Do I need to have a club membership card and an established handicap to play golf in Europe?
For Europeans, the answer in yes. A club membership card and handicap are necessary to get access to the golf course. For foreign players the rules are not so strict. If you have a USGA club membership card this will suffice. If you are not a member of a club you will need to get a letter from a local professional on his/her letterhead indicating that you can play to a certain handicap and are familiar with the rules and etiquette of the game of golf. Eric Peterson in the US office can help you with the format if you have questions. To attempt to play these courses as an absolute beginner would not be appropriate. We could however arrange for golf lessons if someone came at the non-golfer rate. We will inform you before the tour of the hourly golf professional teaching rate.
