I've been really happy with the UKC. Our club is full of folks, including professionals, who are just thrilled to help beginners train their dogs. I have gotten real professional advice (in one case from a man who has sent THREE dogs to the Nationals and won it all once) and help for free. My dog is no hunting machine nor a field trial champion, but she's a happy little girl who can fetch you a duck or three, or run agility, or just (like she is right now) stretch out on the floor under my computer chair for a snooze.
Goldens generally are tougher to train for field than Labs, so don't be discouraged. Max may well have it in him, it will just take a little work to bring it out.
Thanks for the encouragement. I've printed off the pertinent pages for my husband to consider. There is a club at Horicon Marsh, and my husband hunts there already. The treas. lives in the town the next over. I can't believe we haven't heard about this before.