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In 1987, American Express debuted one of the most successful advertising slogans of all time: “Membership has its privileges.” But a dozen years before that, in 1975, the USGA introduced that very idea to the association when it launched its Members Program.
The 50th anniversary of the program is a time for celebration and reflection, but also appreciation. The many privileges enjoyed by those who are part of the membership ranks are dwarfed by the positive effect on the game and the sense of pride and kinship the program inspires among those who make up its ranks.
In the Beginning
In 1970, Elbert S. Jemison Jr., an amateur golfer from Birmingham, Ala., became treasurer of the USGA’s Executive Committee. His passion for the game was undeniable: Jemison took an 8-iron with him when he went to sea while serving in the military. “It was just short enough to fit into my bedroll, and I knew hitting some balls off the deck of the troop ship would be a good diversion,” he once said.
In 1975, Jemison foresaw the need to both broaden the organization’s revenue stream and help form a more direct relationship between American golfers and the USGA. Jemison created what was then known as the Associates Program. Those who signed up would pay an annual fee and in turn receive, among other perks, the USGA’s “Golf Journal” magazine, The Rules of Golf book, and what soon became a coveted item, the personalized bag tag. He made a wise choice when looking for a national chairman to run with the project: Arnold Palmer. And the first associate? None other than U.S. President Gerald Ford, whose love for golf was well documented.
“Arnie and I got together to set out a strategy of what we could do, and we agreed that [President Ford] would be the first associate in the country,” said Jemison, who served his final two years on the Executive Committee (1976-77) as secretary. “Arnie said he would be the second [associate] and I’d be the third because, you know, the president and Arnold have a little more clout than me.”
Later that year, Jemison accompanied Palmer to the Oval Office to give President Ford the first associate’s bag tag, leading to a humorous exchange that Jemison recounted in a 2005 interview. “I remember President Ford kind of pulling me aside and asking: ‘How many do you think will enroll in this program? So far we have you, Arnold and myself, and none of us have paid yet.’”
Hitting its Stride
In 1991, the Associates Program rebranded as the Members Program. There were other changes as well. Thanks to some prominent spokespeople – Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam among them – and promotion, more and more people joined. Membership benefits expanded to include early access to purchase U.S. Open tickets, as well as other perks. And as the program’s numbers and popularity grew, so did the USGA’s revenue stream – just as Jemison, who died in 2010, had hoped.
The success of the program continues to this day. As of 2024, there are more than 300,000 members who belong to one of several tiers of membership with varying fees and benefits. Among the many gifts offered are home delivery of both Golf and Golf Journal magazines (the USGA relaunched the latter in 2020), as well as access to InsideGolf, which offers stories about people, places and topics in the game. USGA members still have the chance to purchase U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open tickets before the general public, and they also receive 10 percent off Ship Sticks and other affiliated companies.
The personalized bag tag featuring the member’s name and their first year of membership continues to be one of the most popular benefits. This year’s is even more special: New and renewing USGA Members in 2025 receive a limited-edition 50th anniversary bag tag and ball marker.
Golf history buffs might be especially drawn to joining the 1894 Club, named for the year the USGA was founded as the Amateur Golf Association of the U.S. (It became the USGA in short order.) For those looking to impress their fellow players – or win at Trivia Night – the five original clubs were Newport (R.I.) Golf Club, St. Andrews (N.Y.) Golf Club, Chicago Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and The Country Club (Mass.).
Charlie Pagnam, the USGA’s chief philanthropy officer, and Pam Ochab, the director of direct response fundraising, have created growth opportunities for the program to bolster support for the organization in general.
“We established an annual fund where we use the membership file – because those are people who are already engaged and already have signed on to support the game – to see if they can do additional levels of giving to support the program,” said Ochab. “We do a year-end appeal, including digital and direct mail, asking people if they’d like to give. Then, within those, we outline some of the specific initiatives that we have identified as organizational priorities for fundraising.”
USGA Foundation
The reach and benefits of USGA membership go well beyond what members receive for their contributions. The USGA is committed to supporting golf, people who play it, people who want to play but may not have the means, and the community at large. As a nonprofit, the organization invests revenues back into the game. Along with the Members Program, the USGA Foundation generates more than $20 million in annual revenue.
“Starting this program 50 years ago was an extremely progressive move by the USGA,” said Pagnam. “What we’ve done is take that model and add a leadership annual giving program, wherein people could give more money and then have a follow-up with a team that talks to people about capital gifts that support core activities of the USGA.”
Pagnam adds, “The Executive Committee sees this as a way to ensure that the amateur championships, the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup Matches and so forth, will be free from any concerns about budgetary needs. So, we’ve endowed the Walker and Curtis Cups. We had 25 donors who each gave $500,000 to that effort, which was then matched by the USGA. That’s the ongoing cycle of philanthropy. We want to be very professional about it, and our six major gift officers have been true drivers of getting us there.”
Alongside the more than $200 million in revenue derived from USGA championships – including broadcast rights, which are the biggest portion of that revenue – the funds raised by the USGA Foundation help support everything from environmentally sustainable golf courses to the USGA Museum and World Golf Hall of Fame to the U.S. National Development Program for young golfers.
The Next 50 Years
So, what lies ahead for the USGA’s Members Program? Whether it’s supporting championships or increasing its philanthropic endeavors, one thing is certain: The heart of the program will always be the Members.
“I want to see the program grow,” Ochab said. “Our members should feel good about what we’ve accomplished so far, where the USGA is going, and the things we’re trying to accomplish. I want them to feel that connection with us, that community. They’re supporting an organization because they love this game and want to give back to it because it’s brought them so much joy.”
Pagnam is also excited about what comes next. He’s committed to continuing to build on the foundation and concept of the USGA’s initial program that launched in 1975.
“Philanthropy has changed a lot in the last 50 years,” he continued. “The idea of having a broad-based Members Program is to rally the wider golf community to support this organization. Our broadest mission is to advance the game of golf and ensure that its future is bright. That’s what the USGA does.”
Pagnam has big dreams when he looks to the future. “We have more than 7,000 charter members, which means they’ve been with us since the start of the program,” Pagnam said. “We can’t do it without them, and all our members. They’ve been extremely responsive. The golf community has been extremely responsive. And I think we can do even better.”