One of the frequent questions
we hear at certification
courses is, “Does membership in the
USGTF mean I forfeit my amateur
status?” The USGA’s Donna Mummert,
in a letter dated April 4, 2006,
stated that, “An amateur may be a
member of the USGTF without forfeiting
his amateur status.” She goes
on to write that any member who
identifies himself as a professional
or accepts compensation for teaching
also loses his amateur status.
You might be surprised to learn
that the USGTF is responsible for
one major change in the USGA’s
Rules of Amateur Status. Previously,
one section mentioned that
membership in “any organization
of golf professionals” constituted a
violation of amateur status. Strictly
read, this included the USGTF –
although the USGA did render a
decision prior to Mummert’s letter
that membership in the USGTF did
not constitute a violation. Now, the
provision states that membership in
any “Professional Golfers’ Association”
forfeits amateur status.
Interestingly, a recent Decision
reads as follows: “Q: May an
amateur golfer hold or retain membership
of a Professional Golfers’
Association in a category of membership
limited to amateur golfers?
A. Yes.”
The USGTF diploma uses the
phrase “Certified Golf Teaching
Professional.” Fully-certified USGTF
members who wish to retain their
amateur status may not display
this diploma in a public setting,
although it is okay to do so in a
private setting. For those who wish
to remain as an amateur but would
like to display a diploma in public,
the USGTF provides a diploma
from the National Golf Teachers
Federation, the amateur division of
the USGTF, which uses the phrase
“Certified Golf Teacher.”
When it comes to playing golf
for money, there is still a lot of
confusion among the golfing public
about what constitutes a violation of
amateur status. Many people think
that it’s okay to play for tournament
prize money as long as first place is
$750 or less. This belief is false. It
doesn’t matter what the amount of
first-place prize money is. If a golfer
plays in a tournament that offers
prize money, that golfer loses his
amateur status, unless he declares
beforehand he waives his right to
accept prize money. What is acceptable
is to play for merchandise
certificates or prizes whose retail
value does not exceed $750.
Gambling does not constitute a
violation of amateur status, which
means that players may play for
any amount of prize money in such
a setting. The distinction between a
tournament and a gambling event
can be blurred, but in general, if
the competition is not open to the
public, the participants generally
know each other, and the source of
the prize money is advanced by the
players themselves, it is considered
a gambling event and not a tournament.
The USGA has, in recent years,
made an exception for a hole-inone
prize. A famous happening
occurred in 1992 when PGA Tour
player Jason Bohn, then a member
of the University of Alabama
golf team, made a hole-in-one for
a $1 million prize. By accepting
the money, Bohn lost his amateur
status. Today, such an occurrence
would not cause the golfer to lose
his amateur status. However, that
exception is only for a hole-inone.
A golfer who accepts a prize
in excess of $750 for closest to the
hole, for example, would lose his
amateur status. This would also apply
to long drives and other such
contests.
For more information on the USGA Rules of Amateur Status,
please visit www.usga.org.
