Yes, you would receive a points bonus for timeshare purchase. A timeshare salesman will discuss that - it's one of the incentives for purchase.

Also (and not sure if this is still the case), you can consider financing your purchase and possibly receive more points. If you have the funds, you should be able to pay off your loan without prepayment penalty. If you are interested in this, be sure to clarify the terms of the loan.

Being a timeshare owner will automatically bring you Marriott silver status. Silver really doesn't have a lot of power in terms of getting room upgrades at Marriott hotels, however. But it does get you started towards higher levels if that interests you.

There are no golf benefits that come with timeshare ownership that I am aware of. One of the incentives to sign up for a Marriott Rewards Premier VISA card (anyone can do this, not just timeshare owners) is that you may be given a 2 for 1 bonus round of golf coupon (buy one, get one free for your partner during the same round of golf) as a one time benefit. You should see that if you look on the Web at the signup page for the Premier VISA card.

If you elect to buy direct from Marriott, and if you plan to start playing the points game, you will probably want to sign up for a Premier VISA card. There is usually a Marriott Rewards points bonus for signing up for the credit card.