We look forward to hearing your news, views and queries!

 

I cannot afford to join a golf club at the moment but would like to get a handicap. How can I do this. Could you please let me know the procedure. Thanks. Peter M Craig. Editor: Contact the English Golf Union via www.golf-industry.com, they do have a scheme whereby even though you are not a member of a golf club you can obtain a handicap certificate.

I am interested in having some golf lessons and would appreciate it if you would advise me where I could go for lessons. I live in Wimbledon, South West London and ideally would be looking for somewhere close to home. Many thanks. Sally Cooke Editor: Thanks for your email. Most golf courses will have a PGA professional attached to the club who will provide lessons. Normally you don't have to be a member of that golf club in order to have a lesson from the professional, although sometimes it is slightly intimidating to go to a private club when you're not a member. If you access http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse you'll see a number of golf courses in and around Wimbledon in particular Wimbledon Park, Wimbledon Common and Royal Wimbledon. Any of those courses will have a professional who would be only to happy to give you lessons.

I am an amateur golfer playing off 28, I am going on holiday to Tunisia on the 25th August 2000. I need a golf handicap certificate to play, I am not a member of a club so don't have one, is there another way of obtaining a certificate so I can enjoy the facilities. Regards John McGrath Editor: If you are a member of a golfing society it may be that the clubs in Tunisia will accept a certificate from a society. Alternatively, if you play regularly at a course you may be able to get the professional of that course to attest to a handicap of 28. Again, I would think the authority of the club would accept this. Alternatively you can obtain a certificate by becoming an individual member of the English Golf Union, which you can contact through www.golf-industry.com and they have a procedure of whereby you can obtain a handicap. Whether you would be able to do this in time for your departure I'm not sure.

Is it possible to play in a medal without a handicap and how would I go about getting my handicap? Craig Reid Editor: I'm afraid you cannot play in a club medal competition without a handicap. By joining the English Golf Union as an associate member does allow you the opportunity of obtaining an handicap. To contact the English Golf Union access Amateur Golf: www.amateur-golf.com/unions/ukireland

We need information on how a young man of 25 years of age can join an amateur golf association. He is very motivated and has several of us in the community who wish to sponsor him. This young man resides in Tuolumne County and his home golf course is the Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course. Where and how can we get him registered? Tom Williams Editor: We're based in the UK and you're in the USA. I'm pretty sure that what applies over here may not be the case in America. For example, in the UK when you join a golf club, if that club is affiliated to the National Golf Association you automatically become an associate member of the Association, but you can also pay an additional subscription and become a full individual member. The National Associations are then broken down into County Associations and I imagine that in the States you have the USGA and then State Associations. Much the same applies in mainland Europe except that because they started more recently than in the UK, countries like France, Germany, Spain, Italy etc run a National Federation to which anyone joining a club becomes a member, has a centralised handicapping system and The National Federation knows much more about players' details than in the UK. Although I visit the US frequently I can confess I do not know how the system works in the States. I can only suggest you contact the United States Golf Association. I'm sorry not to give you any positive answer.

Visit Previous Message Board