The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and , a combined territory that includes more than half the world's golfers and golf courses. The Association's most visible role is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. en additional USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women's Amateur. The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, funds research for better turf and a better environment, maintains a Handicap System and administers an ongoing "For the Good of the Game" grants program, which has allocated more than $62 million over 11 years to successful programs that bring the game's values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities.