Colorado Springs, Colo. — The United States Golf Association (USGA) has awarded 59 new grants totaling $1,454,220 to non-profit organizations to support affordable and accessible golf programs and facilities. These new awards will reach more than 17,000 kids and individuals with disabilities nationally as part of the USGA’s effort to bring golf to audiences that otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn the game.
USGA funding has exceeded $49-million during the past nine years, and is only $80,000 short of reaching the original Grants Initiative goal of giving $50 million in support during the past decade (1997-2006). Grant funds will be used at programs for instruction, golf course and range access, equipment, and course construction. The USGA "For the Good of the Game" grants program is enhanced by the support of state and regional golf associations and local PGA of America sections, which make a significant impact in promoting the game to everyone.
"Golf is a game that gives us instant and long-term camaraderie," said USGA President Walter Driver. "The USGA is proud to support local programs for kids and individuals with disabilities that provide opportunities to learn the game of golf, to discover the life skills and values inherent to the game, and to experience the pure joy of hitting your first shot off the ground."
Nowhere is the sport’s camaraderie more evident than in the relationship between the USGA and the allied golf associations. For example, the Philadelphia Variety Club received a $55,000 grant from the USGA to help build the Vincent Mariniello Golf Course, a project spearheaded by the Philadelphia Section of the PGA of America. The three-hole course and driving range will be built with monies from both organizations and will be used exclusively by individuals with disabilities, catering to 400 kids each summer.
"A working partnership between the USGA and a PGA Section, which essentially is a franchise, is wonderful," said Geoffrey Surrette, executive director of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA. "It brings professional and amateur golf together to do what is right for the game."
Another grant went to the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation. It received a $22,500 award for "Little Legends," a golf program for 13 low-income areas that will potentially reach 1,000 kids.
"We’re proud to have the "Little Legends" program recognized by the USGA through this grant," said Tim Kreger, director of development for the Foundation. "Success with low-cost programming takes collaborative efforts from many resources. It is a blessing that the USGA continues to partner with our organization to offer the necessary funding to continue allowing us to grow this great game. Collaboration is the key to success and this is just one example of how the USGA continually provides growth opportunities for all state and regional golf associations."
In addition to monetary support, the USGA has also developed material resources to help golf programs foster local partnerships. The latest informational booklet is "Fore! Raise Your Voice — A Communications Guide," which helps programs develop strategic communications plans.
Additionally, the USGA offers a fund-raising strategy manual entitled "Approaching the Green — A Fundraising Guide for Non-Profit Golf Programs."
Here is a complete list of programs receiving new funding across the country;
Organization Name City, State Grant Amount
Alegent Health Immanual Rehabilitation Center
Omaha, Neb.
$12,750
Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped
Phoenix, Ariz.
$12,500
American Society of Golf Course Architects
Brookfield, Wis.
$15,000
Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation
Baltimore, Md.
$3,000
Boys & Girls Club of Topeka
Topeka, Kan.
$4,800
Boys and Girls Clubs of Gloucester County, Inc.
Glassboro, N,J.
$5,000
Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills, Inc.
Southern Pines, N.C.
$16,000
Boys and Girls Club of Western Broome
Endwell, N.Y.
$10,000
Boys and Girls Clubs of Lorain County
Oberlin, Ohio
$7,500
Central Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
Helena, Ariz.
$32,500
The First Tee of Central Coast
Summerland, Calif.
$40,000
Challenge Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
$8,500
Chattanooga Junior Golfers Development Program
Chattanooga, Tenn.
$35,000
Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin
Wausau, Wis.
$5,000
City of Erie
Erie, Pa.
$80,000
Courage Center-Courage Duluth Programs
Duluth, Minn.
$4,650
Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation
Oakland, Calif.
$12,500
Future Masters, Inc.
Orlando, Fla.
$20,000
Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology
Spring Hill, Fla.
$6,000
Heart of Variety Fund
Philadelphia, Pa.
$55,000
Jasper County Sheltered Facilities Association
Joplin, Mo.
$7,250
Kinzua Hills Golf Club
Kinzua, Ore.
$30,000
Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Charity Foundation
Los Angeles, Calif.
$10,000
LPGA Foundation
Daytona Beach, Fla.
$175,000
LP’s Southside Community Youth Center
Sandusky, Ohio
$20,000
Massachusetts Golf Association
Norton, Mass.
$4,960
Metropolitan Golf Association Foundation
Elmsford, N.Y.
$20,000
Muncie Boys and Girls Club
Muncie, Ind.
$6,400
National Alliance for Youth Sports
West Palm Beach, Fla.
$100,000
National Coalition of 100 Black Women
San Francisco, Calif.
$10,000
National Golf Course Owners Association
Mount Pleasant, S.C.
$100,000
Northern Maine Development Commission, Inc.
Caribou, Maine
$8,500
Nurturing Individuals Needing Assistance Foundation
Calumet City, Ill.
$4,800
Ohio Junior Golf Association
Norwalk, Ohio
$20,000
Plentywood Golf Club
Plentywood, Mont.
$3,800
Positive Swing
Southport, Ind.
$22,500
Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands
East Sandwich, Mass.
$21,000
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Ill.
$15,000
San Jose Sports Authority
San Jose, Calif.
$45,000
Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club Inc
Santa Fe, N.M.
$16,000
Seattle Junior Golf Foundation
Seattle, Wash.
$35,000
South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation
Irmo, S.C.
$22,500
Southern Texas PGA Foundation
The Woodlands, Texas
$35,000
Special Olympics International
Washington, D.C.
$25,000
Special Olympics Southern California, Inc.
Culver City, Calif.
$6,300
The First Tee of Columbus
Columbus, Ga.
$30,000
The First Tee of Jacksonville, Inc.
Jacksonville, Fla.
$20,000
The Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association
Philadelphia, Pa.
$40,000
Traverse City Junior Golf Association
Traverse City, Mich.
$20,000
The University of Southern Mississippi- Technology Learning Center
Hattiesburg, Miss.
$25,000
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
$22,500
United States Golf Association
Colorado Springs, Colo.
$9,270
United States Golf Association
Colorado Springs, Colo.
$1,440
West Penn Minority Junior Golf Association, Inc.
Monroeville, Pa.
$65,000
Whittier Middle School
Loraine, Ohio
$1,300
YMCA of South Hampton Roads
Virginia Beach, Va.
$35,000
Youth On Course, Inc.
Salt Lake City, Utah
$7,500
Youth Sports Council of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
$12,500
USGA Grants Initiative: A Capsule History
The United States Golf Association is working to make the game of golf affordable and accessible. Since 1997, the grants initiative has traditionally focused on programming for economically disadvantaged kids and individuals with disabilities. The USGA Executive Committee has extended this grants initiative to the end of the decade (2010), bringing total anticipated USGA support to $65 million to provide financial support and assistance to deserving golf programs. Beyond its Grants Initiative, the USGA partners with national organizations to promote affordable and accessible facility development, course access, girls’ golf, and initiatives for individuals with disabilities.
For more information on the USGA Grants Initiative, contact the Grants office in Colorado Springs, Colo., at (719) 471-4810 or visit the Grants Section of the USGA Web site at www.usga.org.
Contact:
Craig Smith
(908) 234-2300
