee of the IPGC or the repayment of reasonable out of pocket expenses.

The Honorary Treasurer will prepare and submit to the Committee an annual budget for income and expenditure.

The Committee will review, amend, as considered appropriate, and approve the annual budget.

The Honorary Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finance of the IPGC and will provide a monthly report on financial matters at the monthly committee meetings.

The accounts shall be audited at least once a year by an auditor or auditors appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

An audited statement of the accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted by the Committee to the Annual General Meeting and circulated to the organisers of approved societies least fourteen days before that meeting.
A bank account shall be maintained in the name of the IPGC or some other approved name with such bank as the Committee shall from time to time decide.

The Committee shall authorise in writing the Honorary Treasurer, the Secretary and two other Members of the Committee to sign cheques or other bank documents on behalf of the IPGC. All bank documents must be signed by two authorised signatories.

Any expense claims by a committee member must be approved by two other committee members.

13. DISCIPLINE INCLUDING CODE OF CONDUCT

It is the policy of the IPGC to hold itself and member societies responsible for the on-course conduct and general behaviour of its members. The standard of behaviour expected of members is no more or less than that expected of members of private golf clubs elsewhere in the golfing World. These standards of conduct and etiquette are well known and universally accepted.

The Committee shall ensure that the Rules and Regulations and objects of the IPGC are enforced.

The Committee is authorised to impose such sanctions, penalties or punishments on any approved society or individual member or members as it deems necessary to comply with the above.

Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding sub-clause, the Committee shall have the power to appoint and delegate disciplinary powers to a Disciplinary Sub-Committee.

The Committee shall have the power to appoint and determine the composition, terms of reference and delegated powers of such Sub-Committees as it shall consider appropriate.

 

14. HANDICAPPING

Handicap integrity is essential to competition golf that is fair and equitable to all.

IPGC membership is as varied as it is international. A large number of members play most of their golf away from Thailand . Many have handicaps issued under different handicap systems. The IPGC is committed to running a centrally administered system that, more than any other ensures even competition when applied to conditions here in Pattaya.

It is the policy of the IPGC to administer handicaps under the CONGU System.

Members should be aware that correct application of the CONGU System requires accurate golf course rating. It also requires application of other criteria such as limitations on the eligibility of non-qualifying rounds (for handicapping purposes), and the ability, under Rule 19, general play, to apply change to any golfer's handicap in the event of unusual performance.

Initial IPGC handicaps are issued to new members who produce satisfactory evidence of their existing handicap held with a club that is part of or affiliated to a national golf body or association.

If no such information is available, the member may elect to play off scratch, or submit signed cards depicting their score played on no fewer than three rounds out of any IPGC golf society, at which point a handicap will be issued.

 

15. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

This Constitution shall be altered only at an Annual General Meeting, unless there is a matter of great urgency in which case a Special General Meeting may be convened.

16. NOTICES

Any notice may be served by the Secretary on any member or the organiser of an approved society either in person or by email or by sending it through the post in a pre-paid letter addressed to such Member or organiser at his or her last known address and any such letter so sent by post shall be deemed to have been received within 10 days of posting.


18. FUNDS

The IPGC is a non-profit making organisation and shall not make any distribution of any profits or surpluses save to another non-profit making body.

 

In the event of the dissolution of the IPGC, the assets and property of the IPGC shall be distributed only to non-profit making bodies, as shall be directed by the Committee.

 

This Constitution was passed and ratified by the IPC Committee on 1 November 2008

 

IPGC Membership can be arranged at: