2025 match play is complete! Congratulations to Michelle Griffiths and Sarah Wetmore, our inaugural Rae Forman cup champions.

Many of our members have expressed interest in learning how to play in competitive tournaments but aren’t sure where to start or learn the rules. Other members love playing in tournaments and want to share the experience. In 2024, we launched a season-long modified match play tournament that we hope to continue for years to come.

Our tournament is named after Rae Forman. As submitted by Len Wholey, Brookline Town Meeting member, to the Brookline Patch*, “In March of 1964, the Brookline Park Commission disallowed women to play at the golf course before noon on certain weekends. … Mrs. Forman along with 149 other women lost their initial court battle but then filed an appeal stating the rule ‘restricts and abdriges the rights of women solely on the grounds of sex.’ Roughly one year later on March 8, 1965, the Brookline Park Commission relented, voting to provide equal playing time opportunities to women at the golf course.”

How it Worked in 2024…updates forthcoming for 2025

• Golfers are paired up by the pro shop based on handicap index to create teams of two. There is a max course handicap of 36 (this means that if your course handicap is higher than 36, you will not receive more than 36 strokes).

• Round Zero: Qualifier. Each pair will play the front 9 at Brookline to establish your rank. After Round Zero, the top 12 pairs will be announced.

• Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3: Single-elimination. The top four pairs have a first-round bye. Pairs play each other and the winner advances to the next round.

• Championship: 18 hole round.

General Guidelines

• Players are expected maintain an active and accurate GHIN - this means counting all strokes, posting all scores, and posting scores in timely fashion.

• This is tournament play, but it’s also meant to be fun and a time to learn. It’s ok to ask about rules, to ask your teammates what they are lying, and to ask for help if you need it.

• Please be responsive to requests for matches and be as flexible as possible.

• If you don’t complete your match in time, there will be a public coin flip to determine who advances.

• We recommend you download the USGA Rules of Golf app - it’s a great resource for in-the-moment rules questions.

• And finally, since this is a BWGA round, you can also turn in these scores for Ringers!

Rounds One, Two, and Three (play the BACK NINE!)

1. Coordinate with your opponent to play the back nine at Brookline from the red tees. You can play any time (does not have to be during one of the BWGA’s preferred tee times). If you’re having trouble booking a tee time on the back, call the pro shop directly and let them know you’re trying to schedule your BWGA match.

2. When you check in for your round, please pick up your scorecard from the pro shop. It will have been prepared for you in advance.

3. Format: Match play, low net score. Players will be stroked off the low player in every group. Any match that is still tied after 9 holes will proceed back to the 10th tee for extra holes. Any tied match shall have the right of way on the 10th tee for any extra holes. Please inform the starter the need for extra holes.

4. When your round is over, please:

   1. Turn your card into the pro shop. Be sure to clearly write the date of the round and have the scorer and attester sign.

   2. Please email a clear picture of the scorecard to BWGA. This is what helps us keep the website updated quickly.

Rankings and Brackets

(If you’re on a mobile device and don’t see a bracket, keep scrolling down. Not sure why we can’t get it to work. Probably because our day jobs are professional with a side of golf, and BWGA web design is a figure-it-out-as-we-go project!)

FAQs (updated regularly)

Email Allyson if you have any questions about Match Play and we’ll list your FAQs and answers here.

• Who has the honors on the first hole?

  • If you choose to give honors, they go to the higher ranked team (all teams are numbered in the rankings).

• What if my partner (or I) are not available for a match but we don’t want to forfeit / have a coin flip?

  • First, connect with Ally, Courtney, or Maeve. If multiple groups are having trouble scheduling, we’ll see about extending the time to play.

  • If we can’t get creative, you have the option of playing alone. Your partner needs to say it’s ok, and you only have the benefit of one player.

• I’m having trouble getting in touch with the opposing team. What should I do?

  • Don’t be afraid of the phone! Email can sometimes end up in spam, so if there’s a phone number listed in the membership directory, don’t hesitate to give your partner a call. If you get stuck or still can’t get a response, email Ally, Courtney, or Maeve and we’re happy to help nudge.

• We simply can’t find time to get all four of us together. What should we do?

  • If each pair can find time to play, but you can't align your schedules with the other pair, you can play separate matches:

• Pair 1 plays their match using the official scorecard and with another BWGA player as the scorer.

• Pair 2 (their opponents) plays their match using the official scorecard and with another BWGA player as the scorer.

• We will then combine the cards to determine the winner.  If it's a tie, we use the scorecard rather than playing playoff holes.

• Is the first round (the qualifier) different than the rest of the tournament? We play as a team, and not “against” another pair? That is, we play as two people to establish rank, turn in our cards, and are paired in subsequent matches with another team?

  • Yes, that’s exactly right!

*We are indebted to the reporting of Len Wholey, Brookline Town Meeting member, who provided this information to the Brookline Patch. Accessed 6/26/2024.

Page last updated 3/24/2025