Golf Glossary
DGV (German Golf Association)
In short
The DGV is the Deutscher Golf Verband, the German Golf Association and the umbrella body of golf in Germany. Its members are golf clubs and operators of golf facilities. It represents the sport, sets standards for Germany and is responsible for the DGV Platzreife, the DGV card and the handicap system.
What is the DGV? The German Golf Association at a glance
DGV stands for Deutscher Golf Verband, the German Golf Association. It is a registered association and the umbrella body of golf in Germany. That means the DGV does not run golf courses itself. It bundles the interests of the people who offer golf. Its members are golf clubs and operators of golf facilities, supported by regional state golf associations that look after the sport in the federal states and regions.
The numbers show the size of the association. According to the DGV, Germany most recently counted around 700,000 registered memberships at golf facilities, and the association most recently had around 800 golf clubs and operators as members. These figures change from year to year, but the order of magnitude stays similar.
Important for beginners: individual golfers do not join the DGV directly. They are part of the system through a golf club or a golf facility. Anyone who owns a DGV card received it through membership of an affiliated club or operator. So the association works in the background, even if you rarely notice it on the course.
History: founded in Hamburg in 1907
The Deutscher Golf Verband is older than many sports associations. It was founded on 26 May 1907 in Hamburg by the eight leading golf clubs in the country. The aim was to organise the young sport in Germany and to represent common rules.
After the Second World War the association was dissolved. It was re-founded on 18 October 1949 at a meeting in Bad Ems. Its head office has been in Wiesbaden since the 1930s. Since 2009 it has been based in the Erbenheim district.
For Hamburg the history has a special note: the Hanseatic city is the place where the association was founded. Anyone who learns golf in Hamburg today is in a region where organised German golf began.
Tasks of the DGV: rules, handicap and Platzreife
The DGV has several tasks that affect golfers directly:
- Rules: The Rules of Golf come from The R&A and the USGA and are usually revised every four years. The DGV passes them on in Germany, translates and explains them for clubs and players. The current version has applied since 2023.
- Handicap: The World Handicap System has applied in Germany since 2021. The DGV manages handicaps through the affiliated clubs and facilities.
- Platzreife: With the DGV Platzreife, the DGV sets a uniform national examination standard. Each facility runs the exam itself, but all follow the same standard.
- DGV card: It is the uniform proof of membership and playing rights at an affiliated club or facility.
- Sport and competition: The association promotes recreational and elite sport, organises national championships and supports Golf Team Germany.
There is also a service function. Through the DGV service portal and the golf.de portal, clubs receive documents, rules and help for everyday operations.
DGV Platzreife and DGV card: what beginners get from the DGV
For beginners the DGV shows up in two places: the Platzreife and the card.
The DGV Platzreife is the end of your first golf education. It consists of a theory exam on rules and etiquette and a practical part on the course. Because all facilities use the same standard, the Platzreife is accepted at many golf facilities in Germany and often in neighbouring countries too. That is no guarantee for every facility. Some courses set additional conditions, such as a certain handicap.
The DGV card is the card with which you prove that you are a member of a club or facility in the DGV. It carries a 15-digit number. It exists as a plastic card and also as a digital version that you can store in your smartphone wallet through golf.de. You will find a separate entry on the card in this glossary under DGV card.
Anyone who passes the DGV Platzreife and is a member of a club or facility in the DGV usually receives a Handicap Index of 54 in the World Handicap System. From there the handicap changes through rounds that count for handicap purposes.
Practical example: from the first lesson to a round at another course
Imagine you start golf in spring. In summer you take the Platzreife exam to the DGV standard at your facility, and the facility records your result. Now you would like to play a course in the south of Germany while on holiday.
At reception you are asked for proof. A Platzreife alone is not enough everywhere. Many courses also require a DGV card that shows you are a member of a club or facility and that your handicap is being managed. Had you taken out a membership beforehand, for example as a remote member, you could show the card and pay the green fee, the fee for one round.
The example shows why the DGV matters to beginners. It makes sure that the Platzreife, the card and the handicap are comparable across Germany. You do not have to prove again at every facility what you can do.
DGV, state golf association, golf club and PGA of Germany: the differences
There are many similar names around the DGV. This overview helps to sort them out:
- DGV: the national umbrella body for golf clubs and facilities in Germany.
- State golf association: the regional association in a federal state or region. It is part of the association structure and looks after the sport locally.
- Golf club or golf facility: the place where you play and are a member. Your club is a member of the DGV, you are one through the club.
- PGA of Germany: the professional body of golf teachers and golf professionals. It trains coaches and is not the same as the DGV.
- The R&A and the USGA: the organisations that set the Rules of Golf. The DGV applies them in Germany.
The abbreviation PGA can also mislead. The PGA Tour is a tournament series for professional players in the USA and has nothing to do with the DGV. If you look for golf lessons in Germany, you are more likely to meet the PGA of Germany. If it is about the card, the handicap and the Platzreife, the DGV is responsible.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can take the DGV Platzreife at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg in Moorfleet. The course is DGV certified and internationally recognised under the DGV standard. It usually consists of four to five training sessions of two hours in small groups of no more than six people, guided by PGA coaches. Theory and practice are combined. The exam is held every Saturday entirely on site in Moorfleet, and the exam fee is included in the course.
Frequently asked questions
What does DGV mean in golf?
DGV stands for Deutscher Golf Verband, the German Golf Association. It is the umbrella body of golf in Germany, and golf clubs and facility operators are its members. Among other things the DGV sets the Platzreife standard, provides the DGV card through clubs and facilities and ensures that handicaps are managed under the World Handicap System.
Do I have to be a DGV member to play golf?
Not directly. Individual players are part of the system through a golf club or a golf facility. At some public facilities you can play without a membership, but you then usually need the Platzreife. Many other courses also ask for a DGV card as proof.
When was the German Golf Association founded?
The Deutscher Golf Verband was founded on 26 May 1907 in Hamburg by the eight leading golf clubs in the country. After its dissolution following the Second World War it was re-founded on 18 October 1949 in Bad Ems. Its head office is in Wiesbaden.
Who issues the handicap in Germany?
Handicaps in Germany are managed through the DGV under the World Handicap System, which has applied here since 2021. In practice your club or facility does this with the data from the rounds you play. You can show your current status with the DGV card, which is also available digitally.
What is the difference between the DGV and the PGA of Germany?
The DGV is the umbrella body for golf clubs and facilities and is responsible for the Platzreife, the card and the handicap. The PGA of Germany is the professional body of golf teachers and trains PGA golf professionals. They work together in German golf but have different tasks.
As of: October 2026