Members are not automatically eligible to play in the annual National Championship tournament. Qualifications are detailed in our Polices & Procedures:
INITIAL QUALIFICATION: To play in a National Championship Tournament a new blind or vision impaired member must submit three (3) scores that meet the following criteria. The new blind (B1) member must have a Maximum handicap of (54) fifty four or lower for men and (63) sixty three Maximum for women. The new visually impaired (B2) member must have a Maximum handicap of (45) forty five or lower for men and (54) fifty four Maximum or lower for women. The new visually impaired (B3) member must have a Maximum handicap of (36) thirty six or lower for men and (45) forty five Maximum or lower for women that is played on a regulation golf course from the men’s regular tees, the ladies’ tees or the senior tees. Score cards must be attested to by the player, coach and golf professional. All efforts should be made for the attesting coach to be the coach for the player in his/her first National Championship.
If the new member cannot meet the Initial Qualification requirements to play in the Stroke category in a National Championship, then they are allowed to play in the Stableford category until they can meet the Initial Qualification criteria as stated above.
RE-QUALIFICATION: Any blind (B1) Member scoring over one hundred sixty five (165); vision impaired (B2) Member scoring over one hundred forty five (145); vision impaired (B3) Member scoring over one hundred twenty five (125); of any regulation eighteen (18) holes played in a National Championship Tournament must re-qualify in order to compete in their next National Championship Tournament. The requirements outlined in paragraphs VI.A.1 and VI.A.2 also apply for re-qualification.
If the Member cannot meet these re-qualification scores to play in the Stroke category in a National Championship then they are allowed to play in the Stableford category until they can meet the Initial Qualification scores as stated above.
MEMBERSHIP FUNDRAISING FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: If a player raises at least $1,000 for the USBGA through a fundraising event such as their personal Classy fundraising page, an event at their local golf club, a GoFundMe fundraiser or a donation from friends and/or family, their entry fee for a National Championship may be waived. The member may select which year’s National Championship their entry fee will be waived for. Fundraising efforts will only impact entry fees for the National Championship and no other USBGA tournaments.
That is because the IBGA is our parent organization that officially determines potential members’ sight qualification and sight category placement. Having a single organization makes every country equal in both placement and approval. Then the individual countries run their organizations separately for events and tournaments, unless the IBGA is involved in sponsorship of a tourney, where they would again oversee the event with standardized international rules.
Donations to the USBGA may be tax deductible and are appreciated by the USBGA to support the sport of Blind Golf in the USA. When donating to the USBGA using PayPal, we offer a Comments box where you can add your wishes for how the Donation should be used. This information will be received by the Treasurer and allocated appropriately. See more here about Donation options. You can also refer to our Payment Instructions here.
No, there is one USBGA that holds tournaments throughout the USA.
Chek with local Lions, Rotary, Golf Teams, Church’s, or local Golf Clubs. Many golfers have friends or family members as guides.
Any person who has a visual acuity worse than or less than 20/200 in BOTH eyes. Your vision cannot be correctable to be better than 20/200 with either glasses or contacts. Finally, you must be a U.S. citizen or have dual citizenship. Associate Player Members from Central America and other Regional North American Countries that don’t have sufficient players to form their own IBGA Member Association are able to apply for an associate membership.
No. The USBGA and the International Organization, the IBGA, both recognize 3 sight categories for players: B1 – Totally Blind, B2 – Vision Impaired, and B3 – Vision Impaired. Read more about the sight categories, rule modifications and guides here.
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