INFORMATION ABOUT FORMING A

GOLF GROUP (Golf Club without Property)

INTRODUCTION: Golf Canada and the Golf Association of Ontario have prepared this document to assist golfers without club affiliation in forming a “Golf Group”, which is simply a golf club without property. By doing so, your club and the members of your club will become members of Golf Canada and the Golf Association of Ontario. As a member, your club and its members will receive the same privileges that members of traditional golf clubs enjoy. This includes maintenance of official handicaps, conducting competitions, eligibility for play in provincial and national championships, and access to all provincial and national member services. More importantly, your club will become a significant part of the game in this country by supporting the programs offered by the governing golf associations. In its simplest form, a Golf Club is defined within the Golf Canada Handicap System as: “An organization of at least 15 individual members, that operates under bylaws with committees (including a Handicap Committee) to supervise golf activities, provide peer review, and maintain the integrity of the Golf Canada Handicap System. Members of a golf club must have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play golf with each other.” A Golf Group is a special type of Golf Club, by virtue of the fact that such a club does not own, lease, manage, operate or control a golf course – in short, it is a golf club without property. Despite this difference, the Golf Group must establish the appropriate committees and otherwise meet all criteria set out for a member club with property.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ESTABLISHING A GOLF GROUP: The following minimum requirements must be met in forming your Golf Group: FIRST is the minimum requirement of 15 individuals. For administrative reasons, some provincial golf associations may require a golf group to have minimum number of members in order for that club to be a member of the golf association. In addition, your club must have one individual 19 years of age or older. SECOND is the bylaw requirement. Elsewhere in this package you will find “Sample Golf Club Bylaws” ready to use for your Golf Group, or you may use them as a template to create your own bylaws provided they incorporate similar clauses. Your bylaws will govern the operation of your club including requirements for membership, establishing a Board of Directors, assigning Officers and forming appropriate Committees. You may wish to modify the sample bylaws to suit the needs of your club. For example, some clubs may want to supplement these bylaws with other articles on topics such as fees, different committees (rules, membership, finance, etc.), classifications of membership (senior, junior, Information About Forming a Golf Group – 2015 Update

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male/female), annual reporting, etc. By applying for membership in the Golf Association of Ontario and Golf Canada, your golf club commits to fulfilling each and every article in the bylaws and the minimum requirements for forming a club. If you intend to incorporate it is a good idea to seek legal advise to ensure compliance with rules and regulations within your province. THIRD, you will be provided with a copy of the Golf Canada Handicap Manual. Your club must abide by all of its requirements and procedures. FOURTH is to form a Handicap Committee. You must have a Handicap Committee which is responsible for making sure that all requirements of the Golf Canada Handicap System are met. Golf Canada or the Golf Association of Ontario will provide you with software to calculate and maintain Handicap Factors for your members. FIFTH is that your club is a member in good standing of the provincial golf association. Before your club can be considered for membership of Golf Canada you must be a member of the Golf Association of Ontario. Membership in Golf Canada is through the Golf Association of Ontario. Contact the Golf Association of Ontario for further details. SIXTH is that you must submit association dues for each member. As a Golf Group, each individual member of the group must pay annual dues required by the Golf Association of Ontario and Golf Canada. As a member, the club agrees to remit these dues promptly to the associations. The GAO and Golf Canada will then issue membership cards to the golf group.

YOUR NEXT STEP: Once you have prepared your bylaws and have met the requirements of forming a club, submit a completed Golf Group Membership Application Form and your bylaws to the Golf Association of Ontario for processing. Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of Golf Canada and the Golf Association of Ontario.

HANDICAP SYSTEM COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST: One of the most important requirements of forming a Golf Group is to ensure that your club meets all of the requirements of the Golf Canada Handicap System. The following checklist outlines some of these minimum requirements. Refer to the Handicap System manual for details. Does your club:

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Meet the definition of a golf club? (Section 2) Have a Handicap Committee composed mostly of members and chaired by a member? (Section 8-1) Make it possible for players to record the correct Golf Canada Course Rating and SLOPE Rating with each posted score from every set of tees? (Sec.5-2 & 8-2b/c) Require the posting of all scores made at home and away? (Section 5-1) Enable golfers to return scores personally, and these scores must be available for review by fellow club members (Section 5-2)

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Require use of Golf Canada procedures to adjust hole scores before posting (Section 4) Require that consecutive nine-hole scores be combined and posted for handicap purposes? (Section 5-2c) Insist that the Rules of Golf be followed? (Section 5-1) Follow the posting season of the authorized golf association? (Sec.8-3a/c) Ensure that all acceptable scores are entered correctly? (Section 5-2) Perform computations and adjustments using a Golf Canada approved Handicap system/formula? (Sections 8-4 and 10) Where computer facilities are not available or accessible to members, post in a prominent place periodically a list of members' Golf Canada Handicap Factors and make records of all players readily available for inspection by fellow members? (Section 6-3) Reduce or increase Handicap Factors of any player whose handicap does not reflect his ability? (Section 8-4b) Include the letter "L" after local handicaps which exceed the Golf Canada maximum limits of 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women? (Sec.3-4)

If the answer is “yes” to all of these questions, the golf club is following the Golf Canada Handicap System, and may issue Golf Canada Handicap Factors to its members. The requirements and clarification of these questions can be found in the Golf Canada Handicap System manual available from the Golf Association of Ontario or Golf Canada. (References in parenthesis refer to sections in Handicap manual)

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FORMING A GOLF GROUP Source: Golf Canada Handicap System Manual; Decisions, Section 2 2/1. Clarification of Term "Golf Club" Q:

Membership in a golf organization is open to any player living within a large geographic area. In general, the members play at different golf facilities within the area, and do not normally play golf with one another. Only a small percentage of the members ever compete together. Is this organization a "golf club" within the meaning of the term in Section 2?

A:

No. Section 2 states that in order for an organization to be considered a golf club, "members must have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play golf with each other."

2/2. Issuance of Handicaps by Association to Member of Unqualified Golf Club Q:

The golf organization described in Handicap Decision 2/1 joins a golf association which is authorized to issue Golf Canada Handicap Factors. Is the association entitled to issue Factors to the members of this organization?

A:

No.

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2/3. Issuance of Golf Canada Handicaps by Association to Members of Unqualified Golf Club Formed by Association Q:

Membership in a golf organization formed by an authorized provincial golf association is open to any golfer in the province who is not affiliated with a member club of the association. The purpose of the organization is to make handicaps available to such golfers. Members of this organization are eligible for competitions conducted by the association. May the handicaps produced for members of this organization be termed "Golf Canada Handicap Factors"?

A:

No--see Handicap Decision 2/1.

2/4. Club Members at a Driving Range Issued Golf Canada Handicaps Q:

May a driving range sell memberships to its customers in order to issue Handicap Factors?

A:

No. Hitting balls at the same driving range does not provide the opportunity to play golf together as required in the definition of golf club.

2/5. Golf Club Composed of Company Employees Q:

A group of 52 employees of our company formed a golf club. The members work at the same office and play in a weekly league after work. We have by-laws based on the Golf Canada’s sample "By-Laws for a Club Without Property" with officers and meetings. A Handicap Committee has been formed and Handicap Reports are posted on a bulletin board for all to see. Scores are personally posted by the members and reviewed by the Handicap Committee. All other requirements of the Golf Canada Handicap System are followed. Is this group a "golf club" for purposes of the Golf Canada Handicap System so that it can issue Handicap Factors to its members?

A:

Yes. Peer Review standards are being met as members have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play golf with each other, as well as review scores posted and the Handicap Committee has the reasonable opportunity to provide its necessary peer review oversight requirements set forth in Section 8.

2/6. Organization Recruiting Members Through Advertisement Q:

An organization places an advertisement in a public newspaper inviting golfers to join a group that it calls a "golf club." The golfer is asked to sign up by mail and mail in a cheque to a central office where a "Handicap Committee" resides. In return, he will receive a Handicap Factor. Members are invited to play in tournaments held frequently and handicap reports are mailed to each member on revision dates. Members generally mail in scores to the office of the organization. Can the organization meet the Golf Canada Handicap System definition of a "golf club" and can it issue golfers Handicap Factors?

A:

No. A strong sense of cohesion and organization must exist amongst the members of a group or else the essential element of peer review is absent. Because of the advertising in a public newspaper, most members of this organization would join as strangers, live over a relatively large geographic area and have insufficient

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opportunity to play golf regularly with one another. Furthermore, a Handicap Committee must be in a position to implement its peer review responsibilities. The organization described cannot provide the Handicap Committee with effective local oversight of its membership. The ability to play in group tournaments does not provide the peer review required by the Golf Canada Handicap System for either players or the Handicap Committee. Further, another independent reason why this group does not function as a golf club is that most scores are mailed in, which severely limits peer review by players and the Handicap Committee; this is not within the spirit of Section 5-2a and Section 8. Finally, another reason that peer review requirements are not being met is that this organization does not post scores and reports at a common location to be seen by the membership. 2/7. Issuance of Golf Canada Handicaps by Travelling Tournament Clubs (TTC) Q:

A Travelling Tournament Club (TTC) which calls itself a "Tour", organized frequent competitions for its members at different golf courses around a major metropolitan area. This "Tour" is organized as a for-profit organization and the primary service is tournament play. Many of its members are attracted to join by newspaper advertisements and consequently, membership comes from a relatively large geographic area. This organization wishes to issue Golf Canada Handicap Factors to its members as a "Golf Club Without Property", although it does not call itself a golf club. Please clarify the conditions this organization must follow if it is to be allowed to issue Golf Canada Handicap Factors to its members.

A:

Golf Canada’s peer review requirements and other compliance requirements are paramount for any golf club that wishes to issue Golf Canada Handicap Factors to its members. In addition to compliance with the Golf Canada Handicap System as described in the Golf Canada Handicap System manual, in particular the requirements summarized in Section 8-2m, a Travelling Tournament Club must meet the following conditions: 1. By-laws: A TTC must have by-laws based on the "Golf Canada’s Sample By-laws for a Golf Club Without Property" and must have an alternate name using "Golf Club". 2. Officers: A TTC must have club officers. The Handicap Committee must be chaired by a club member who is not an employee of the Club. The majority of the Handicap Committee members must be golf club members. 3. Benefits: The primary benefit of membership in a TTC shall be to allow members to play together in tournaments. The issuance of Golf Canada Handicap Factors shall only be a side benefit of membership. 4. Group Cohesion: To be able to issue Golf Canada Handicap Factors, TTC's must have group cohesion. Group activities should go beyond playing in tournaments. There should be a group orientation policy, group meetings, awards banquets and the like. 5. Handicap Committee: The Handicap Committee must be active, and must follow Golf Canada Handicap System procedures in their entirety. 6. Peer Review: Members must play golf regularly with fellow members, both in tournaments and in casual play. Merely having the ability to enter TTC tournaments is not sufficient. Members of a TTC that are issued Handicap Factors can only be

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from a small, defined geographic area. 7. Advertising: Advertising for TTC's in media shall not include any reference to issuing or offering Golf Canada Handicap Indexes. 8. Returning and Posting Scores: TTC members must be able to personally return scores for posting. Furthermore, scores and scoring records must be posted immediately after play, and must be available immediately for review by fellow members. Additionally, a TTC can mail reports of all club members to all club members for additional peer review. 9. New Members: New members must meet a member of the Handicap Committee within one month of joining. 10. Membership Information: All members must be sent a list of the other members' homes or office locations and telephone numbers. 11. Minimum scores posted: A TTC must require a member to post a minimum of five scores in a year played in TTC events and with fellow members. Anyone not meeting this minimum requirement must be dropped from handicap rolls at the end of the season. If Golf Canada is asked to determine whether or not a TTC complies with the Golf Canada Handicap System, Golf Canada will ask the TTC to provide documentation that it is satisfying the provisions noted above. With respect to peer review, if less than 75% of the members of the TTC have not played golf with fellow members by the end of the season, Golf Canada will conclude that the peer review requirements are not being met. 5-2a/6 Internet Score Posting Q:

What are some of the important aspects of Internet Score Posting?

A:

Due to the ease of use of the Internet, Golf Canada believes that golf clubs and handicap committees can implement a positive Internet score posting component. Adopting Internet score posting requires that the golf club display scoring records of all members over the Internet as well. This may improve an aspect of peer review by giving members better ability to view other members’ scores at any time. These features will continue to enhance the foundation of the golf club and the Handicap System.

For more information about conforming to the handicap system refer to the Golf Canada Handicap Manual.

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