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Imagine striding into your local golf course’s pro shop to check in for your next round and being asked to show your license.
Not your driver’s license, but your golf license.
What probably sounds like an abomination to many rugged American individualists is actually the norm for millions of golfers in other countries.
It goes by various names. In France, it’s a Brevet d’aptitude. In Germany, it’s a Platzreife, or “green card.” In the Netherlands, it’s a Golfvaardigheidsbewijs. But in all cases, golfers in these and several other countries must be certified in order to tee it up at most golf courses.
Could a time be coming for American golf courses to follow suit?
Golf has never been a more popular hobby than at the current moment, with millions of new players taking up the game in the last half-dozen years. The industry was starving for a fresh infusion of revenue. It has arrived in the form of billions of dollars flying into the pockets of course operators, equipment companies and apparel and accessory brands and other service providers.
But that progress has come at a price. More and more complaints are flying around in reviews and on social media about cracks beginning to show in the traditional golf experience. Slow pace of play, unfixed divots and ball marks and even heated on-course confrontations (I witnessed one of these just last week) are making veteran golfers wonder if the social fabric of the game is being torn apart.
I believe there is a case to be made that while the American free-for-all approach to onboarding has helped usher the recent flood of new golfers to the pro shop register quickly, it has fomented unnecessary tension between entrenched golfers and eager and well-meaning newbies.
The main issue here is inexperience, not malice. Some of my favorite rounds in recent years have been with enthusiastic newcomers to the game. It's exciting to see golf through their experience.
But there is an undeniable knowledge and etiquette gap. New American golfers simply don’t know what they don’t know, because this country has no formal golf onboarding process for adults. Junior golf programs include lessons about etiquette, pace of play and basic care for the golf course. But other than the need to dress to play and bring a set of clubs, an enthusiastic 25-year old crosses fewer checkpoints into a first round of golf than a 5-year-old does.
In order to get their golfers on the same page when it comes to these big concepts, perhaps American golf courses should start requiring licenses.
What could a golf license look like for American golfers?
Golf licenses in other countries revolve around safety, pace of play and care for the golf course, which are sources of recent complaints in the post-pandemic golf boom. They are often administered at the golf course level. Aspiring card-carrying golfers must study the rules of the game and attend training sessions that ground them in the rules of the game and its important points of etiquette. The goal is ensuring even high-handicap players can keep pace and that all golfers understand their responsibilities around caring for the golf course.
The confirmation process is not unlike obtaining a driver’s license; golfers need to pass a written test and a practical, on-course exam to be granted the privilege of arranging to play various courses as well as the ability to maintain a handicap. This system empowers golf courses themselves to police the process; they simply do not allow unlicensed golfers, or those without a handicap, to visit.
Would American golf courses band together in a similar way? I can already hear the objections and fears about turning away willing customers, and that such a policy would undo various “grow the game” efforts. But untamed growth is what weeds do, and there are advantages to golf’s traditions and sense of propriety. It is not about keeping out certain people, but rather maintaining a healthy, close-knit community by making sure there is widespread agreement on how to ensure everyone has a good time and leaves golf courses better than they find them.
Many great golf courses worldwide require a handicap or some other certification in order to play, and they have no shortage of willing visitors. I think the easiest first step in the United States would be for high-profile public and resort golf courses to start requiring handicaps, too. Handicap-holding golfers in the U.S. are inherently more in-tune with the Rules of Golf and have accrued enough experience to develop proper etiquette. Even a relatively small step like that would start the ball rolling towards a future where golfers across this country play faster, take better care of our courses and enjoy more rounds together.
Erling Haaland’s native Norway is one of several European countries where it is necessary to obtain a golf license. New golfers are trained in basic etiquette and course care.
— Tim Gavrich (@TimGavrich) July 10, 2026
I wrote about bringing the practice to the United States just this week: https://t.co/Jhaow3E3pZ https://t.co/sjGICW19gm
Comments (15)
YES, YES AND YES. Golfers should pass a golf etiquette test before being allowed to play a course.
License no. Handicap yes!
YES, YES AND YES. Golfers should pass a golf etiquette test before being allowed to play a course.
License no. Handicap yes!
I'm torn. I feel like licenses for mid-high level public and resort tracks make a lot of sense. There are also a bunch of pastures, par 3, and "easier" courses based on course/slope ratings where beginners should be able to learn license free.
A truly absurd concept. No public golf course would require it since it would put them out of business. Most golfers are casual golfers who would not get a license to play in the company outing or a charity event. Elite private golf courses can enforce rules through their cost structure. Other private courses do not want to discourage membership. On the course enforcement of pace of play and other basic rules is the only answer. There will always be some idiots; I've seen them even in private clubs. Making golf exclusive to licensees would not solve anything.
I think the European system is right on. I have had miserable rounds stuck behind players that do not have the ability to hit the ball anywhere that is acceptable and the have no clue as to golfing etiquette. Learning enough golfing skills to have established a reasonable handicap would make the game much more enjoyable for everyone concerned.
I too have been playing for 40+ yrs and have a 14 hdcp. Not the best on the course nor worst. But what I learned early was respect for whatever I borrowed. Return tools better than you got them. In this case, that is the course we all play on and want in as good shape as we can afford. I cannot afford a country club membership (nor can 95% of those that golf). But, I can fix my divots, repair ball marks(s)-not just mine, fix another one while you are at it, rake the sand traps, stay off the edge of cart paths (keep the grass growing not trample it-greenskeepers will be thrilled!), and follow “cart” signs. 90º rule means roughly straight at your ball, not wandering all over.
The courses bear some responsibility too. If you charge $100 for a mediocre course that is in rough shape, your players are not going to want to respect it. Provide good sand in the traps; maintain the greens; plant shade tolerant grass under trees; make cart paths wide enough for the beverage cart to get by when parked at a green or tee box; put seed/fertilizer/sand mix in the divot repair containers on the cart NOT JUST SAND! The responsibility to be respectful also lies with the players to encourage other players (in a group or at the start of a scramble) to know what to do.
If you are a 30+hdcp. (and I started here too) don’t book a prime tee time that will be full of faster players, go for the later in the day (and cheaper rate) times. We all need to just take a breath and work to help each other get better and enjoy round. My dad, my schoolmates, and friends all helped me when I was starting out. WE should, as Yoda said, “pass along what you have learned”.
If you want to do golf according to your article, go join a country club.
Yes make any 18 hole course required to have educated golfers. All that is mentioned in this article and more can be implemented for a better golf outing. I've been golfing for 50 years and still have a good game. Others who just started, particularly those who started when COVID allowed an outdoor activity, most of them simply are disrespectful of the process. Yes, process, that's what the activity of golf is essentially. Pace of play, who's away both in the fairway and the green to play first, and most of all--repairing ball marks/divots. Maybe a discounted rate can be used for those that prove they have a "license"
How ridiculous, That'd be the last game of golf I'd ever play unfortunately
People need to know proper etiquette such as fixing ball marks and repairing diviots. They also need to understand pace of play and they need to ALLOW others to have an acceptable pace of play. I shouldn't have to be constantly worried that someone is gonna fire one up my backside because I have to take a minute to look for my ball that's 5 yards off the fairway. Or if someone just plays a little bit slower than you. There is an acceptable pace of play and there is also rushing someone for no good reason. Too many people are in such a hurry when in fact, there is no where for them to go! Holes are stacked up from #1 tee box to #18 green. Play at a reasonable speed and be respectful of others. It's not that hard.