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Internal Meeting Packet

2026 League Expansion Working Packet

Prepared for the member meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM. This is an internal prep document that summarizes the current proposal, the rationale behind it, and the main discussion points to be tested in the room.

Build PACK-20260307-01
Not for circulation as proposal copy. This packet is meant to help lead the meeting, anticipate pushback, and keep the discussion centered on expansion, practical structure, and specific revisions.

At A Glance

2026 Recommended expansion year
2 League styles under review
18 / 15 Playable weeks / official weeks
12 / 16 Draft caps: Premiere / Heritage

What Tonight Should Resolve

Recommendation

What should stay firm

  • Expansion is the recommended move for 2026.
  • A larger field needs a logical and explainable way to be separated.
  • The current Heritage culture should be preserved for members who want it.
  • The schedule needs weather protection so the official slate can still be completed.
Feedback Target

What should stay open

  • Exact team caps in each league.
  • Premiere rules, playoff structure, and side-game design.
  • Exact fee levels, payouts, and whether the upfront model needs revision.
  • How aggressively the club wants to push the competitive option in Year 1.

Current Proposal Snapshot

Why expand The league has become a meaningful club amenity, demand appears too strong to stay inside the current footprint, and a single field of 20 teams is operationally tight on one side of the course.
Why two styles The two-league idea is not just about preference. It creates a practical and non-arbitrary way to separate a larger field. If both leagues used the same rules and format, it would be harder to explain how teams were divided.
Heritage draft Up to 16 teams, preserve the relaxed atmosphere, largely retain current Jungle Rules, likely keep lift-clean-place style play, and potentially keep the traditional final-week position round.
Premiere draft Up to 12 teams, more USGA-aligned rules, competitive scoring format, and a draft 4-week playoff concept with A, B, and C flights.
Shared pieces Administration, weekly culture, and the end-of-year banquet would likely remain shared under either proposal.

Why The Recommendation Is To Expand Now

Membership Value

The league is now one of the club's clearest member amenities. It helps keep current members engaged and helps attract new members who want a consistent reason to stay involved.

Field Pressure

A single field is tight operationally. Once play splits across both sides of the course, the club is effectively running two competitions anyway, whether it says so directly or not.

Practical Separation

Two league styles give the club a clean explanation for how a large field is split. That is one of the strongest practical reasons for keeping Heritage and Premiere distinct.

Schedule, Weather, And Endgame

Current Schedule Draft

  • 18 playable weeks would be available.
  • The working structure assumes 15 official weeks of league play.
  • If weather cancels a scheduled match, that full matchup would move to the following week.
  • If weeks remain at the end, the current options are an extended playoff or teammate best-ball games.

Why That Matters

  • It gives the schedule breathing room instead of pretending weather will cooperate.
  • It protects the ability to finish the actual league slate.
  • It avoids scrambling late in the season when reschedules become harder.
  • It gives leftover dates a purpose instead of treating them as dead space.

Premiere Draft Details On The Table

Rules Framework
  • USGA Rules as the draft base.
  • Out of bounds would likely use Local Rule E-5.
  • Preferred lies could still be adopted in closely mown fairway areas.
  • Maximum Net Double Bogey and Grace & Pace are currently proposed.
  • The goal is to keep scores GHIN-compliant and postable.
Financial Draft
  • League pool: $300 per player.
  • Greens fee: $150 per player, waived for South Hills members.
  • Cart fee: $150 per player.
  • Illustrative total: about $600 for non-members and $450 for South Hills members.
  • This remains a draft model, not final policy.

Upfront Payment Rationale

Accounting

The strongest argument for upfront payment is administrative. It simplifies in-season accounting and reduces weekly handling of league money.

Registration + Subs

Weekly registration becomes faster because league fees are already covered, and substitute rounds are already paid for inside the structure.

Prize Pool + Incentive

The structure also makes it easier to reserve money for year-end prizes. South Hills has floated a possible incentive of 3 separate 9-hole rain checks.

Playoff Workup

Current Model
  • 11-week regular season for seeding.
  • 4-week playoff window across Weeks 12-15.
  • A, B, and C flight structure keeps more teams playing meaningful matches late.
  • Current example purses are included only to make the concept concrete for feedback.
Best-Ball Weeks
  • Week 12: the top 4 seeds are on bye from bracket play but still play a 2-man best-ball match with their teammate and remain eligible for side games.
  • Week 15: all teams other than the 4 still advancing would play that same teammate best-ball format.
  • This is based on the current fall league finish and is meant to keep teams engaged.

Likely Questions And Suggested Answers

Why expand in 2026? Because the league already adds real membership value, demand is pressing on the current structure, and waiting does not solve roster pressure or fairness problems.
Why not keep both leagues the same? Because the club still needs an explainable way to separate a larger field. Different styles make that split logical instead of arbitrary.
Is Premiere final? No. Expansion is the recommendation. Premiere details are a working draft intended to pull specific feedback.
Why ask for upfront money? The draft rationale is simpler accounting, faster weekly registration, substitute rounds already being paid for, and a cleaner year-end prize pool.
What if the bracket is too complicated? Then simplify it. The bracket is there as a concrete option, not as a locked final rulebook.
What if weather wrecks the calendar? The 18-week window exists specifically so cancelled matches can move forward and the league can still finish all official weeks.

Meeting Notes