Golf Club Victoria Golf Club The first officers of the organization were: The prefix Royal was granted to the RCGA in June 1896 by Queen Victoria. There were two categories of membership in the RCGA when it was formed; Allied which meant it was a regularly constituted golf club in Canada, and Associate which was also to have a golf course, clubhouse and at least 25 members. Membership in the RCGA was: Canadian Open The Canadian Amateur Championship was to continue annually as it had operated in 1895, at match play, with the prize the Aberdeen Cup, donated by the Governor-General. In 1898, the RCGA, in conjunction with the USGA, conducted the first International Golf Matches at the Toronto Golf Club. In 1901, the organization introduced the Canadian Ladies' Amateur Championship, held at Royal Montreal Golf Club. Three years later, the need for an Open championship for both amateur and professional golfers was determined, with sufficient professional golfers in Canada, and the first Canadian Open Golf Championship was held over the Royal Montreal Golf Club in 1904. Organizational details The RCGA formed its first standing committee for the rules of golf in 1916, although it had printed its first edition of the rules in 1914. In 1919 the first staff person, B.L. Anderson, was hired. He had served as volunteer secretary during World War I, and was hired for part-time work for the association as the Secretary-Treasurer. Anderson stayed with the RCGA as Secretary until retirement in 1945. He became known as the face of the RCGA, along with his own secretary, Marion Doherty. Funding continued as a fee per club until 1948 when the RCGA instituted the dollar a year plan. The concept was that each golf club would remit $1.00 for each male member (after having collected from the member in their annual dues). $0.50 was to go to the RCGA and the same amount would be remitted to the appropriated provincial association. This revolutionized the associations which had suffered for decades from chronic lack of funding. The first handicapping system sponsored by Canada was done in 1937, believed to be based upon an American system, using the five lowest scores of the current season. The second system was presented in 1949 interim, and 1950 official. It was revised again in 1960, and several times afterwards. In 1924 the Canadian Ladies' Golf Union (formed in 1913) took over