http://www.usga.org/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14412 false Appendix F USGA Handicap System Licensing Program for Clubs Appendix F USGA Handicap System Licensing Program for Clubs Any group desiring to be a golf club must contact an authorized golf association in its area to begin the licensing process. (See the USGA Web site at www.usga.org for a listing of authorized golf associations or call the USGA Handicap Department at (908) 234-2300). The group does not have to be a member club of the association. The authorized golf association must review the licensing application and confirm that the golf club is following the appropriate handicap revision schedule and the season schedule. A "golf club" is an organization of at least ten individual members* that operates under bylaws with committees (especially a Handicap Committee) to supervise golf activities, provide peer review, and maintain the integrity of the USGA Handicap System (see Club Compliance Checklist, Section 8-2m and Decision 2/7). A golf club must be licensed by the USGA to utilize the USGA Handicap System. A club can obtain a license 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. Members of a golf club must have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play golf with each other. They must be able to return scores personally, and these scores must be readily available for inspection by others, including, but not limited to, fellow members and the club's Handicap Committee. A golf club is one of three (3) Types: Type 1. The members of a Type 1 club are located at a single specific golf course with a valid USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating where a majority of the club's events are played and where the club's scoring records reside; or Type 2. The members of a Type 2 club 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 Type 3. The members of a Type 3 club had no prior affiliation and a majority of the recruiting and sign up of the membership is done by solicitation to the public (e.g., newspaper, Internet). *Note: For administrative reasons, some authorized golf associations may require a golf club to have more than the USGA minimum of ten members in order for the golf club to be a member of the authorized golf association. (See Section 2.) Any licensed golf club is subject to an audit by the USGA to ensure compliance. When a golf club is chosen for an audit, the authorized golf association in the area will be notified. A golf club to be audited should receive assistance from the authorized golf association that it initially contacted regarding the licensing process, regardless of whether the golf club is a member of the association. (See Appendix G.)