1. The organisation shall be known as the European Pitch and Putt Association (acronym: EPPA). EPPA is a non-profit making organisation established to promote and regulate the sport of Pitch and Putt throughout the continent of Europe. EPPA is independent of other national or international sport organisations.

2. EPPA is registered in Ireland – no. 96930790.

3. EPPA's registered office is at 220 Glasnevin Ave. Dublin 11, Ireland

4. English is the official language of EPPA

 

1. To organise and regulate international competition in Europe between member organisations.

2. To assist the exchange of information and cooperation between member countries.

3. To promote a policy of fair play, protection of children and an anti-doping environment in Pitch and Putt.

4. To embrace all in Pitch and Putt respecting gender, race, ability and age.

5. To promote close cooperative and constructive relations with national and international golf federations, while maintaining Pitch and Putt's separate and independent identity.

6. To ultimately facilitate implementation of a common Pitch and Putt handicap system.

7. To propagate and develop Pitch and Putt by means of competitive recreational and promotional competitions.

8. To promote close cooperative and constructive relations with world sports associations such as International Olympic Committee and General Association of International Sports Federations.

 

1. Membership shall be open to any bona fide independent organisation or body of Pitch and Putt in Europe, subject to compliance with the approved membership criteria listed in C. 7, completion of the requisite application form (the veracity of the information therein having being checked by the Council), submission of a copy of its Constitution and domestic rules, the approval of the Council, and payment of the appropriate fees. 

2. Applications for membership from an organisation or body located in a country already in membership of EPPA shall only be considered (subject to the membership criteria listed in C. 7 below) with the consent of the existing member of EPPA in that country or on the production of documentary evidence from the appropriate government or governing body for the sport of Pitch and Putt in that country.

3. Membership fee of EPPA will be decided at the first EPPA Council meeting each year. 

4. An organisation, which does not as yet have any recognised Pitch and Putt courses, may apply for associate membership of EPPA. Such associate membership will be granted subject to the approval of the existing members. Such associate members shall be entitled to send two observers to each EPPA meeting but shall have no voting rights. Such associate membership will be reviewed annually. When such organisation has a minimum of two recognised Pitch and Putt courses, it may apply for full membership in the terms of C. 1.

5. Full members of EPPA will have the exclusive right to administer the sport in its defined territory without interference and intrusion by other member associations.

6. The status of membership will be withdrawn

a) voluntarily, by petition or by resignation of the member

 b) by decision of two thirds of the EPPA Council members, at the request of the Board, if a member association

has acted contrary to the agreed interests, objectives and statutes of EPPA.

has not paid the required fees

c) by winding up of the member.

7. The membership criteria are:

a. The applicant organisation (association, union, federation) must be a distinct legal personality and must be officially recognised as a bona fide Pitch & Putt organisation, independent of any other sporting association, union or federation.

b. A copy of the domestic rules of play and the organisation’s Constitution must be included with the application. The statutes should expressly accept the EPPA constitution; recognise the legitimacy of EPPA to legislate the sport in Europe; and the obligation to apply the FIPPA rules in all international competitions.

c. A copy of the “Joint Declaration of the boards of FIPPA and EPPA (20/01/08) must be signed by the applicant.   

d. Names of the organisation’s officers should be included with the application.

e. Pitch & Putt courses must be designed and constructed so as to permit competitions to be played to the EPPA international rules and the FIPPA rules of play.

f. Courses must be open to players, club members and/or the public at large without an obligation to have paid for an annual licence or previously obtained a playing handicap.

g. Players registered with affiliated to or who are members the Pitch & Putt organisation shall pay membership fees directly to the Pitch & Putt organization.

h. The Pitch & Putt organisation or its member clubs shall have the exclusive authority to modify players’ Pitch & Putt handicaps, and only such handicaps may be modified after competitions.

 

Pitch and Putt is defined as follows

1. Distances (a)  Length of hole: Maximum of 90 metres.
                        (b) Length of 18 hole course: Maximum of 1,200 metres.

2. Maximum of three clubs (one of which must be a putter) permitted for use.

3. The ball must be played off the defined teeing ground, teeing area or mat by placing it on a tee

 

1. The Constitution of EPPA recognises the right of each member to legislate for the game in its own country in accordance with its own Constitution and stated aims.  

 

1. The Council is the supreme governing body of EPPA and shall consist of two delegates nominated by each member.

2. They shall elect from within that Council five Board Members – a President, a Vice President and three Board Members who will carry on the business of EPPA between Council meetings.

3. On election the President will assume an independent role, though will be entitled to an ordinary vote.

4. The home association of the President shall nominate another delegate to replace him/her as a delegate to the Council.

5. The term of office for the President, Vice Presidents and Board Members shall be four years.

6. Board Members shall be eligible for re-election but the President may serve for a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms.

7. Election of President, Vice Presidents and Board Members shall take place at the first EPPA Council Meeting every fourth year commencing in 2010. The nominees must

be adults

be registered with, affiliated to or a member of an EPPA member organization

be in full possession of their civil rights

not have a criminal record

not have received a sports disqualification or prohibition from their EPPA member organization their own country’s Sports Council or Olympic Committee

8. Nominations for President, Vice Presidents and Board Members must be forwarded to reach the General Secretary not later than twenty-one days before the relevant meeting

9. A copy of all nominations must be forwarded by the General Secretary to reach member associations at least fourteen days before the relevant meeting.

10. The condition of being a Board Member will be lost

a) voluntarily, by petition or resignation of the member

b) by decision of two thirds of the EPPA Council members, at the request of a minimum of three members, if a Board Member acted in a way that could be considered as detrimental to the interests of EPPA or in conflict with statutes and subsequent regulations approved by the Federation.

c) by unjustified non attendance at three successive Council meetings

11. In the event of resignation or expulsion of a Board Member the Council may elect a replacement Board Member at the next Council Meeting. Such replacement Board Member shall serve for the remainder of the term of the expelled or resigned Board Member.

12. There will be a General Secretary. The Secretary General shall not be eligible to be elected President, Vice President or Board Member.

13. The General Secretary will report to the Board and will deal with day to day matters executing the decisions of either the Council or the Board.

14. Committees may be constituted if deemed appropriate at Board or Council meetings. The membership of such Committees may be supplemented by persons other than Board Members, co-opted by the Board or Council for the special qualifications relating to the purposes of the Committee that they may be considered to possess.

 

1. Each member shall be entitled to one vote at each Council meeting of FIPPA subject to there being at least one delegate or Vice President or Board Member representing that member present at the meeting.

2. If a member is unable for valid reasons to attend a meeting, that member will be entitled to cast a vote by e-mail to the General Secretary. Such e-mail vote will only be permitted on any issue notified by the General Secretary in advance of the meeting. Such e-mail vote must be lodged with the General Secretary in advance of the meeting.

3. In the event of equality of votes the President or member presiding shall have a casting vote.

4. In the event of equality of votes at Board level the President or member presiding shall have a casting vote.

5. Between meetings, the Executive Secretariat may take action based on e-mail vote conducted among the members. Deadlines shall be set for such e-mail votes and if a member does not respond within that deadline, they shall be deemed to have abstained from voting.

 

1. At least one Council meeting of EPPA shall take place each year. The business of the meeting shall be to receive and approve the Board’s Report on the year’s administration, to pass, if approved, a Statement of the Accounts for the past year and the annual budget, to set membership fees, the election of President, Vice President, Board Members (every four years) and any other business of which notice has been given to members at least fourteen days before the meeting.

a) Each meeting will receive a financial report from the Secretariat

b) EPPA’s Financial Year shall be 1 January to 31 December

c) Any financial surplus at the end of the Financial Year shall be re-invested in EPPA objectives

2. The quorum shall be fixed at 50%+1 members (associations) to include at least two of the President, Vice President and Board Members.

3. Provisional Date and Venue for each meeting shall be agreed at the previous meeting.

4. The President, Vice President and Board Members will meet as necessary. 

5. An Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting shall be called by a request by two-thirds of the members to the General Secretary in writing stating the nature of the business to be discussed or by a two-thirds majority at an Ordinary Council meeting of EPPA.

6. The Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting shall be held within thirty days of the request to the General Secretary being received or of the resolution being passed at a meeting of EPPA.

7. No business shall be discussed at the Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting except as specified in the motion.

 

1. The income and property of EPPA shall be applied solely towards the objectives listed in section B. of this Constitution. No proportion of EPPA's income or property shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to members of EPPA. No Board Member of EPPA shall be paid by salary or fees or receive any benefit or remuneration in money or money's worth from EPPA. However, nothing shall prevent any payment in good faith by EPPA of:

a) reasonable and proper remuneration to any member of EPPA (not a Board Member) for any services rendered to EPPA

b) interest at a rate not exceeding 5% per annum on money lent by Board Members or other members of EPPA

c) reasonable and proper rent for premises demised and let by any member of FIPPA (including a Board Member) to EPPA  

d) reasonable and proper out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Board Member in connection with their attendance to any matter affecting EPPA

e) fees, remuneration or benefit in money or money's worth to any Company of which a Board Member may be a member holding not more than one hundredth part of the issued capital of such company

2. If upon the winding-up or dissolution of EPPA there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, it shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of FIPPA. Instead, it shall be given or transferred to some other institution or institutions having main objectives similar to the main objectives of EPPA. The institution or institutions to which the property is to be given or transferred shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property among its or their members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on EPPA by virtue of Section I. 1 of this Constitution.

3. No addition, alteration or amendment shall be made to or in the provisions of this Constitution unless the same shall previously been approved in writing by the Irish Revenue Commissioners.

4. Annual audited accounts will be kept and presented to the Irish Revenue Commissioners on request.

 

1. EPPA will be responsible for European championships (team and/or individual, men’s, ladies or junior) as decided by the Council.

2. The venue (s) to be decided by the Council of EPPA.

3. Any internal costs incurred in the selection of a venue to be met by the host association who may recoup this domestically through their clubs or other sources. Each association shall be responsible for their own expenses incurred in travelling to the host country to select a venue for the championship.

4. The Council of EPPA reserves the right to make or delegate to an authorised sub-committee the right to make the required arrangements including the format, rules of play, and times of play as deemed necessary for the conduct of the championship, either individual or team which it rightfully decides to stage.

5. Eligibility. A period of five years residence in a country other than that of birth required to play in a team championship representing the association of that country.  

 

1. Competitors travelling to another member country should make themselves fully conversant with any drug testing and anti-doping procedure, which may operate in that country.  

2. Member associations shall ensure that their policies, statutes and regulations are in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.

 

1. Motions for amendments to this Constitution will be accepted only for the first Council Meeting to be held in 2011, and every fourth year thereafter except as otherwise provided for in this Constitution.

2. Such motions for amendments to this Constitution must be forwarded to reach the General Secretary not later than twenty-one days before the relevant meeting

3. A copy of all motions must be forwarded by the General Secretary to reach member associations at least fourteen days before the relevant meeting  

4. A two-thirds majority of those present and voting at the appropriate Council meeting or Extra-Ordinary Council meeting shall be required to amend this Constitution as permitted.

5. Rules included in both sections D and E may be modified only with unanimous approval of EPPA members.

 

EPPA and its member associations affirm its adherence to the pacific settlement of international disputes and recognise the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Tribunal Arbitral du Sport - TAS), based in Lausanne. Member associations, clubs, players, managers, Board Members and Council Members of EPPA will abide by decisions of TAS.