This is more directed at those from the United States, its territories, and Mexico, where the United States Golf Association is golf’s governing body.

It’s that time of year again, at least for me. I recently got my yearly membership benefits in the mail and it got me thinking about the topic.

So, are you a member?

I think it’s to our benefit to join this organization to help preserve and grow the game of golf. You might wonder, “Why should I give any money to the USGA?” Simply put, the more people that join, the more that can be done to grow the game.

You might also think, “I pay greens fees all the time, isn’t that my contribution to keeping the game alive?”

The answer to that is “it’s not enough”. Greens fees and club memberships keep your local course alive, but that doesn’t do as much to grow the game. Sure, clubs have youth clinics and do other great things in the community. They do great work and it’s often a thankless job.

However, the USGA has the unique ability to serve as a governing body. Along with the R&A (which governs golf in the rest of the world), the USGA standardizes the rules and creates guidelines for equipment to make the game uniform, everywhere in the world.

The USGA’s Green Section is a leader in turf science development, making a wealth of information available to courses and builders to help golf course maintenance become more efficient, cheaper, and more friendly to the environment.

The USGA maintains a handicap system, making it possible to hold competitions where golfers of different levels of ability are able to compete against each other.

What about charity work? Here’s a blurb from the USGA website:

“The USGA is committed to providing opportunities for personal development through golf and its values. To this end, the USGA launched an aggressive grant making program in 1997 to help organizations develop introductory golf programs and alternative golf facilities for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, minority youth, girls and individuals with disabilities. Through June 2007 the USGA has dedicated more than $56 million to positively impact hundreds of thousands of children and people with disabilities. Having provided more than $20 million to The First Tee and its Chapters, the USGA is the largest single supporter of The First Tee Network. The USGA is committed to this significant annual grants initiative through at least the end of this decade.”

The USGA also works to preserve history though its large library and museum. The museum is closed for rennovations right now, but it and the new Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History will be opening in spring 2008 adjacent to USGA headquarters in Far Hills, NJ.

Let’s not forget what the USGA is most well-known for: the 13 national championships that it holds every year. We all know about the U.S. Open. Don’t forget about the U.S. Women’s Open, the Senior Open and all the amateur competitions like the U.S. Amateur and the Curtis Cup. These aren’t your local beer keg scrambles. These are serious business. Oh, and we’re all free to try and qualify for these events.

Above all, the USGA is a non-profit entity. It exists for the benefit of the game of golf.

If all that doesn’t convince you, there are some decent benefits that come from membership.

If you’re interested in more information, click here to check out the USGA membership page. Please give it some thought, and join if you’d like to help preserve and grow the great game of golf. If you prefer not to join, I’d love to hear why. I promise I won’t give you any trouble about it.

And now, for the obligatory poll. I’m interested to know how many readers are members of the USGA.

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