Join a Golf Club Section I You are probably wondering why you need to join a golf club and what a golf club is. According to the USGA, a golf club is an organization of at least 10 individual members, that operates under by-laws with Committees (including a Handicap Committee) to supervise golf activities, provide for peer review, and maintain the integrity of the Handicap System. Members of a golf club must have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play with each other. They must be able to return scores personally and these scores must be available for review by fellow members.
That might sound like a mouthful, but any golfer (even a beagle) can form a golf club with his friends or colleagues. My pals at the USGA have even made it easy because they have a Golf Club Formation Kit, which walks you through the steps to forming a golf club. The kits are available through the USGA Handicap Department directly. That is just how I formed the Beagle Golf Association.
Once you are a member of a golf club that complies with all the guidelines of the Handicap System, you will need to play at least five rounds to establish a Handicap Index.
Remember the USGA is not considered a golf club, so they cannot issue you a Handicap Index, but at least they can help you start a club.
