Golf Galaxy Handicap

[golfebj]

Is it accepted for tournaments where you live?

Alright,

I have my wife behind me this year to actually play in a local amateur event (Herald-Sun) in Durham. I need to establish an official handicap between now and then and seeing that I don't have funds to outright join a club. I'm looking at the golf galaxy option. They are official with the USGA

Have you guys ever used them and what was the response at various tournaments?

[Double True]

You don't have to join a club to establish a handicap. I believe you can join the USGA for like $15 or something and then establish your handicap like that. But I may be wrong so you might want to inquire about that from the USGA itself.

[mark m]

Check with the tournament organizers to see if you will need a USGA Handicap Index to play in the event or not......my bet is that you will....most good tournaments whether they are gross only or not will insist on that.

 

Some retailers and other golf clubs offer this service for low cost....according to the USGA, only golf clubs can issue handicap indexes.....so these clubs/retailers are supposed to have some requirements on players, like playing with other members so many times and/or in so many events, etc....this is for "peer review" purposes: in other words, to verify the legitimacy of your handicap.....and clubs have to meet requirements to issue these indexes, including having a handicap committee, etc....some clubs are more lax than others so check around to see what works best for you.

 

Hope this helps.

[PingG10]

If there are "issues" with the GG handicap you might contact your local muni's-I would be very surprised if one or more of them didn't have a men's (or ladies) club that includes a USGA HI through GHIN as part of the cost of joining.

[FlyFish]

You guys are confusing the term golf club as it relates to handicapping with a private golf club. You can get a bunch of your buddies together and form your own golf club if you want. I belong to two golf clubs - one that is run out of a public course and one run out of a semi-private course.

 

 

Section 2 of the USGA Handicap System™ defines a golf club as follows:

 

A "golf club" is an organization of at least ten individual members that operates under bylaws with committees (including a Handicap Committee) to supervise golf activities, provide peer review, and maintain the integrity of the USGA Handicap System (see Compliance Checklist, Section 8-2m; Decision 2/7). A golf club must be licensed by the USGA® to utilize the USGA Handicap System. A club can obtain a license agreement directly from the USGA or through its membership in an authorized golf association that is already licensed by the USGA and that has jurisdiction in the geographic area that includes the principal location of the golf club.

 

Each golf club must determine its type. A golf club is one of three (3) types:

 

1. It is located at a single specific golf course with a valid USGA Course RatingT and USGA Slope Rating® where a majority of the club's events are played and the club's scoring records reside; or

2. Its members are affiliated or known to one another via a business, fraternal, ethnic or social organization. The majority of the club members had an affiliation prior to organizing the club; or

3. The members had no prior affiliation and a majority of the recruiting and sign-up of the membership is done by solicitation to the general public (e.g., Internet, newspaper).

 

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/gett..._golf_club.html

[golfebj]

You guys are confusing the term golf club as it relates to handicapping with a private golf club. You can get a bunch of your buddies together and form your own golf club if you want. I belong to two golf clubs - one that is run out of a public course and one run out of a semi-private course.

 

 

Section 2 of the USGA Handicap System™ defines a golf club as follows:

 

A "golf club" is an organization of at least ten individual members that operates under bylaws with committees (including a Handicap Committee) to supervise golf activities, provide peer review, and maintain the integrity of the USGA Handicap System (see Compliance Checklist, Section 8-2m; Decision 2/7). A golf club must be licensed by the USGA® to utilize the USGA Handicap System. A club can obtain a license agreement directly from the USGA or through its membership in an authorized golf association that is already licensed by the USGA and that has jurisdiction in the geographic area that includes the principal location of the golf club.

 

Each golf club must determine its type. A golf club is one of three (3) types:

 

1. It is located at a single specific golf course with a valid USGA Course RatingT and USGA Slope Rating® where a majority of the club's events are played and the club's scoring records reside; or

2. Its members are affiliated or known to one another via a business, fraternal, ethnic or social organization. The majority of the club members had an affiliation prior to organizing the club; or

3. The members had no prior affiliation and a majority of the recruiting and sign-up of the membership is done by solicitation to the general public (e.g., Internet, newspaper).

 

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/gett..._golf_club.html

 

From what I've read. Golf Galaxy is a Type III. I'm just trying to see before I bark up the wrong tree. We have a local muni which has an association that's cheap (not as cheap as Golf Galaxy) but they haven't settled on handicapping software for the year and the newly installed president died unexpectedly so there's a lot in the air right now.

[teejaywhy]

From the Golf Galaxy Website:

"May I play in my Local State Amateur or Association events with my NGN Handicap?

Every States’ Local Golf Association has a different policy. Please contact your local golf association for details."

 

If it works, that's cool. If not, I echo the others suggestion to look for a local municipal or public course that has a men's club. The annual fee is usually about $100 or so and this includes the $25-$35 to the state association to maintain your official handicap.

[Kyle M]

I used the Golf Channel's service at one point. It tracks a lot of very good information for you and it associates you with a local club.