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MMGC is a golf club for people who want their rounds to count for something. We play a tournament most months at Madera Municipal Golf Course, keep an official USGA Handicap Index for every member through the NCGA, and run a season-long Player of the Year race alongside it. All events are 8:00 or 9:00 am shotgun starts, you are done by early afternoon, and the results and payouts go up the same week.
You do not have to be a good golfer
This is the part that surprises people, so it is worth saying plainly: our tournaments are decided on net scores, not gross ones.
Your handicap is a measure of how you have actually been scoring. Subtract it from the score you shoot on the day — your gross — and what is left is your net score. A member who shoots 95 off a handicap of 22 posts a net 73. A member who shoots 78 off a 5 posts a net 73 as well. They tie. That is the whole idea: the handicap does the levelling, so every member is playing the same competition no matter how far they hit it.
It means a newer golfer can win an event outright in their first season, and plenty have. It also means there is no reason to wait until you are "good enough" to join — your handicap starts where your golf is today, and it moves with you as you improve.
Over 60? The gold tees are your choice
Members 60 and over may elect to play the forward gold tees for the season. The course plays about 860 yards shorter from the golds (5,542 yards against 6,401 from the whites), and your handicap adjusts for that: a shorter course is easier to score on, so you receive fewer strokes (a man with a 15.0 Index gets 15 from the whites and 10 from the golds). The two balance out, so gold is neither an advantage nor a penalty in net scoring. It is simply about playing a length you enjoy, and the choice is yours, made once for the season.
The details: Tee box options · How your strokes are worked out
What you get
- An official USGA Handicap Index through the NCGA, valid at any course, in any club event, anywhere.
- A tournament most months — organized, scored, and paid out, with a real competition behind it instead of a casual weekend game.
- A season-long race for Player of the Year and a place in the Club Championship, both decided on net scores.
- Extra golf whenever you want it — weekend skins games, summer Tuesday twilight skins, and the NCGA Team Match league against other valley clubs.
- People to play with. You do not need to bring a group. Sign up on your own and we will pair you up.
MMGC Season Overview
The MMGC season runs from November through October. It opens with two casual team events in November and December — no posted scores and no points, just a relaxed start to the year.
From January to September we play nine points events, one a month. Three of those are NCGA qualifiers. Every one of the nine is scored on each player's own individual net score, including the team formats, so there is no event on the calendar that does not count toward your season.
Your best eight of the nine count. Miss a month, or have one bad day, and your season is still alive. The regular season closes in September, and the top sixteen in the standings go on to contest the Club Championship across the four weeks of October.
Additional MMGC Programs (separate from season points)
- NCGA Team Match League — MMGC fields a twelve-man squad each year against other valley clubs, May through July. Places on the squad, and the alternate positions behind it, are earned through weekend match play held outside the league calendar — a published list, not a conversation. The Team Match Captain sets and publishes the qualifying schedule ahead of the season. The squad is drawn from white-tee players, since that is where Team Match is contested.
- Weekly Weekend Skins Games — Casual, drop-in skins games held on weekends for members who want extra rounds and friendly competition.
- Summer Tuesday Twilight Skins — A relaxed 9-hole twilight skins game every Tuesday evening during the summer months.
2027 Season Calendar
| Date | Tournament / Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sat Nov 21 | Wild Turkey Ball Scramble | 9 am |
| Sat Dec 19 | Christmas Ball Scramble | 9 am |
| Mon Jan 4 | Q1 Members Meeting @ SPS Banquet Room | 6 pm |
| Sat Jan 30 | 2-man Best Ball & Senior NCGA Qualifier | 9 am |
| Sat Feb 27 | 2-man Best Ball & Open NCGA Qualifier | 9 am |
| Sat Mar 20 | NCGA 4-Man Zone Qualifier | 9 am |
| Mon Apr 5 | Q2 Members Meeting @ SPS Banquet Room | 6 pm |
| Sat Apr 10 | Masters Saturday | 8 am |
| Sat May 22 | Individual Low Net — May | 8 am |
| Sat Jun 26 | Individual Low Net — June | 8 am |
| Mon Jul 12 | Q3 Members Meeting @ SPS Banquet Room | 6 pm |
| Sat Jul 31 | Individual Low Net — July | 8 am |
| Sat Aug 28 | Individual Low Net — August | 8 am |
| Sat Sep 18 | The Decider | 8 am |
| Club Championship — match play bracket, one round a week through October | ||
| Sat Oct 2 | Club Championship | 8 am |
| Mon Oct 4 | Q4 Members Meeting — Board Nominations/Voting @ SPS Banquet Room | 6 pm |
See the Tournaments page for individual tournament details and registration.
Points Distribution
Every member competes in a single flight for points. Points are awarded on your individual net finishing position in each event — in every one of the nine points events, team formats and NCGA qualifiers included. The member with the most points when the regular season closes in September is the Player of the Year.
Points awarded per tournament
Every finishing position earns its own points, and any posted score earns at least 15.
| Place | Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 100 | — |
| 2nd | 92 | +8 |
| 3rd | 85 | +7 |
| 4th | 79 | +6 |
| 5th | 74 | +5 |
| 6th | 69 | +5 |
| 7th | 64 | +5 |
| 8th | 60 | +4 |
| 9th | 56 | +4 |
| 10th | 52 | +4 |
| 11th through 20th | 49, dropping 3 per place | +3 |
| 21st and below | 20, dropping 2 per place | +2 |
| Any posted score | 15 minimum | — |
Your best eight of nine count
Nine points events are played between January and September, and your best eight results count toward the season. Miss a month for work, travel or a bad back, or simply have a day you would rather forget, and your season is still live. There is no separate minimum-events rule for the Player of the Year race — eight of nine is the measure.
Player of the Year bonus
One standings list, one set of bonuses. At the end of the regular season cash bonuses go to the top three point earners, and the member with the highest total is recognized as Player of the Year. Amounts are subject to change based on active member enrollment.
| Placement | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1st — Player of the Year | $250 |
| 2nd | $150 |
| 3rd | $100 |
Payment Distribution
50% of each event's entry-fee pot is retained by the Club for operating costs, team entry fees for NCGA qualifiers, and the end-of-season Player bonuses. The remaining 50% is the event purse, paid out to that event's prize winners.
How many members get paid depends on how many play. The purse grows with the field, so a bigger turnout pays more places rather than simply paying the same few people more. Low Gross takes 15% of the purse, and the net places share the other 85%.
Purse distribution by field size
| Field | Places | % of Purse | Low Gross | Prizes paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 27 | 4 | 29% / 23% / 18% / 15% | 15% | 5 |
| 28 to 39 | 5 | 29% / 20% / 16% / 12% / 8% | 15% | 6 |
| 40 to 44 | 6 | 29% / 18% / 14% / 11% / 8% / 5% | 15% | 7 |
| 45+ | 7 | 29% / 16% / 12% / 9% / 8% / 6% / 5% | 15% | 8 |
The winner's share stays at 29% whatever the size of the field, so no prize at the top is ever reduced because another member entered.
Low Gross and the event winner
The winner of an event cannot also take Low Gross. If the member who wins on net posts the low gross score as well, the Low Gross prize passes to the next lowest gross score in the field.
Every other finishing position is eligible for both. A member who finishes third on net and posts the day's low gross collects both prizes. The rule only ever applies to the winner, whose prize is the larger of the two in any case, so nothing is taken away — it simply means two members leave with money instead of one.
NCGA qualifier dates
On these three dates your entry fee is not paid back out as prize money. It goes toward the NCGA entry fees for the teams MMGC sends. Season points are awarded exactly as at any other event, and the Skins and Closest-to-the-Pin pots are paid as normal.
New for 2027, MMGC sends more teams, and pays toward the NCGA entry fees of the teams it sends:
- The two four-ball qualifiers (two-man teams) — the top three teams are sent. The club pays the NCGA entry fee in full for the winning team and half for the teams finishing second and third.
- The Zone Qualifier (four-man team) — the club can send one team, and pays its NCGA entry fee in full.
If a team cannot make the NCGA date, the next team in the finishing order goes in its place as the alternate.
Guests
Members may bring a guest to a regular season event. A guest pays the standard entry fee and is welcome in the Skins and Closest-to-the-Pin pots, but does not place and is not eligible for prize money or season points. The purse is calculated on eligible players only. Guests who enjoy it are, of course, encouraged to join the club.
Tournament & Local Rules
All MMGC tournaments are played under the USGA Rules of Golf, with the local rules below. They apply to every club tournament unless the event page says otherwise. Please review them before you tee off — play fair, protect the course, and keep pace with the group ahead.
Play the ball down
- Play the ball as it lies. No improving your lie or moving the ball unless a rule below allows it.
- Preferred lies apply only when they are announced for the round. When they are: mark the ball before lifting it, then place it within one scorecard width (the width, not the length) of where it lay, no nearer the hole.
Lost balls & out of bounds (Rule E‑5)
For pace of play, MMGC uses USGA Model Local Rule E‑5 for any ball that is lost or out of bounds. Instead of walking back to replay the shot, you may drop near where the ball was lost or went out of bounds, for a two‑stroke penalty. The relief area runs between:
- The estimated spot where the ball was lost or last crossed out of bounds, and
- The nearest fairway edge, no closer to the hole.
E‑5 cannot be used once you have played a provisional ball, and it does not apply to balls in water or other penalty areas.
Free relief
You may take relief with no penalty, never nearer the hole, in these cases:
- Sprinkler heads near the green (2 × 2 rule). When the sprinkler head is within two club-lengths of the green, your ball is within two club-lengths of the sprinkler head, and the head interferes with your play. Drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief.
- Tree roots. When roots interfere with your lie or your intended swing. Drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief.
- Standing water (Rule 16.1). When visible standing water affects your ball or stance. It must be visible before or after you take your stance, without pressing down hard. Ground that is only wet, soft or muddy does not count, nor does water that appears only when you stomp, and there is no relief inside a penalty area.
- Muddy bunkers. If water pools under your feet in a bunker, drop at the nearest spot in the bunker where it does not.
- Irregular ground on the green. If your group agrees an irregular ground condition is in your line of putt, move the ball to the nearest point of relief outside it.
Scoring & scorecards
- Maximum score per hole is 9. If you have not holed out after 8 strokes, pick up and record a 9. (This caps your tournament score only — GHIN applies its own limit when the round is posted.)
- Scorecards. Each player keeps their own card. Check every hole's score, then have the card signed by the scorer and a witness and turn it in promptly after the round.
- Ties. Resolved by lowest back-nine net (or last-six / last-three) unless a different tiebreaker is posted on the tournament page.
For format-specific rules (best ball, scramble, etc.), see the individual tournament page when registration opens.
Tee box options
The white tee box is the default tee box for all MMGC tournaments.
- Women may elect to play from the red or gold tees.
- Senior members (60+) may elect to play from the gold tees.
- The Skins Game is one pot for the whole club — every tee box in it together. Closest-to-the-Pin is split: members playing a non-white tee (gold or red) have their own pot, since the tee difference is the whole contest in a proximity game. See Entry fees & optional buy-ins.
Your handicap already accounts for the tees you play (see Handicap Index vs. Course Handicap), so electing gold is not an advantage in net scoring — it is there to keep the course a comfortable length. Members elect their tees for the season rather than event by event.
Membership dues
Annual dues are $75 per member, covering your NCGA membership and official USGA Handicap Index for the season. Join or renew here.
Dues are collected before January 1, and membership activates on January 1. That is the date the NCGA bills the club, so every MMGC membership runs on the calendar year and renews at the start of each year. Pay any time before January 1 and your membership begins that day — your current membership runs through December 31, so renewing leaves no gap.
Joining partway through the year instead? We can activate you at any point, so there is no need to wait for January. Your membership still runs to the end of that year, which means the following season is billed again on January 1.
Entry fees & optional buy-ins
Each tournament has a standard entry fee of $30 per participant (NCGA Qualifier fees may vary). Green fees and cart fees are not included — pay those separately at the pro shop.
Each event has two optional buy-ins:
- Skins Game — $10 per player, separate pot. One pot for the whole club, every tee box in it together.
- Closest-to-the-Pin — $10 per player, all par 3 and par 5 holes, separate pot. There are two CTP pots: one for white-tee players, and one for members playing a non-white tee (gold or red), since the tee difference is the whole contest in a proximity game. Each pot needs at least five entrants to run.
Amounts can differ from one event to another — the figure shown on each event's own page is always the one that applies.
See Payment Distribution for how each event's entry-fee pot is allocated.
NCGA & GHIN Handicap Guidance
MMGC is an NCGA golf club, which means every member in good standing receives an official USGA Handicap Index through the Northern California Golf Association. Your annual membership dues cover your NCGA registration.
Handicap Index vs. Course Handicap
The GHIN app shows a number on its front screen, and on tournament day we use a different number — often a lower one. Both are correct — they measure different things.
- Handicap Index — the number on the front of the GHIN app (for example, 15.0). It measures your ability on a course of average difficulty and travels with you to any course. You never play off this number directly.
- Course Handicap — the number of strokes you actually get on a particular course from a particular set of tees. It is worked out from your Index and the ratings of those tees. This is the number we use in MMGC events. That is not an MMGC rule: under the World Handicap System, which the USGA and NCGA follow, the strokes you receive in any round, at any course, always start from your Course Handicap for the tees you play — never from your Index. Every club and tournament works the same way.
How it is worked out. Every set of tees carries two ratings. The Course Rating is what a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, and the Slope measures how much harder the course plays for everyone else (113 is average). The USGA formula is:
The last part is the one that surprises people. Madera Municipal is a par 72, but from the white and gold tees its Course Rating is below 72 — the course plays easier than par for a good golfer, and that difference comes off your strokes. From the whites the two parts roughly cancel, so your Course Handicap lands close to your Index. From the golds the Course Rating is more than five strokes under par, so your Course Handicap comes out well below your Index.
Why the forward tees give you fewer strokes. The gold tees are about 860 yards shorter than the whites, and the red tees are shorter again. Shorter tees carry a lower Course Rating and a lower Slope. A shorter course is easier to score on, so you receive fewer strokes. Here is the same golfer, a 15.0 Index, from each set of tees:
| Tees | Yards | Rating / Slope | Strokes for a 15.0 Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 6,401 | 70.7 / 122 | 15 |
| Gold | 5,542 | 66.6 / 113 | 10 |
Madera Municipal men's ratings and yardages, par 72, from the USGA National Course Rating Database. Women's ratings are different, and ratings are updated from time to time — the GHIN app always uses the current figures.
It evens out. Fewer strokes sounds like a penalty, but the same golfer is expected to shoot lower by about the same amount from the shorter tees, so the net score lands in the same place. A man moving from white to gold gets five fewer strokes and is expected to shoot about five lower. That is why electing forward tees is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in net scoring — it is about playing a comfortable length.
Check your own number. Open the GHIN app, use the Course Handicap calculator, choose Madera Municipal and the tees you play, and it shows exactly how many strokes you get. On NCGA qualifier dates a different number applies (the Index is capped first, then the Course Handicap is reduced to 85%); the tournament page explains it.
Post all non-tournament scores
Members are responsible for posting all casual and non-tournament rounds directly to their GHIN record. Tournament scores are posted for you by the Club — you do not need to post a second time. If a tournament score is missing from your record within 48 hours, contact us through the contact form.
How to post a score
Scores must be posted on the same day you play, before midnight local time. The fastest way is the free GHIN mobile app (iOS / Android). You can also post through the NCGA website at ncga.org.
What counts
- Every round of 9 or more holes played under the Rules of Golf, on a rated course.
- Casual rounds and tournament rounds. Both count toward your index.
- If you don't finish a hole, use your most likely score (USGA rule) — typically your strokes taken plus the number you'd reasonably need to finish.
Pace of Play
We expect every group at Madera Municipal Golf Course to play in 4 hours and 15 minutes or less. A round that takes longer than 4:30 is too slow. Slow play is the single biggest complaint at every golf club, and at MMGC it's something everyone is responsible for.
Practical guidelines
- Keep up with the group in front of you, not ahead of the group behind you. Your position is determined by the group ahead.
- Be ready when it's your turn. Plan your shot, pick your club, check your yardage, and read your putt while others are playing — not when it's your turn.
- Ready golf is encouraged in stroke play. Whoever is ready plays first, as long as it's safe.
- Limit lost-ball searches to 3 minutes. Per USGA Rule 18.2.
- Wave through faster groups if you can't keep up. There is no shame in this — it's good golf etiquette.
Tournament enforcement
The Vice President may place a group on the clock if they fall behind. After a warning, the Rules of Golf provide for one-stroke penalties under Rule 5.6 for bad-time violations. We rarely have to enforce this, and we'd like to keep it that way.
Club Championship
The Club Championship closes the season. For 2027 it is a net match play bracket tournament contested by the top sixteen players in the season standings, played across the four weeks of October — one round a week.
How you qualify
There is no entry form and no sign-up sheet. The sixteen members who stand highest in the season standings after the September event qualify, and they qualify by having turned out and scored well across the year. A place is earned, not entered.
If a qualifier cannot commit to playing all four rounds in October, the next players in the standings stand as alternates and fill the bracket in order. Availability is confirmed before the bracket is seeded, so an earned place never leaves a hole in the draw.
Once the bracket is underway the rule changes. A match not played inside its week is a forfeit — the player who could not make it is out, and their opponent advances. Four weeks, and a tee time you arrange between yourselves, is a generous window, and the bracket has to keep moving for the players still in it.
The final and the third-place match are the one exception. If there is a scheduling conflict in that last week, those two matches can be rescheduled into the spare week of October 30, which closes the season.
Entry fee
$30, the same as every other event on the calendar, whether your run in the bracket lasts one week or four. It is paid once, and it is due before the bracket is seeded, alongside confirming your availability — there is no form to fill in and nothing to pay on the day.
The pot is divided the same way as every other event: see Payment Distribution. There are no Skins or Closest-to-the-Pin pots in the Championship, because sixteen players in self-scheduled one-on-one matches have no shared field to play them over.
If you are not in the sixteen
October is not a month off for the rest of the club. The weekend skins games run through the month as usual, so there is golf and friendly competition every week whether or not you are in the bracket. Season points are settled after the September event, so nothing played in October changes the standings.
Format
- Single elimination, seeded from the final season standings.
- Four rounds across four weeks — a round of sixteen, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then the final.
- A third-place match is played in the final week alongside the final, between the two beaten semi-finalists.
- One round a week, self-scheduled. Each pairing arranges its own tee time within its week. The Championship takes a month rather than a weekend, and nobody plays thirty-six holes in a day.
- One flight, no senior division. Every player uses the tees they have elected for the season.
Match play weighs two players against each other one hole at a time, through the difference in their handicaps, so mixed tees sit more naturally here than anywhere else on the calendar.
Handicaps — no cut-off
There is no handicap cut-off for the Championship. Your handicap keeps updating through the bracket, exactly as it does through the season and through Team Match.
Enter round one as a 12, win your first match shooting 76, and you carry a lower handicap into round two. That is how it should be, and it is the same principle the whole season now runs on: every round counts, and no member can hold their best golf back for the one or two days that suit them.
The title
The winner of the bracket is the MMGC Club Champion. Subject to available funds, the top three finishers are recognized with an end-of-season prize.
Code of Conduct
From Article VI of the official MMGC Bylaws:
The Club aims to provide a respectful, fair, and enjoyable environment for all members, guests, and partners. Members are expected to embody sportsmanship, respect, and integrity both on and off the course.
Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Verbal or physical abuse toward members or staff
- Cheating or dishonesty in tournaments or matches
- Disruption of Club activities or governance
- Any conduct, on or off Club property, that negatively impacts the member experience or harms the reputation and standing of the Club
Disciplinary procedures, including impeachment and removal, are covered in Article VII of the Bylaws below.
Bylaws
Madera Municipal Golf Club Bylaws — an NCGA Golf Club · Amended January 27, 2026
The organization is officially known as the "Madera Municipal Golf Club (MMGC)" and maintains its affiliation with the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA), upholding all associated policies and regulations.
The Club is dedicated exclusively to charitable and recreational aims, which include:
- Promoting amateur golf in the community
- Hosting golf competitions
- Encouraging community involvement through golf activities
- Maintaining NCGA affiliation to provide member benefits, including handicapping services
Membership is available to anyone aged 18 or older who is interested in golf and committed to the Club's values and rules. Membership requires an active NCGA registration through the Club.
- The Executive Committee determines joining fees and annual dues.
- Dues are payable in advance, and previous members must renew by the date set by the Committee or forfeit their membership.
- Dues may be prorated for members joining partway through the year.
The Club is managed by a Board of up to seven members: an Executive Committee of three officers — President, Vice President, and Treasurer — and an Advisory Board of up to four members. All Board members are elected annually by the membership under Article V and serve from January 1 to December 31.
Every Board member has one vote, and Board decisions are made by simple majority. A full Board of seven cannot tie; where a seat is unfilled and a vote is tied, the President casts the deciding vote.
Executive Committee
President — Justin Jones
Vice President — Jose Virrueta
Treasurer — David Diaz
Advisory Board
Ben Ervin
Chuck Perry
Eric Jackson
President
Chief executive of the Club, overseeing all Club operations. Provides leadership and sets the direction for the Club. Chairs Board and general meetings. Handles administration, correspondence, Club records, and notices to members. Serves as the primary liaison with the NCGA and ensures compliance with all NCGA and USGA policies. Works with the Treasurer on the Club budget and on decisions about how Club funds are used.
Vice President
Supports the President by assuming leadership responsibilities in their absence, and supervises special projects. Organizes all Club tournaments and events, and works directly with the golf course on event dates and times, pairings, and formats. Enforces the Rules of Golf, sets event formats, and oversees scoring and results, ensuring fair play and compliance with regulations. Posts all members' tournament scores.
Treasurer
Manages Club finances, including budgeting and financial planning. Collects annual dues, tournament registrations, and entry fees, and pays Club expenses. Collects and distributes all tournament cash games such as skins and closest-to-pin contests. Maintains financial records and produces reports for the Board and the membership. Ensures transparency and accountability of funds.
Advisory Board
Advisors do not hold an officer's portfolio. Their role is to advise the officers and to represent the membership in Board votes: they attend Board meetings, bring member concerns to the table, and carry a full vote on every decision the Board takes. Because they vote on the members' behalf, they are elected by the membership rather than appointed by the officers.
Handicap duties
Handicap duties are not held by a single Chair. The Vice President posts members' tournament scores; monitoring handicap accuracy, helping members with posting procedures, resolving scoring issues, and keeping the Club current with USGA rule changes are shared across the Board.
The annual Club dues of the three officers — President, Vice President, and Treasurer — are covered by the Club. Advisory Board members pay their own dues.
Board meetings occur monthly; general meetings are held quarterly, and special meetings may be called as needed by the President or by a majority of the Board.
Board members are elected annually by the membership. Elections are held during the fourth-quarter general meeting. Terms run from January 1 to December 31.
Each member is entitled to one vote, either in person, by email, or online. Decisions are made by a simple majority, with a quorum set at 20% of active members.
See Code of Conduct above.
Members are subject to disciplinary action, including impeachment, suspension, or expulsion, for confirmed misconduct or repeat violations of the Code of Conduct.
- Complaints must be formally submitted and reviewed by the Board.
- The member will be notified and given a hearing before the Board.
- Disciplinary action requires a majority vote of the Board.
- Removed members may appeal once in writing; appeals are decided by membership vote with a quorum and majority approval. Appeal decisions are final.
- Impeachment of Board members requires a membership vote with a quorum and majority approval. Impeachment decisions are final.
- All proceedings are confidential and impartial. Members who file complaints in good faith are protected from retaliation.
All Club funds are dedicated to Club activities and objectives. Financial reports are presented to members at regular meetings.
The Club operates as a nonprofit recreational organization under California law. Earnings do not benefit individuals. Upon dissolution, assets are transferred to the NCGA or another qualifying NCGA nonprofit golf club as per Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
These Bylaws may be changed by a majority vote of active members at a regular meeting, provided proposed changes are circulated in writing at least 14 days prior.