Frequently Asked Questions about our Carolinas Youth on Course eClubs
Q: What is Youth on Course?
A: The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth ages 6-18 with access to life-changing opportunities through golf. Members play hundreds of courses for $5 or less.
Headquartered in Pebble Beach California, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, nearly 650,000 rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and more than $1.25 million has been raised for college scholarships.
Q: What are Carolinas Youth on Course eClubs?
A: Carolinas Youth on Course (YOC) eClubs are Internet clubs for young golfers ages 6-18 club to help introduce them to the game of golf.
The Carolinas Youth on Course program allows our junior members an opportunity to play a round of golf for $5 at participating golf facilities.
Q: What are the requirements for joining a YOC eClub?
A: In order to qualify for YOC eClub membership, your child must be between the ages of 6 and 18 (as of January 1), and be a resident of North or South Carolina.
Q: What kinds of benefits are included with YOC e-Club memberships?
A: Benefits of YOC membership include:
- USGA Handicap Index
- Access to Golf for $5.00 at Participating Courses
- Membership in the Carolinas Golf Association, South Carolina Golf Association, and Women's South Carolina Golf Association (if otherwise eligible).
- A subscription to Carolinas Golf and/or Palmetto Golfer magazine.
- Exclusive Deals & Discounts through CGA Member Advantage
- GHIN Mobile App
- Hole-in-One Recognition
Q: What is the cost to join a Carolinas Youth on Course eClub?
A: Currently, membership in a Carolinas YOC eClub is free due to the generosity of the Harold Varner III Junior Golf Foundation.
Q: What is the Harold Varner III Junior Golf Foundation?
A: The HV3 Foundation was started in 2019 by PGA Tour member Harold Varner, III. Harold started this foundation to provide affordable access to youth in sports.
Q: How do I know what YOC eClub to join?
A: Per the USGA’s handicapping rules and policies, our e-Clubs are set up by geographic region. You will join the e-Club associated with the zip code of where you live or own property. Entering you zip code is the first step in the application process. You will be directed to the appropriate e-Club for you.
Q: How long does it take to approve my application for YOC eClub membership?
A: Your membership application is processed online in real time. If all information entered on the registration form is correct and complete, your YOC eClub membership should be approved and active within just a couple of minutes.
Q: After I pay and take the curriculum online, when will I receive my Carolinas YOC membership card by mail?
A: You should receive your "Carolinas YOC" membership card within 14 days. In the meantime, you can print a temporary membership card. Note: It may take 2-3 days for a temporary card to become available.
Q: How long is my membership good for?
A: Your membership is good for one year from the date of your registration. As you approach your anniversary date, you will be sent email reminders with instructions on how to renew your membership.
Q. How do I find the participating courses in the YOC program?
A. Currently, Youth on Course serves Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin with the goal of delivering affordable golf in all 50 states by 2021.
Click on this link to see a list of current courses in North and South Carolina.
Q. I want to golf. Should I just go straight to the golf course, or should I call ahead of time?
A. Members are asked to always call the golf course ahead of time.
Q: What associations will I belong to?
A: As a resident of North Carolina you will be a member of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA).
As a resident of South Carolina, in addition to the CGA membership, you also become a member of the South Carolina Golf Association (men & women) and the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association (women).
Q: Do I have to belong to a YOC Carolinas eClub to play in association events?
A: Not necessarily. A YOC eClub membership does provide you with a GHIN handicap which is required for many of our association events. However, our very popular junior programs don’t have a GHIN handicap requirement to play in their events.
For more information about Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA) competitions, see this link.
For more information about the South Carolina Junior Golf Association (SCJGA), click this link.
Q: What happens if I already have a GHIN™ number from another association or club?
A: You can still join our YOC e-Clubs and use your existing GHIN™ number. This way you get to keep your GHIN™ number and all of your scoring history intact and will not have to start over with the GHIN™ system.
During the application process, you will be asked to find your previous GHIN™ record so that you may join our YOC e-Club with the same GHIN™ account.
Q: What happens if my previous GHIN™ account is inactive?
A: Even if your previous GHIN™ account is inactive you can still use that account to join the YOC e-Club. During the application process you will be able to find your old GHIN™ account; once the registration is approved your old GHIN™ account will then become “active” and you can begin to post scores and track your history.
Q: Somehow, I find myself with two different GHIN™ numbers. What should I do?
A: The USGA Handicapping policy requires each golfer to maintain only one GHIN™ number per member. If you accidently ended up with two different GHIN™ numbers, please contact the Carolinas GHIN™ Support department for assistance. You can email us at GHINsupport@carolinasgolf.org or call us at (910) 687-4040 during business hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday thru Friday.
Q: How long will it take for me to have a certified Handicap Index™?
A: There are several answers to this question:
- If you are getting a new GHIN™ number for the very first time, you will have to post a minimum of 5 scores to your GHIN™ account and also complete a revision cycle to get a Handicap Index™. Handicap revisions occur each 1st and 15th of a month. If you have at least 5 scores entered into your GHIN™ account, then on the next revision date a Handicap Index™ will be calculated for you.
- If you are reactivating or transferring an existing GHIN™ account from another club, then you will see a Handicap Index™ in your GHIN™ account followed by the letter M. This is an indicator to others that you have previously established a Handicap Index™ but you have not had that Index verified or reviewed by your new club. The M designation will disappear on the next revision date.
- If you reactivating a previously inactive GHIN™ account from the same Carolinas YOC e-Club, your Handicap Index will be marked as NH (No Handicap) until the next revision update (1st and 15th of every month). Your trend Handicap Index™ will reflect your handicap index based on your previous scores. A trend Handicap Index™ is denoted by the capital letter “L” after your index. To avoid having your Handicap Index™ becoming NH, you should try not to let your YOC e-Club membership lapse.
Q: How can I learn more about how golf handicapping works?
A: The GHIN™™ Handicapping System is governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA™) and is administered in the Carolinas by the Carolinas Golf Association. You can learn more about handicapping at the USGA™ website: www.usga.org. Select the menu options: Playing and then The USGA Handicap System™.
Q: How does Auto-Renew work?
A: When you register you have the option to sign up for Auto-Renew. If you select this option, on your anniversary date your membership will automatically renew to the same YOC e-Club using the credit card (if payment is required) you originally submitted for your membership.
Approximately 30 days and again at 15 days prior to your auto-renew date, we will contact you by email to remind you of your upcoming auto-renewal. You will have the option to a) update or change your credit card information, b) opt out of the auto-renewal program, or c) terminate your membership at the end of your membership year. If you do not do respond to any of these options your membership will be extended for another year and you will be charged the YOC e-Club membership rate (if payment is required) for that year.
This is a great option to ensure your membership in the association never lapses and you find yourself scrambling to re-activate your account just prior to a tournament signup or an important member-guest.
Q: What if I made a mistake or changed my mind about becoming a YOC eClub member?
A: Please contact us at GHINsupport@carolinasgolf.org as soon as possible. You generally have up to 30 days to change your mind.
Q: My question has not been covered in these Frequently Asked Questions. Who can I contact for more information?
A: If you would like to learn more about the Carolinas Youth on Course program and its benefits, please email Jason.cox@carolinasgolf.org or call him at (910) 673-1000 ext-13.
If you need additional information or assistance with GHIN or the registration process, please email us at GHINsupport@carolinasgolf.org. You may also reach us by telephone during business hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm, Monday thru Friday, at (910) 687-4040.
Q: How can I learn more about how golf handicapping works?
A: The GHIN™™ Handicapping System is governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA™) and is administered in the Carolinas by the Carolinas Golf Association. You can learn more about handicapping at the USGA™ website: www.usga.org. Select the menu options: Playing and then The USGA Handicap System™.
Q: My facility is interested in being a "Carolinas YOC Participating Course." How do we sign up?
A: We can easily get your facility added to the program! Contact Jason Cox, Carolinas Youth on Course Director, at (910) 673-1000 ext. 13.
An important mission of golf associations in the Carolinas is to grow the game! The CGA, CPGA, SCGA, and WSCGA are committed to get juniors golfing at an affordable rate, across North Carolina and South Carolina. For the "Participating Courses," the associations recognize that the $5 fee from the junior golfer may not adequately cover the expense of the round so the associations subsidize participating courses for the remainder of the greens fee.