Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2010 - 41

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InsidetheMGA
USGA Handicap Index a Benefi t of Membership
By Tom Ryan
A recent U.S. federal
court ruling
affi rmed what
we in the regional
and state
golf association
trade have long
espoused:
golf associations
or golf clubs licensed
under the
USGA Handicap System can issue USGA
Handicap Indexes.
The court's judgment actually involved
an online marketer's efforts to retail these
Handicap Indexes without meeting the
necessary licensing requirements. Why the
ruling is important gets at the heart of golf
clubs and leagues, their role in managing
handicap compliance, and their relevance
to the game's health and future viability.
First, it was good to see that the underlying
principles behind the calculation
and issuing of USGA Handicap Indexes
were acknowledged by the court. This was
encouraging, given the circumvention of
the handicap system by overzealous online
retailers who seek to earn a buck off of the
USGA brand without the integrity of the
handicap system behind the product.
But more importantly, the decision affi
rmed that USGA Handicap Indexes can
only be issued by golf clubs or golf associations
through their member clubs. You
can't buy one at Target or order one online.
You must go through the appropriate
channels, which means you must fi rst become
a member of a golf club or league.
So often when we talk about the game's
health, the focus is on the number of individual
golfers, rounds played, merchandise
sold and the like. But the golf club is
the cornerstone of the social component
of our game, important to golf courses
and individual golfers alike.
The concept of the golf club dates to the
origins of the game, and to this day cours38
MINNESOTAGOLFER
Spring 2010
Only
es such as Carnoustie and the Old Course
at St. Andrews, among the oldest and most
famous courses in the world, have multiple
golf clubs that call their course home.
The practice of multiple golf clubs, both
social and competitive, formed
around green-grass facilities
is the same here in
Minnesota.
It's a popular notion
that the MGA is an association
of golfers. In
reality, it is an association
of member clubs. These
clubs include men's, women's
and senior clubs, after-work leagues
and more than 100 clubs-without-real-estate,
or what is known in handicap system
parlance as " Type IIs. " The latter are clubs
organized around groups of golfers whose
association may be through work, school
or church, or just as a group of friends.
Joining a golf club, whether public, private
or Type II, is often the result of an
awareness of the value of membership.
Golf clubs are fi rst and foremost social-a
place for camaraderie and fun. They also
afford " peer review, " a mandate of the
USGA Handicap System. However, you
don't need the latter to enjoy the former.
Like membership, a USGA Handicap Index
is not for everyone.
In a marketing study of unaffi liated
golfers (golfers who do not belong to
a club or league), the MGA found that
about half were unaware of the benefi ts
of a " golf handicap. " On the other hand,
MGA members were 12 times more likely
to rate a USGA Handicap Index as an important
benefi t than unaffi liateds.
Every golf course needs the clubs and
leagues that call it their home. So spread
the word about membership and handicaps-it's
good for the game's health and
future viability.
Have a great spring. See you on the
course.
MGANews
Updates on people, places
and events from the MGA
and its Allied Associations
2010 MGA Junior
Golf Program
The MGA encourages you and your golf
club to consider fi elding a team of junior
golfers (ages 18 and younger) to participate
in the 2010 MGA Junior Golf
Program. About 700 boys and
girls in more than 120 MGA
clubs from around Minnesota
play in district (June
14-July 2) and regional (July
15-16) tournaments. The top
two teams (and low individuals)
advance to the MGA Junior
Team Championship at Braemar
Golf Course, August 2-3. The junior program
is a great way to build camaraderie
amongst your club's future members and
champions. Notify the MGA by May 1;
for details, contact Adam Loch, tournament
manager, at 952-345-3972.
Play Golf Minnesota
Play Golf Minnesota
Week returns
for the fourth consecutive
year. Participating MGA golf
courses have planned a variety of events
to encourage golfers to get out and play
during the week of April 30-May 9.
Check with your local course, or visit
playgolfminnesota.com.
Nine Caddies Awarded
College Scholarships
Nine high school seniors from Minnesota
were awarded the Chick Evans Scholarship,
a full tuition-and-housing scholarship
to the University of Minnesota in
the Twin Cities, beginning in fall 2010.
The students (see sidebar) were selected
based on their strong caddie records,
excellent academics, fi nancial need and
outstanding character. The renewable
scholarships include housing in the Evans
Scholarship House on the campus of
the University of Minnesota.
www.mngolf.org
http://www.playgolfminnesota.com http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2010

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