Q: Can a club start offering the Membership Commerce Portal at any time or does it have to be started at year- end?
A: A club can begin to offer the Portal at any time. Now is a good time to start. Most clubs wait and start shortly before they anticipate most of their membership activity taking place. Earlier is better!
Q. Are there any fees to the club or individual for participating in this?
A: There are no additional fees. This is an SCGA member service.
Q: Who is responsible for providing the club information to the SCGA to get started?
A: The club identifies an individual contact point for the SCGA to work with. The club contact can fill out the form at scga.org/access or it can identify a person and ask the SCGA to walk through the preparation with that person. In either case, the SCGA will work with the club contact to make sure everything is set up correctly.
Q: Can the club ever change any information?
A: Yes. We would ask the individual contact for the club to reach out to the SCGA Member Services Department to ask for a change in information. Changes in dues from year to year will need to be communicated PRIOR TO September 1. The SCGA will implement the change and allow the contact for the club to review and confirm any modifications. The change becomes effective immediately unless the club specifies a date.
Q: What credit card types can be used on the membership portal?
A: Visa and MasterCard only.
Q: If a club uses the portal, can that club then pay its SCGA invoice/statement amount via credit card?
A: Yes. This can be done through the SCGA Admin Portal by choosing the "Make a Payment" button.
Q: Who at the club gets notified that a member has joined or renewed online through the membership portal?
A: The club initially identifies a single contact to receive email notification. The club can have other people added to the notification list by contacting the SCGA, or by going to the settings tab and adding an additional email address to the club contact email field (separate with commas between).
Q: How often is the club contact notified via email?
A: The club contact is notified seconds after any membership transaction is completed.
Q: How quickly does a new member receive an SCGA/GHIN number?
A: A new member receives his or her SCGA/GHIN number shortly after the transaction is finished as part of an email notification that everything has been completed (unless a club has an approval process for new members). The member can immediately begin to post scores after receiving this number. The member also receives this number in a Welcome email from the SCGA, which usually comes a few minutes later.
Q: Does the new member learn who to contact at the club?
A: In the confirmation email, the new member will receive a club contact name and email address for any questions. Many clubs are planning on sending a welcome email to the new member; the SCGA will automatically send its welcome to the SCGA email as well.
Q: Does the club have to input member information into the GHIN database via GHP Online Club?
A: No, the new member fills out a profile during the process and this data is automatically loaded into GHIN and the SCGA Admin Portal.
Q: How does the club learn of the profile information entered during the process so that it can contact its new member?
A: The identified club contact will receive the profile information in the member joined confirmation email. It also can access or update this information for any of the club's members through the SCGA Admin Portal or GHP Online Club. A club roster with contact information can be generated in the Web Reports section of GHP Online Club.
Q: Is the credit card information secure?
A: https:// is in place during the input and utilization of the credit card information. This is the standard in the industry and uses Secure Socket Layer that encrypts information.
Q: Can an existing member update his or her contact information so that our club has the best possible information to use?
A: Yes, during the procedure the member’s profile will be made available for review and updating. This updated information will be stored in the SCGA Admin Portal and GHP Online Club and is accessible in both at any time.
Q: Is there both a join and a renew capability and do we have to use both?
A: There is both a join and renew capability, accessible through a single button/link. A club does not have to offer both joining and renewing capability. The good news is that if an existing member clicks on the button/link, the program will realize that the person is a member of the club and is renewing and price accordingly. Similarly, for a brand-new member to a club chosen, the program will determine that this person is new to the club and ask the right questions and price accordingly.
Q: Can a former member of our club, who is now inactive, become a member of our club again using the online commerce tool/portal?
A: Yes, a player can be found via SCGA/GHIN number or name and if the member is inactive, they can be reinstated. A club official can also activate a former member of the club in the SCGA Admin Portal by bringing up a roster with status of "Inactive" or "View All" and clicking on the "gear" in the status column (results in club being charged) or by choosing the Prepay section, picking the golfer(s) and making a credit card payment for SCGA dues.
Q: Our club charges one fee for a first-time member, a different fee for renewing members, and another fee for those who let their memberships expire. Can the membership portal accommodate these needs?
A: Yes, we will confirm all your various pricing models and automate these functions so that you do not have to remember to change something on date x.
Q: Our club has one membership type that includes all our tournaments and another membership type that does not include tournament eligibility. Can we use the online membership portal for both membership types?
A: Yes, we can accommodate as many membership types as your club offers. We give you an opportunity to describe the benefits of your membership types in approximately five lines of text so that prospective members can determine which choice suits them best. This concept also applies to individuals comparing clubs and their benefits.
Q: We charge juniors and seniors different fees than other members. Can the membership portal accommodate this?
A: Yes, by using the date of birth entered into the golfer’s profile, pricing can be automated. Similarly, this also will determine whether a golfer is eligible for the SCGA Junior discount, where we do not charge a golfer SCGA dues if under the age of 19.