26 September 2026 · 8 min read
The golf licence in Switzerland: who needs one, what it costs, where to get it
The course permit says you can play. The licence says somebody keeps your record. What the Swiss Golf Card is, what it costs, and when you do not need it at all.
The golf licence in Switzerland is called the Swiss Golf Card, and it is not the same thing as the course permit. The permit says you can play. The licence says somebody keeps your record: your handicap, your number, your tee time. To play a rated course you need both. To play indoors you need neither.
What the Swiss Golf Card is
The card is the credential you play the rated courses of Switzerland with. It is not issued by the federation directly but by one of its members: one of the 98 golf clubs or one of the two public golf organisations, the ASGI and the Migros GolfCard (Swiss Golf). The card carries your name, your licence number and your current handicap index. The Swiss Golf app holds the same card digitally, and most club offices accept it that way.
The card does four things: it identifies you as a player, it keeps your handicap, it lets you enter handicap-relevant tournaments, and it is the precondition for a scorecard being counted at all. Without a licence there is no official handicap, however many rounds you play.
Licence and course permit are two things
Confusing them is the most common mistake at the start, and it costs time.
| Course permit | Licence | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | an exam | a membership |
| What it shows | that you have the rules, safety and pace | that a club or organisation keeps your record |
| Who gives it | a club and a Swiss PGA pro | a club, the ASGI or the Migros GolfCard |
| How often | once | every calendar year |
| What it costs | theory CHF 99 plus lessons | from CHF 300 a year, free under 18 |
The order is: the permit first, then the licence. If the exam was played over 9 or 18 holes on a rated course, the signed scorecard counts as your first handicap result as soon as the licence is in place (Swiss Golf, course-permit regulation). What the exam asks is in The Swiss course permit.
The three ways to a licence
All three lead to the same card. What differs is the price and what else comes with it.
| Route | What it costs | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Migros GolfCard | CHF 300 a year from 26, CHF 150 from 19 to 25, free under 18 | the CHF 80 Swiss Golf contribution, a reduction at the six golf parks |
| ASGI | CHF 320 from 1 August for the rest of the year, CHF 480 from 1 October to the end of 2027, children free | card, handicap, tournaments, partner discounts |
| Golf club | the club's annual fee, often with a one-off entry fee | a home course, club tournaments, tee times |
The figures come from Migros GolfCard and the ASGI, as at 26 September 2026. The ASGI prices by season, so its figure depends on when you join; the rate for a full calendar year is published at the turn of the year. Which of the three routes pays off for whom is in ASGI, Migros GolfCard or a club.
What you need no licence for
Almost everything a beginner does asks for none. Not the simulator, not the driving range, usually not a short course, and certainly not a taster lesson.
| Where | Licence needed | Course permit needed |
|---|---|---|
| Golf simulator | no | no |
| Driving range | no | no |
| Pitch and putt | no | generally no |
| Taster course | no | no |
| 9- or 18-hole course | yes | yes |
That is why the first hour of golf needs no paperwork. 110 indoor venues in 21 cantons rent by the hour to anyone, at a median CHF 50 per bay. The nearest is on the map, and what else works without a permit is in Golf without a course permit and without a membership.
What the licence does with your handicap
It is the condition for a round being counted at all. The sequence: you play a handicap-relevant round, a marker signs the card, the card goes to your club or organisation, and there it is computed overnight into the central system. The next morning your new index is in the app.
Only four formats are handicap-relevant: individual Stableford, individual stroke play, individual par or bogey, and maximum score. Match play, scrambles and foursomes do not count. And you do not have to play tournaments: a private round registered in advance, the EDS card, counts just as well. How that works is in EDS rounds explained.
A calendar year, not twelve months
The licence runs by calendar year. Join in September and in many cases you pay the same for three months as somebody who joined in January, which is exactly why the ASGI has seasonal rates. At the Migros GolfCard the annual fee likewise covers the calendar year.
In practice: take the course permit in autumn and it is better to buy the licence in January, spend the winter in a simulator and start the season with a full year. Take it in spring and buy the licence at once. If you let a licence lapse, your handicap index stays on record; it rests until cards arrive again.
What you show at the desk
At a course office it goes quickly: name your tee time, show the card, pay the green fee. What they ask for is the licence number and the handicap, and both are on the Swiss Golf Card, printed or in the app. A few courses set a maximum handicap or keep tee times for their members; that is on their website, not on your card. The same goes abroad, where many courses want to see a number and a handicap.
The route in four steps
- Take the course permit. Theory, practice ground, course. That is the part that takes weeks; the licence afterwards takes minutes.
- Choose the organisation. Migros GolfCard, the ASGI or a club. The decision depends on where and how often you play, not on which card looks nicer.
- Register and pay. Online, with your details and proof of the course permit. The licence number follows.
- Hand in the first card. If the exam was played over 9 or 18 holes on a rated course, that very card counts as your first result. Otherwise you write an EDS card or play a tournament.
From then on your index is in the app, and every further handicap-relevant round moves it overnight.
Four stumbling blocks
- Bought in autumn. The licence runs by calendar year, not twelve months from purchase. Join in October and you pay for three months. The ASGI's seasonal rates exist to soften exactly that.
- Cards not handed in. A licence keeps your handicap, but it does not fill it. With no cards submitted, the index a year later sits exactly where it started.
- A marker without a handicap. Whoever signs your card needs a handicap of 36 or better themselves. A friend without a licence can save the evening, but not the card.
- The wrong format. The finest scramble with friends does not count. Only the four individual formats are handicap-relevant.
All four share a core: a licence is administration, and administration needs your cooperation. Hand in two cards a year and you have a number that says nothing about you; hand in ten and you have a handicap that fits.
More on this: Platzreife courses compared, Remote golf membership.
What the licence is not
It is not a club membership. With a licence through the ASGI or the Migros GolfCard you play other people's courses as a guest and pay the green fee; there is no home course, no priority on tee times and no club tournaments. 43 per cent of all cards in Switzerland work this way, 47,177 of 108,543.
Nor is it insurance, or strictly speaking a credential abroad, even though many courses in Europe want to see a licence number and a handicap and the Swiss Golf Card shows exactly that. And it says nothing about your ability: that is the index beside it, which starts at 54 or better after the course permit. How it gets smaller is in From 54 to 36.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Swiss Golf Card?
The licence you play Switzerland's rated courses with. It carries your name, licence number and handicap index, is issued by one of the 98 clubs or by the ASGI or the Migros GolfCard, and is also held digitally in the Swiss Golf app.
What is the difference between the course permit and the licence?
The course permit is an exam and is taken once; it shows you have the rules, safety and pace. The licence is a membership and runs by calendar year; it keeps your handicap. To play a 9- or 18-hole course you need both.
What does a golf licence cost in Switzerland?
The Migros GolfCard is CHF 300 a year from age 26, CHF 150 from 19 to 25 and free under 18. The ASGI prices by season: CHF 320 from 1 August for the rest of the year, CHF 480 from 1 October to the end of 2027, children free. Through a club the licence comes with the annual fee.
Do I need a licence for a golf simulator?
No. Neither a simulator nor a driving range nor a taster course asks for a licence or a course permit. 110 indoor venues in 21 cantons rent by the hour to anyone, at a median CHF 50 per bay.
What happens if I do not renew the licence?
Your handicap index stays on record and rests. While the licence is missing no new cards are counted, and you lack the credential for a tee time on a rated course. As soon as you rejoin, the index carries on.