Colorado Springs, Colo. – The United States Golf Association (USGA) has awarded 52 grants totaling nearly $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2008 to support golf programs across the nation for economically disadvantaged juniors and individuals with disabilities. The funding will be used for instruction, golf course and range access, equipment, transportation and the construction of accessible golf facilities.
The USGA has awarded more than $59.7 million since it implemented the Grants Initiative, “For the Good of the Game,” in 1997. The Association has committed $5 million to the program for 2008.
The USGA awarded a large percentage of the current funds to support local chapters of The First Tee, a national organization devoted to impacting the lives of children through golf and character development. The USGA is a founding partner of The First Tee and is its largest single financial contributor, at more than $21.5 million.
“The USGA is pleased to be the single largest supporter of The First Tee,” said USGA President Jim Vernon. “From constructing facilities for junior golfers to implementing quality golf programs nationwide, the initiative has expanded significantly since 1997. Our support for The First Tee remains strong.”
The largest awards were made to the LPGA Foundation in Florida and the Colorado Golf Association, which received $180,000 and $175,000 respectively. Another $100,000 was awarded to the National Alliance for Youth Sports in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Notable First Tee programs that received funding were the Chi Chi Rodriguez Foundation in Clearwater, Fla., the Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association (GPSGA), the Patriots’ Gateway Community Center inRockford, Ill., and the Youth Golf Coalition in Louisville, Ky.
The Chi Chi Rodriguez Foundation, founded in 1979, provides opportunities for at-risk children by using the golf course as a classroom. The organization operates a school for 76 students, grades four through seven.
The GPSGA, founded in 1978, provides a competitive avenue for Philadelphia’s urban students. Since becoming a chapter of The First Tee in 2003, GPSGA has served more than 2,600 children through summer, after-school and in-school golf programs. In 2006, the Association started GolfWorks, an intern program at golf courses throughout Philadelphia.
The Patriots’ Gateway Community Center opened its doors in 1996 to offer life-enriching opportunities in an area that continues to struggle with the problems of poverty, high crime rates, unemployment, drugs and gang activity.In 2007, the organization reached 800 children from local youth service agencies through The First Tee of Rockford.
The Youth Golf Coalition has expanded its facilities and has become popular in metropolitan Louisville. The program operates year-round and serves more than 500 children each year.
For a complete summary of the USGA grants program and an individual listing of the current grant awards, visit the “Supporting the Game” section of the USGA Web site at www.usga.org.
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and Mexico, 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. Ten 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 $59 million over 11 years to successful programs that bring the game’s values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Craig Smith (csmith@usga.org)
Web address: www.usga.org
USGA phone: (908) 234-2300
