A handicap is not included as a membership benefit. Please contact your local head golf professional or regional golf association for information about establishing a handicap.

To locate your regional golf association, go to www.usga.org/associations/ , or call the Members Program Customer Service Department at 800-223-0041 between 9:00 AM and 4:30 p.m. (ET). Tell them the state where you reside and they will provide you with the telephone number of your regional golf association.

Your initial USGA membership benefit package is mailed four to six weeks after payment is received. The remainder of your benefits will be mailed throughout the year, as they become available.

Upper level Members (Champion Club Level and above) will receive the basic membership items in the same time frame indicated above. The benefit items that are associated with each particular level of membership will be mailed in the late fall of every year.

New Members will receive the USGA Rules of Golf book with their initial benefits package. After the first year of membership, renewing Members will receive the Rules of Golf at the beginning of the year in which the book is printed.

The USGA Catalog is printed and distributed twice each year -- once in the spring and once in the fall. If you have not received a catalogue, misplaced your copy, or would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact the USGA Members Program Customer Service Department at 800-223-0041. You may also call the USGA Catalog at 1-800-755-0293 or visit www.usgacatalog.com .

Each year, holiday cards are designed and printed on behalf of the United States Golf Association. This is a retail opportunity made available to our Members through a mailing each fall. As such, the holiday cards are not part of your USGA membership benefits and are therefore not part of your tax-deductible contribution to the organization.

Members receive special Member discounts on most items in the USGA Official Catalog and Online Store From Golf House.

There are no green fees or other retail discounts associated with USGA membership. As the governing body of the game of golf, the organization cannot align itself with golf courses or golf products. Any such association would imply an endorsement, which may compromise the objective relationship the USGA must maintain with golf courses and retail golf products.

The Walking Program, created in 1995 for USGA Members, was established to promote one of the traditions of the game. While each individual player has his or her own circumstances to consider when deciding whether to walk or ride, the Program's message is to encourage Members, who are able, to walk. Members who sign a Declaration will receive a walking bagtag for their golf bag. If you are a Member, you may request a Walking Member Declaration by calling 800-223-0041.