General Rules of Play

1. The Order of Play Rule
All players shall hit their first putts before any player hits their second shot. EXCEPTION: If a player’s first putt is within six inches of the hole and/or directly blocking the most direct path to the hole and/or any remaining member of that player’s playing group requests that player putt again, that player shall putt until either their ball is no longer in the direct putting path of other players or they have put the ball into the cup. The player closest to the hole after all first putts have been taken will putt until their ball is in the hole, until they are no longer the player whose ball is closest to the hole, or until they record a six. The next closest player will do the same, and so on.
Players may decide that they each want to finish out a hole in turn instead, if they agree as a group to do so.

2. The JoAnn Dillard Rule
Any ball deflected by another player’s ball on that player’s first putt must remain in its new location. This is in effect even if the ball is deflected into the hole. If, however, a player’s ball is deflected out of bounds by another ball, the ball which left the putting surface may be replaced at the spot where it left the putting surface without an out-of-bounds stroke penalty. A ball which is deflected by another player’s second, third, fourth, or fifth shot may be left at its new spot or returned to the original spot by its owner. If a ball that has been shot once is deflected into the cup by another ball, it counts as a hole-in-one. A moving ball which has just been putted and caroms off another player’s ball and out of bounds is subject to out-of-bounds rules.

3. The Wombat Rule
A player may move their ball six inches outward from a barrier, hazard, wombat, or bordering wall in order to make a putt possible. The ball must be moved on a line perpendicular to said object, hazard, or wall and may not be moved within one foot of the cup. If a wall, barrier, wombat, or hazard is less than 12 inches from the cup, the ball may be moved outward from its location halfway between the object and the hole. If the ball rests on an incline and cannot be made to stand pat where it is placed outward from the object or wall, it may be placed at the nearest flat spot, or it may be stepped on to press into the putting surface, or it may be dropped onto the incline and allowed to roll to its new location.

4. The Senseless Violence Rule
You may not hit your ball while it is in motion. To do so will result in a two-stroke penalty and placement of the ball where it last rested. EXAMPLE: Kristianne hits her second shot, doesn’t like where it is heading, and whacks it again while it is still moving. The ball is placed at the spot where it was before her second shot, and her next shot counts as her fifth. Players are discouraged from intentionally striking a ball in motion because they assess the two-stroke advantage as being less damaging than the place the ball would end up.

5. The Carolyn Howard Rule
Any player taking five putts without putting the ball in the cup shall pick up the ball and record a six for that hole. Players may attempt to sink the sixth putt in order to achieve a "honorable six" as well, but six is the limit. Pick it up at that point, please.

6. The Skip Landt Rule
No profanity, pyrotechnic devices, nuclear weapons, illegal drugs, electromagnets, air horns, tranquilizer darts, biological weapons, mind control devices, trebuchets, torture devices, air guns, time travel vehicles, or items of interplanetary espionage are allowed on the courses at any time.

7. The Jean van de Velde Rule
At no time may a player replay a shot. There are no mulligans.

8. The Gratuitously Prolix Rule (Out of Bounds Rulings)
If a ball leaves the putting surface, it is considered out of bounds. The player whose ball lands out of bounds has three options: a) play the ball where it lies; b) replay the ball from its position before the shot was taken which resulted in the out-of-bounds lie and take a one-stroke penalty; c) place the ball where it left the putting surface and take a one-stroke penalty. However, if the ball leaves the putting surface via the tee area, the player may place the ball anywhere in the tee area and take the next shot without additional penalty. EXAMPLE: I hit the ball out of bounds on my first putt. I replace the ball where it left the green. My next shot counts as my third.
If an attempt to play the ball from out of bounds results in another out-of-bounds lie, the player may place the ball where it originally left the putting surface and take a two-stroke penalty in addition to the stroke(s) taken out of bounds. Swinging and missing counts as a stroke when the ball is out of bounds, but not when it is in bounds.
At courses such as Par-King that have signs indicating that a ball ends up on an alternate tee if it goes into the water or other hazard, follow those signs. Apply the expected penalty for going out of bounds. (For example, on Par-King Black's 3rd hole, if a player's tee shot goes into the water, their 3rd shot is subsequently played from the alternate tee.)

A ball may be placed at the spot where it left the putting surface without penalty in these instances:
a) Some courses have one section of border wall that is low enough to allow a wheelchair or other assistive device to pass over it. If a ball goes out of bounds at one of these locations, it may be placed where it left the putting surface without penalty.
b) If the ball rolls past the tee area and off the putting surface, it should be placed at the spot where it left the putting surface without penalty.
c) A player's stationary ball is knocked out of bounds by a different player's putted ball.

9. The Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

10. The Josh Altergott Rule
A player whose ball is entirely within a hazard WITHIN the putting surface (e.g. rock pits at Action Territory) may follow any of the choices for an out-of-bounds ball described in rule #8 above.

11. The Any Loose Debris on the Green May Be Moved Without Penalty Rule
Any loose debris on the green may be moved without penalty.

12. The Rule That We Hope Is Never Necessary to Enforce
Any player seen cheating on a hole or interfering intentionally with another player’s lie will receive an automatic six for that hole, regardless of whether they have finished the hole. A second offense results in sixes for the remainder of the course. A third offense results in disqualification, and we may chant "Shame!" at you repeatedly as you depart the course. Any sixes given as a result of this rule do not count toward the "most sixes" booby prize.

13. The Criminal Damage to Property Rule
Please replace your divots. Better yet, don’t make any.

14. The Billiards Rule
The ball may be struck with the putter face in a normal putting fashion or struck with the shaft of the club in a billiards-cue-style fashion. No pushing or lifting of the ball when putting is allowed.

15. The Teed-Off Rule
Tee shots must be taken from putting mats where they exist on courses unless the player instead places their ball on the putting surface no closer to the hole than two inches in front of the rubber mat. A rubber mat may be rolled back and the ball played within the area the mat covered, at holes where this is possible. At courses where a larger tee area is indicated by a three-sided frame, the putt must originate from a point within the imaginary rectangle which would be created if another board or border were used to complete the frame. At courses where the hole is lined by bricks or rocks, the first putt must be taken from a spot behind the imaginary line that extends from the first brick/rock on the left to the first brick/rock on the right.

16. The "Because That Pipe Doesn't Go to the Marshmallow Room, It Goes to the Fudge Room!" Rule
If there is a hole with pipes that lead from one level to another, you may drop a golf ball down any and all of those holes before teeing off, in order to determine which one you wish to aim for. You may not test out any of the pipes after any player in your group has taken their tee shot.

17. The Yummy Rule
Mick likes strawberry frosted donuts. Kudos to Lisa Curran and Skip Landt for noticing this in the past and bringing appropriate offerings.

18. The Cup Is Half Empty Rule
A ball counts as "in the cup" when it comes to a rest at the bottom of the hole and must be retrieved from the cup. If a ball comes to a stop on the lip of the cup, the player may wait up to twenty seconds for the ball to fall on its own. If it does not, the ball must be putted into the hole. If the ball falls on its own after twenty seconds have passed but before it is putted, an additional stroke must still be counted. A ball that bounces off the edge or bottom of the cup and comes to a rest on the putting surface does not count as "in the hole." 

19. The Jon Katz Rule
In the event of invisible/unnoticeable course deterioration (e.g., a problem with a hidden tube, rail, slide, or chute in which balls are getting stuck out of sight), the course employees will be summoned to correct the problem if possible before the issue impacts other players. The player will then have an opportunity to rehit the ball (without penalty) into that tube so the normal momentum they would have had if the hole were functioning properly can be regained. If the course cannot correct the issue, then the player may replay the hole from the beginning without penalty, and may choose to take the risk or not. Players who have not yet played the hole that round will be made fully aware of the situation.
Please note this differs from visible course deterioration (e.g., a missing brick in a bordering wall, a torn green, a jagged cup lip), where the player has the opportunity to be aware of the magnitude of the potential risk before putting.

20. The Wacky Hole Rule
One hole on each course is that course’s designated Wacky Hole. Each player will have to make all of their shots on that hole with an unusual object or in an unusual manner designated by the tournament director.

21. The Rule About the Arrangement of Playing Groups
No group shall consist of fewer than three players unless course rules and procedures make it necessary. Players may determine their own groups until the final round, when the groups will be determined in the same manner as the final round of a professional golf tournament. The players with the four best scores to that point will play in the final foursome. The 5th-8th place players will play in the penultimate group, etc.

22. The There Are Definitely Stupid Questions, But You Can Ask Them Anyway Rule
Any questions on rules may be brought to tournament director Mick Cullen, who reserves the right to laugh at you loudly and point, but probably won't. If you need a ruling during play, you may ask Mick. If you disagree with his ruling, you may ask scorekeeping official Lisa Curran. In that event, if Mick and Lisa's rulings differ, Lisa's ruling becomes final.

23. The Thirty Helens Agree Rule
Promptness is important. This is a miniature golf tournament with thirty-to-fortyish people going to six courses in one day. Timing is essential. If you arrive at a course more than five minutes after the rest of the field, you may be disqualified at the tournament director's discretion. We just don't have the time to sit around and wait. We do our best to caravan so this does not happen.

24. The "If It Weren't for Disappointment, I Wouldn't Have Any Appointments" Rule
If a cup has a lip, a jagged edge, or anything else that is a part of the course but which can interfere with your putt, you have to deal with it, despite the potential disappointment. If a cup can be rotated, you may rotate it before your shot. The cup absolutely may not be removed entirely. 

25. The Inclement Weather Rule 
If thunderstorms or other adverse weather conditions cause a course to shut down in the midst of a round, and play cannot be safely resumed in a reasonable amount of time (at the discretion of the tournament director), no scores achieved in that round will count. Only rounds for which all players in the field have completed all 18 holes will be counted in the final tournament standings.

26. Special Hole Rules
Some holes have special scoring rules posted on signs at that hole. Please follow those scoring rules when posted.


Divisions

1. If there are at least three players age 12 or under, there shall be a Junior Division with its own champion. If a player age 12 or under has won the MCMM overall title previously, they will compete in the Champions Division.

2. The Champions Division will consist of:
a) Players who have posted the lowest overall score of all players in a previous MCMM;
b) Players who have posted the low score in the Putterz or Open Division three times; and
c) Players who elect to play in that division.
Players who play in this division may only win one course trophy per tournament. The winner of this division receives a championship trophy.

3. All other players will compete in the Open Division. This division will award trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.


Awarding Prizes

1. The player with the fewest total putts on each course receives the course trophy for that round as well as a special gift from our sponsors. In case of a tie, if one of the players tied for the lead has never won a course title, they take the trophy automatically. If that does not apply, the tiebreakers are as follows.
a) most holes-in-one on course
b) highest total par for the holes where the player scored holes-in-one
c) most holes under par on course
d) fewest holes over par on course
e) fewest previous courses won, career
f) best score on the course’s par 3s
g) telling the best miniature golf joke, as voted on by the assembled players
h) coin flip
Please note that Champions Division players may win only one course trophy per tournament, and Open Division players may win no more than two course trophies per tournament.

2. The player who a) has never won or tied for a course title on the given course; b) does not win the overall Most Improved trophy for the day; and c) scores a total the most strokes below their previous career best on that course receives the Most Improved individual course trophy. In case of a tie, if one player has never won a Most Improved trophy, that player takes the trophy. Otherwise, the tiebreakers will be:
a) low score
b) most holes-in-one on course
c) highest total par for the holes where the player scored holes-in-one
d) most holes under par on course
e) fewest holes over par on course
f) best score on the course’s par 3s
g) fewest sixes on course
h) coin flip

3. The player in each division with the fewest cumulative strokes after six courses will receive the championship trophy for that division. The overall winner will receive the Ugly Jacket. In case of a tie for the tournament title, we will have a sudden-death playoff at the final course, starting with the 1st hole of the course or another hole the tournament director deems appropriate (currently: the 3rd hole at Par-King Black). If two players are tied for a first, second, or third place trophy in their division, but not the overall tournament championship, tiebreakers shall be the same as in rule 7 below.
If there are two players in sudden death, a coin flip will determine which player gets the choice of teeing off first or second. The first player to record a lower score than the other player on one hole is the winner. If multiple holes are required, the players will alternate teeing off first.
If there are more than two participants in sudden death, lots will be drawn to determine the order of play on the first hole. Each player who does not tie for the lowest score on any given hole will be eliminated. If multiple holes are required, no player shall tee off first for a second time before all other players have taken the first shot on a previous sudden-death hole. In any event, regardless of eliminations, no player shall tee off first on consecutive sudden-death holes.

4. The player with the most holes-in-one after six courses will receive the Most Holes-in-one trophy, unless they are also the overall tournament champion, Open Division champion, or rookie of the year, in which case it will go to the player with the next-highest total. In case of a tie, if one player has never won the most holes-in-one title before, they will take the trophy. If that does not apply, the tiebreakers will be:
a) cumulative score under par on holes which he/she holed in one
b) low overall score
c) fewest sixes
d) fewest fives
e) fewest fours
f) most twos
g) watermelon seed spitting contest
h) coin flip
Note: in the event the tournament proceeds to sudden death, no holes-in-one earned during sudden death will count toward this trophy.

5. The player scoring the most sixes shall receive the coveted Most Sixes Birdhouse. In case of a tie, if one player has not previously won the birdhouse, they take it. If this does not apply, they can fight over it if they really wanna. If they don’t wanna fight, here are the tiebreakers:
a) high overall score
b) fewest holes-in-one
c) cumulative score over par on holes which he/she "sixed"
d) fewest twos
e) fewest threes
f) poetry slam
g) coin flip

6. The player who posts a cumulative score the most strokes below their previous best 108-hole stroke total shall win the Most Improved trophy. (Overall tournament champions are forbidden from winning this trophy.) In case of a tie, the tiebreakers are:
a) lower previous career best
b) fewest sixes
c) most holes-in-one
d) most top-10 finishes (ties included) on courses during the day
e) fewest fives
f) most twos
g) fewest fours
h) coin flip

7. The rookie player who posts the low cumulative score of the day shall receive the Rookie of the Year trophy. In case of a tie, the tiebreakers are:
a) most holes-in-one
b) fewest sixes
c) most course titles (ties count as titles)
d) most top-10 course finishes (ties included)
e) most twos
f) fewest fives
g) youngest in age

8. The Veterans' Trophy will be awarded to the lowest-scoring player with at least 12 complete Mini Masters appearances who has never finished in 1st place in the Open Division or won the Ugly Jacket. In the event of a tie, the tiebreakers are:
a) most holes-in-one
b) fewest sixes
c) most course titles (ties count as titles)
d) most top-10 course finishes (ties included)
e) most twos
f) fewest fives

9. The Spirit of the Game Award shall be given to the player(s) who, in the tournament director's judgment, most embodied the spirit of the M.C. Mini Masters on tournament day.

10. In all cases, the tournament director reserves the right to award trophies to people who have lost tiebreakers if it serves to even out the distribution of trophies. For instance, if one person has won two trophies on a given day and another has not won any, and the person who has won two trophies is tied for another trophy with the person who hasn't won any, the tournament director may give the trophy to the individual who would have no trophies otherwise, regardless of tiebreakers.

11. If a player in the Junior Division would have won the Open Division, they shall receive the Open Division championship trophy instead, and the next-best player in the Junior Division shall win the Junior Division championship trophy.

12. Please note that if a trophy winner leaves the event before the trophies are awarded, the Tournament Director reserves the right to award that trophy to the next-ranked player who is present instead.