Member Benefits

Championships — The Golf Association of Philadelphia conducts numerous events for players of all ages and skill levels. Its tournament schedule runs from April to October. In addition to administering local competitions, the Golf Association of Philadelphia also administers qualifying events for 12 USGA championships.

Computer Assistance Program — Member Clubs that fully support the GAP/USGA Handicap System and select the paperless option are eligible for the Computer Assistance Program (CAP). The CAP provides new computer hardware to all participating Member Clubs and the latest GHIN Management Program and USGA Tournament Management software.

Course Ratings — The Golf Association of Philadelphia rates every member course on a seven-year rotation, evaluating the overall difficulty of the golf course for both a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer, with the Course Rating established for the scratch golfer and the Bogey Rating established for the bogey player. Ratings are included in the member dues: a $900 value. Ratings compiled by these teams are reviewed by the Course Rating Review Committee to make sure that criteria are being consistently applied. This allows any player with a valid GAP/USGA Handicap Index to fairly compete against any other player with a GAP/USGA Handicap Index. Ratings are available for each course under Slope & Course Ratings.

The GAP App — The GAP App is the Golf Association of Philadelphia's Mobile Application. It is available on both Apple and Android platforms.

BMW GAP Team Matches — Only available to full Member Clubs, the BMW GAP Team Matches are held on three Sundays in April with more than 5,000 players representing 336 teams from 139 Member Clubs. Interclub Matches, as they were originally called, served as the basis for the founding of the Association, and today, just like then, serve as a source of club pride.

GAP/USGA Handicaps — The Golf Association of Philadelphia has provided handicaps to its Member Clubs through the GHIN System (Golf Handicap and Information Network) since 1964, a nationwide handicap service provided by the USGA. A player can go to any participating club to check a handicap and post his score. Players may also obtain GAP/USGA Handicap Index information from the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s website. Clubs and members can gain access through their handicap computer to the National Course Rating and Slope database retrieval system.

• eRevisions — Get your GAP/GHIN Handicap in a click by signing up for the Golf Association of Philadelphia's eRevision service. All Members can take advantage of this benefit by visiting www.gapgolf.org, logging into your My GAP Locker; clicking on the subscriptions tab and then checking "yes" for eRevision emails. eRevisions are delivered on the 1st and 15th of every month.

• On-line score posting — Individuals can maintain their handicap on-line from anywhere in the world through My GAP Locker or The GAP App, the Association's free mobile application. A Member Club must sign up to use this service.

• Golf Digest — All Golf Association of Philadelphia Magazine subscribers are eligible to receive a complimentary Golf Digest subscription. Individual Members are eligible to receive a complimentary copy of the magazine by contacting the Golf Office or by managing the subscriptions tab located in My GAP Locker.

• Global Golf Post — Global Golf Post is the first designed for digital weekly golf news publication in the world. Individual Members are eligible to receive a complimentary copy of the magazine by contacting the Golf Office or by managing the subscriptions tab located in My GAP Locker.

• The Grain — Formerly known as the Majors eMagazine, The Grain is a digital publication previewing the game’s four Major professional championships plus the Ryder Cup, providing award-winning content, photography, video and podcasts. Individual Members are eligible to receive a complimentary copy of the magazine by contacting the Golf Office or by managing the subscriptions tab located in My GAP Locker.

National Representation — The Golf Association of Philadelphia provides seminars and communications to its Member Clubs from national organizations such as the USGA, National Golf Foundation, Golf Course Superintendents Association and the National Club Association.

Preserves, Protects the Game — The Golf Association of Philadelphia serves as the local voice of the USGA as it focuses its efforts on the preservation of the values of the only game that is still played the same way it was more than a century ago. One way in which the GAP safeguards the game’s integrity is by monitoring rules on amateur status and by processing Amateur Reinstatement Applications of those who wish to regain their amateur status. The Association exists to help its members enjoy the greatest game of all. Each participant in a GAP event, each club member who has a GHIN handicap and each Member Club helps provide the support that sustains the Association.

Meetings and Seminars — The Association offers various seminars, including the Club Rules Seminar, for a continuing education on the Rules of Golf; the College Golf Seminar, for Junior golfers interested in playing golf at the collegiate level and the Presidents’ Council, for issues affecting clubs.

TrackMan — The Golf Association of Philadelphia offers access to the TrackMan Swing and Ball Flight Analysis system to its membership. TrackMan is the standard for equipment makers, PGA TOUR professionals and the sport's governing bodies, the USGA and the R&A. The Association offers TrackMan Member Analysis Days throughout the season, where individuals can go through a variety of tests, including the Shot Analysis, Driver Fitting or the TrackMan Combine.

USGA Tournament Management Software — Introduced as a member benefit in 2017, the Golf Association of Philadelphia offers USGA Tournament Management, Powered by Golf Genius. It is a Web-based, event management system that aims to enhance the golfer experience by helping professionals better manage competitions such as leagues, charitable outings, member-guests and tournaments. It will also serve as the scoring and event management platform for all GAP events moving forward. The USGA Tournament Management suite became the exclusive provider in 2018. The Tournament Pairing Program (TPP) is no longer supported. FAQs regarding the USGA/Golf Genius collaboration and how it affects GAP can be accessed on the Association’s website.