Golf Glossary
DGV card
In short
The DGV card is the uniform proof that you are a member of a golf club or facility affiliated with the Deutscher Golf Verband and have playing rights there. It carries a 15-digit number. It exists as a plastic card and in digital form, which shows your Handicap Index day by day.
What is the DGV card? The golf ID explained
Anyone who wants to play other golf courses in Germany is often asked for their card. This means the DGV card, also called the golf ID in everyday speech. It is a plastic card that the German Golf Association provides for its affiliated clubs and facilities.
According to the DGV service portal, the card is the uniform proof of membership and playing rights. It proves either membership of a golf club or a contractual tie to the operator of a golf facility. In short it says: this person belongs to a club or facility in the DGV.
The distinction from the Platzreife matters. The Platzreife is an exam result, the card is proof of membership. The two are connected but not the same. You can hold the Platzreife without having a DGV card. You only receive the card through a membership.
What is on the DGV card?
The card is built so that clubs can read and check it quickly. According to the DGV it contains, among other things:
- a 15-digit number made up of the club number (digits 1 to 4), the membership number (digits 5 to 10) and the service number (digits 11 to 15). Your club manages you under the membership number. The service number can contain letters and changes with every new card.
- the name of the holder.
- a QR code on the front that contains the service number. It is used, for example, when signing the scorecard electronically.
- a magnetic strip on the back with player-related data that lets facilities register guests quickly.
- for regional members, a golden ‘R’. According to the DGV it marks a regional membership, where the member lives no more than 70 kilometres from the golf facility.
Your handicap index can change with every round. The reliable figure is therefore the one that is managed digitally. It can be called up through the golf.de portal and the app. According to the DGV, the up-to-date display in the digital card counts as official proof of handicap.
The digital DGV card: your ID on your smartphone
In addition to the plastic card there is a digital version. It shows your current handicap index up to date every day, so you always have your proof with you, even if the card is at home.
According to golf.de, it works like this:
- You register once in the My Area section (Mein Bereich) on golf.de.
- You enter the 15-digit number of your current card.
- The card is then shown on golf.de and can be loaded into your smartphone wallet.
- Cards are usually produced anew for each season, and the service number changes with every new card. So enter the number of your new card.
The digital version therefore requires a card issued by your golf facility. It can be stored in your smartphone wallet and is then available offline too. Registering with the DGV also lets you use certified apps, for example for the qualified electronic scorecard.
Who gets a DGV card?
The DGV card is not issued by the association directly but by your home club or facility. It is part of the membership. According to the DGV service portal it is only available if the membership includes a right to use the course for at least twelve months. Remote members without such a right do not receive a card. Beyond that, the facility operator decides on issuing under its house rules.
This matters for your planning. A beginner who has passed the Platzreife does not yet own a card. They need a suitable membership, for example as a full member of a club or as a remote member with playing rights. Only then is the card issued and the handicap managed.
One note on use: the card does not automatically entitle you to play every other facility. It proves that you are a member. Whether you may play a course is decided by its operator under its own conditions, such as a maximum handicap or a tee time.
Practical example: a green fee round at another facility
You are on holiday and want to play a course nearby. You call in advance and reserve a tee time. On the day you go to the secretary's office or the pro shop.
There you show your DGV card, either as a card or digitally on your smartphone. The staff member can see from it that you are a member of a club or facility in the DGV and what handicap you have. You pay the green fee, receive a scorecard and start.
If you forget the card, the digital version helps. Anyone who can show neither card nor app may not be allowed to start at some courses. After the round you enter your score. If the round counts for handicap purposes, it feeds into your handicap index. That is how the card, the membership and the handicap fit together.
DGV card and remote membership: how do they fit together?
Many beginners ask whether they must join a traditional golf club with its own course to get the card. That is not strictly necessary. The card depends on playing rights, not on the type of club. There are remote memberships in which you are a member of an affiliated facility without playing there regularly. If that membership includes playing rights of at least twelve months, a card is issued as well.
This lets you manage a handicap and play other courses as a guest with a green fee, without paying an annual fee for a home course nearby. The exact conditions are set by each provider. Before you sign, read whether playing rights are included and whether the provider requires a minimum distance between your home and the facility. You will find more in the entry on remote membership.
Typical mistakes and tips about the card
Some points raise questions for beginners again and again:
- Mixing up the Platzreife and the card: The Platzreife is proof of an exam. Without a membership there is no card.
- Old number in the smartphone: Because the service number changes with every new card, you should enter the new one in My Area in good time.
- Lost card: You request a replacement through your home club. The DGV charges the facility for replacement cards, and the facility decides whether and how it passes this on.
- Change of name: A new card goes through your club's secretary's office.
- Seeing the card as a free pass: It proves membership but replaces neither the green fee nor the Platzreife nor the facility's conditions.
Before a trip, check the notes of the course you plan to visit. Many courses state on their website which proofs they require from guests.
Try it at Golf Lounge
With Friend DGV, Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg offers a full DGV remote membership. It includes a DGV card and handicap management, without you having to join a traditional golf club. Friend DGV builds on Friend status, an annual status valid for 365 days with benefits on the range, in the simulator, on the 6-hole and 9-hole courses and on the Putt Course. You will find details on both options on the Friend page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DGV card in golf?
The DGV card is the uniform proof of your membership and playing rights at a golf club or facility in the Deutscher Golf Verband. It carries a 15-digit number, a QR code and a magnetic strip. It exists as a card and digitally, and the digital version shows your Handicap Index day by day.
How do I get a DGV card?
You get the card through your home club or facility, not directly from the association. The requirement is a membership that includes a right to use the course for at least twelve months. The Platzreife alone is not enough. After that the card is issued and your handicap is managed.
Is there a digital DGV card?
Yes. The digital version shows your current handicap index on your smartphone. To use it you register once in My Area on golf.de and enter the 15-digit number of your card. Because the service number changes with every new card, you enter the new number whenever you receive a new card.
Is the DGV card the same as the Platzreife?
No. The Platzreife is the result of an exam and shows that you are ready for the golf course. The DGV card proves your membership and playing rights. Many guest courses ask for both: the Platzreife and a card, sometimes also a certain handicap.
What do I do if I have lost my golf card?
Contact the secretary's office of your home club or facility. A replacement card is requested there. According to the DGV, replacement cards are subject to a charge. Until it arrives, the digital version on your smartphone often helps, provided you have already stored it in My Area.
As of: October 2026