Handicaipping for public players...

[Break68]

Supporting the RCGA and Golf Canada, therby supporting the National Junior and Senior Golf Teams.
You get a registered handicap.
You geta subscription to Ontario Golf Magazine.
You can go to rules seminars.
You get members deals on Golf Canada clothes, hats, golf bags.

Program Benefits for Golfers

• Social benefits of traditional golf club membership at an affordable cost
• Become part of organized golf and support the growth of the game in Canada
• 1 year RCGA Membership
• 1 year provincial golf association membership
• Maintain an official RCGA Handicap Factor
• Access to the RCGA Network and all its features and benefits
  • Score Posting – golfers can post scores & view scores of other golfers
  • Handicapping – maintain an official RCGA Handicap Factor
  • Stats Tracking – personal stats tracking for club members
  • Event Calendar – schedule your own events & tournaments
  • Message Centre – communicate with club members
  • Course Directory – over 20,000 courses in Canada & US

• E-Golf Canada newsletter delivered 12 times per year
• Eligibility to play in local, regional and national tournaments
• Additional benefits offered by your provincial golf association.

You get deals on travel and insurance.
Last year they launched 'Golf Canada' as their new membership brand which included benefits/discounts with RBC Insurance, itravel2000, Aeroplan, IHG Hotels, and BlackBerry.

[jeffc]

Supporting the RCGA and Golf Canada, therby supporting the National Junior and Senior Golf Teams.
You get a registered handicap.
You geta subscription to Ontario Golf Magazine.
You can go to rules seminars.
You get members deals on Golf Canada clothes, hats, golf bags.

Program Benefits for Golfers

• Social benefits of traditional golf club membership at an affordable cost
• Become part of organized golf and support the growth of the game in Canada
• 1 year RCGA Membership
• 1 year provincial golf association membership
• Maintain an official RCGA Handicap Factor
• Access to the RCGA Network and all its features and benefits
  • Score Posting – golfers can post scores & view scores of other golfers
  • Handicapping – maintain an official RCGA Handicap Factor
  • Stats Tracking – personal stats tracking for club members
  • Event Calendar – schedule your own events & tournaments
  • Message Centre – communicate with club members
  • Course Directory – over 20,000 courses in Canada & US

• E-Golf Canada newsletter delivered 12 times per year
• Eligibility to play in local, regional and national tournaments
• Additional benefits offered by your provincial golf association.

You get deals on travel and insurance.
Last year they launched 'Golf Canada' as their new membership brand which included benefits/discounts with RBC Insurance, itravel2000, Aeroplan, IHG Hotels, and BlackBerry.

not much there of interest to me as a casual golfer....

[Break68]

That does seem to be part of the RCGA's problem with increasing membership.
I joined for the handicap system and to support Team Canada Golf.

[nokids]

• E-Golf Canada newsletter delivered 12 times per year
• Eligibility to play in local, regional and national tournaments
• Additional benefits offered by your provincial golf association.

Has anyone ever lied about their handicap to get into a tournament? Because how will RCGA know right? I'm thinking maybe that guy who shot 120 in the Citizen last year did....

[jvincent]

is there any advantage or benefit for me to join the GAO or RCGA? I am a public player, don't play tournaments, probably never will, and don't foresee joining a club anytime in the near future.

The biggest benefit is having an official RCGA handicap which is typically required for entering most tournaments.

The online service from the RCGA does allow you do a bunch of stats tracking, which can be useful if you are looking to improve.

Those are my reasons for joining.

[Break68]

Stats tracking, now that is a nice bonus I didn't know about.

[mpare]

When I played in tournaments, I cannot recall one that did not ask to see a copy of your RCGA handicap card. It's true that those can be dummied up, but once the ruse was discovered I suspect that that would be the end of your days as an RCGA sanctioned player.

Has anyone ever lied about their handicap to get into a tournament? Because how will RCGA know right? I'm thinking maybe that guy who shot 120 in the Citizen last year did....

[nokids]

but once the ruse was discovered I suspect that that would be the end of your days as an RCGA sanctioned player.

That's my question. How can the RCGA prove you falsified data? Isn't it possible you suddenly lost your mojo like Tiger Woods.

[marcf]

When I played in tournaments, I cannot recall one that did not ask to see a copy of your RCGA handicap card. It's true that those can be dummied up, but once the ruse was discovered I suspect that that would be the end of your days as an RCGA sanctioned player.

Most events are asking to see your Golf Canada membership card (now a plastic card) and some events at the provincial level are checking your handicap via laptop on site, logging on to the RCGA network and verifying. If they do not have this available, and the player does not have their card at registration, they have to prove it by the end of play of the first round (in a multiple round event), or you can be subject to Disqualification. No more hand written / verified cards, should eliminate some of the dummied up cards.

Then again, most of this would only apply to events with net divisions, or prove to that you're eligible to play in a class A, or class B event in the region. Most of the time, it is to establish that you are a member in good standing with Golf Canada.

[jvincent]

That's my question. How can the RCGA prove you falsified data? Isn't it possible you suddenly lost your mojo like Tiger Woods.

For handicapped tournaments they are more worried about a handicap that is too high versus too low.

Either way, if you have a "normal" scoring record, it would be pretty obvious.

Things like big gaps in posted rounds (i.e. not posting all your scores), always play well in tournaments, etc. are pretty good indicators that a handicap is fake.

[mpare]

Thank you. That's very helpful. As a public player, though, one does not receive a plastic card. Rather one prints out the handicap card from the Golf Canada site where one has presumably properly entered one's scores. Am I missing something?

Most events are asking to see your Golf Canada membership card (now a plastic card) and some events at the provincial level are checking your handicap via laptop on site, logging on to the RCGA network and verifying. If they do not have this available, and the player does not have their card at registration, they have to prove it by the end of play of the first round (in a multiple round event), or you can be subject to Disqualification. No more hand written / verified cards, should eliminate some of the dummied up cards.

Then again, most of this would only apply to events with net divisions, or prove to that you're eligible to play in a class A, or class B event in the region. Most of the time, it is to establish that you are a member in good standing with Golf Canada.

[jbgolf67]

Another cool feature I like about the RCGA Network, in addition to the services already mentioned earlier in the thread, is that you can create a player's list. I have created a list of friends and people of interest - not just to see what they are shooting, but also to see where they are playing.

As far as tournament Handicaps goes - the RCGA Network has a printable version of a Handicap Verification Form that you can print out and take with you to tournaments (no signatures required). If your club doesn't use the RCGA Network, there is a form the club can print out - this is basically a full page replica of the olf Handicap Card. Also, you can verify your Handicap Factor on a blank piece of paper - these other forms just look more official. The paper simply needs to indicate all the required information (date, Factor, Club, etc.) and be verified by your Pro or Handicap Chair. The main thing is that you need to prove you are a Golf Canada member.

With regards to falsifying Handicaps - the tournament organizers and provincial associations are responsible to monitoring this. Handicap Systems have a tournament score reduction function in their coding. Basically - if you have 2 tournament scores (within the last year) with a differential of 3.0 strokes or more lower than yor regularly calculated Handicap Factor, your Factor will likely be reduced and will appear with an 'R' beside it. This is mainly how organizers monitor Handicaps - by ensuring you are putting in your scores properly and registering them as tournament scores if applicable. Ex. if a player with a 10.0 Factor wins a tournament shooting 2 rounds of 74 (2.1 diff.) and 76 (4.1 diff) and these are the only tournament scores he has entered, his Factor will likely be reduced to something like this 6.8R. The calculation is all based on the # of tournament scores a player posts and how much better the differentials are compared to the regular factor. This reduction will remain in place until the tourney scores are more than a year old or the player reduces his regular Factor to a point where the tourney scores are no longer 'exceptional'.

[jbgolf67]

Thank you. That's very helpful. As a public player, though, one does not receive a plastic card. Rather one prints out the handicap card from the Golf Canada site where one has presumably properly entered one's scores. Am I missing something?

You should receive a membership card from whichever club (virtual or not) you joined through.

[marcf]

Thank you. That's very helpful. As a public player, though, one does not receive a plastic card. Rather one prints out the handicap card from the Golf Canada site where one has presumably properly entered one's scores. Am I missing something?

JB is correct, you should receive a Golf Canada card from where ever you are a member of. I am sure that GOA, Golf Quebec and other associations provide it along with access to the RCGA network to all of the paid / in good standing members. The Golf Canada member card and the index verification are two different things. Most sanctioned events ask for the membership card, as most do not have net events. You just have to prove that you are a member in good standing with Golf Canada.

If you are required to have your index to present, you can print it out from the RCGA network. If not, there are index verification forms that can be signed by a certified club official from your club.

[goochy]

Thank you. That's very helpful. As a public player, though, one does not receive a plastic card. Rather one prints out the handicap card from the Golf Canada site where one has presumably properly entered one's scores. Am I missing something?

Public Players do get cards...the new plastic card can be shown when getting all the other discount benefits

One can join GAO or Golf Quebec as a public player and get RCGA (Golf Canada) membership.

As I stated earlier the reasons I joined are to obtain an OFFICAIL handicap (if I want to enetr a tournament or play as a guest overseas) and simply to support golf in Canada.

[jvincent]

Just to confirm, I got the Golf Canada card from the GAO.

[mpare]

I joined through the GAO as a public member in December of this year. As yet I have not received anything from them. Should I assume that it will be arriving shortly, or should I send them a note?

Just to confirm, I got the Golf Canada card from the GAO.

[jvincent]

I can't remember exactly when my card arrived last year but I think it was in March. If you don't get it by the end of the month I'd definitely give them a call.

[mpare]

Thanks, John. I'll do just that.

[justsomeguy]

I never said I had all the answers. I am simply proposing a different way for the RCGA to behave.

Fancy mission statements aren't going to help the RCGA grow membership. They need to address the fact that membership has been falling for several years and that there are many more golfers who are NOT members of clubs than there are golfers who are members.

What happens to the RCGA when club membership continues to decline? Isn't it in their best interests to figure out how to get all those other golfers interested in becoming members?

The RM example is a perfect example of what the RCGA is doing wrong. They have a group of golfers who want to join, but the RCGA essentially says no to them. How does that help grow membership?

I'm an RCGA member so I think I'm entitled to my opinion that they aren't approaching the membership problem the right way. I actually volunteered at the women's Open when it was in town. Dan has stated he actually stopped volunteering because of the actions of the RCGA.

Interesting discussion. I think I can shed some light on some of the questions raised.

As a few of you may know, I took up the game when I started working for Golf Canada magazine - which is published under contract for the RCGA. In my job I had to deal regularly with the Membership Services staff at the RCGA, and I can assure you that it is not "old boys club".

Most people use the terms RCGA, GAO and Golf Quebec interchangeably. They are not the same. Unless things have changed in the last few years, PLAYERS cannot join the RCGA - they join "golf clubs". Golf clubs join provincial golf associations, which charge fees according to the number of members they have and a portion of that fee per member goes to the RCGA. Virtually every province has a public players program - which is essentially a "golf club without property" - and those members pay provincial/RCGA fees too.

Here's one thing everyone should keep in mind: When it comes to membership policies regarding which clubs can join and how much they pay, it is the provincial golf association that calls the shots. Even though the lion's share of RCGA funding comes from membership dues, they have little say in determining who gets to be a member. I believe the same is generally true in the US with state golf associations.

For the RCGA to be able to bring about significant change regarding membership policies would require a fundamental change in the industry in terms of who does what - and that's probably not going to happen in my lifetime. The place to bring pressure to bear if you want change is the provincial golf association - i.e., Golf Quebec for this region. They are the ones who have the power.

[jvincent]

Thanks for the insight.

If the RCGA is not in control of the provincial associations, then maybe they need to change that since they are dependent on the membership dues for their survival.

[Sakuraba]

I know I got a sweet golf Quebec hat in 2009 AND in 2010. Go Golf Quebec!

[nokids]

I know I got a sweet golf Quebec hat in 2009 AND in 2010. Go Golf Quebec!

Most uncomfortable hat I ever put on my head. Gave it away.

[Break68]

I joined through the GAO as a public member in December of this year. As yet I have not received anything from them. Should I assume that it will be arriving shortly, or should I send them a note?

I just got this email response from the GAO to my email asking when GAO membership packages would be sent out in the mail:
member benefit cards will be mailed towards the end of March.

[mpare]

Thanks. That's good to know.

I just got this email response from the GAO to my email asking when GAO membership packages would be sent out in the mail:
member benefit cards will be mailed towards the end of March.

[OutOfTheRough]

So is it safe to say for people who are looking to play tournaments that live in Ottawa area should join Golf Quebec Public Players as most of the tournaments are local. And GAO would be more for people in the Toronto region ??

[goochy]

I think to play in a tournament you just need to be a Golf Canada (RCGA) member with an official handicap. This can be done by joining the Public Player Programs of either GAO or Golf Quebec. Clubs in this region belong to Golf Quebec just out of tradition and geography. If you were a Public Player in the GAO program or indeed a member of a club that was affiliated to GAO i see no reason why you could not play in any tournament in this region.

I joined GAO because as a poor misinformed immigrant I assumed Ottawa was in Ontario and therefore would be affiliated to GAO...but what did I know back then

[spackler]

I thought you had to be a Golf Quebec member to play in OVGA events?

[goochy]

last year I went to the OVGA website (which is a very poor and outdated website IMHO) and it looked like public players couldn't play in their events...only players affiliated to a club. If this is the case I have no idea why as it seems a somewhat Victorian attitude.
I can't imagine why you would HAVE to be a member of Golf Quebec to play unless their sole aim is to exclude anyone from outside the region or not a member with a club in eastern Ontario/Quebec from playing.

[marcf]

last year I went to the OVGA website (which is a very poor and outdated website IMHO) and it looked like public players couldn't play in their events...only players affiliated to a club. If this is the case I have no idea why as it seems a somewhat Victorian attitude.
I can't imagine why you would HAVE to be a member of Golf Quebec to play unless their sole aim is to exclude anyone from outside the region or not a member with a club in eastern Ontario/Quebec from playing.

THIS YEAR why don't you call the OVGA and ask them for the explanation. The OVGA is a regional member of Golf Quebec, who in turn are a member of Golf Canada.

FYI, the website is old, but is being updated and integrated with the Golf Quebec website. All of the regions within Golf Quebec will have a subsection for their regional tournaments and info.