The USGA requires that you have 10 golfers on your roster within the first six months of club formation. If this requirement is not met, the SCGA is obligated to disband your club.
Best Practices and Recommendations
Price
Keep your membership fees as low as possible. Instead of large up front membership fees, consider a pay-to-play model where tournament prizes are baked into the tournament fee. This model is preferred by most golfers.
Use membership promo codes. We recommend a 20% first year discount to incentivize new member signups. This feature is automated when implementing the feature on the SCGA eCommerce portal.
A Free Trial membershipis available for you to offer through your SCGA eCommerce portal. If prospective members are unsure about joining your club, offer them a 30, 60, or 90 day risk-free offer to get them out to an event (their membership will auto-renew at the end of the trial). Learn More
Promotion
Create an Instagram Profile for your club. Instagram is the platform best suited for club membership growth because you can quickly and easily share and connect with other SoCal golfers. Follow every local golf club account you can find and study what works. Share photos of golf courses, members or club activities as much as you can. (See golf Instagram account example)
Email every golfer your know. Obviously. But make sure to offer a new member discount, a planned (or rough) schedule of events and a URL to your SCGA portal for easy signup.
Referrals are your best source of members. Consider rewarding your members for bringing in their friends. A renewal discount or logoed club hat go a long way.
Use the SCGA Clubfinderand optimize your listing.The SCGA Club Finder helps you find new members for your club, promotes your events to non-members and allows the SCGA to help you market your golf club in your local golf community. Learn More
Educate your audience about why they need a handicap. Potential members may be wondering why they need an index or how it helps elevate their game and their fun factor. Consider sharing content like THIS or THIS to help convince them.
Leverage the SCGA marketing team.Got something cool or noteworthy going on with your club? Let us know and we might a video production of your club or event like THIS or THIS.
The USGA requires at least one person affiliated with the club to complete the certification process. One individual from your club must attend an online World Handicap System certification class and pass the required test with a minimum score of 80%.
Whether you're organizing your first competitive tournament or a wine and 9 social golf gathering, there's a lot to consider. We hope this guide helps you plan, invite and execute your event without a hitch.
Best Practices and Recommendations
What kind of event should we run?
Decide you format, number of players, and eligibility criteria so players know what they are signing up for.
Make sure to get everything in writing and spell out fees, starting times and what responsibilities each party will have. Usually a deposit is collected by the course.
Sign-ups/Registration
Make the terms of the competition clear and concise.
Will entry fees include Golf, Cart, and any prize funds?
