MACOMB COUNTY, Mich.-There is a little bug inside most people called the entrepreneurial spirit and when it bites, you respond. That’s exactly what happened to Dave Robinson when he decided to acquire the Total Golf Adventures franchise for Macomb County and the neighboring Grosse Pointes.
Total Golf Adventures is the leading provider of at-school, after-school golf enrichment programs in the country.
After 32 years as a newspaper editor, including 22 at the Detroit Free Press, Robinson took a buyout at the end of 2007. He was sports editor of the Free Press from 1985 to 1993, then deputy managing editor through 2007. He coordinated coverage of many international sporting events, including the Olympics from 1996 through 2004, the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills and the 2006 Super Bowl at Ford Field.
His Free Press work also focused on students. Robinson was one of the founders of the Yak’s Corner program for children and worked closely with high school journalists from Detroit Public Schools whose newspapers were published by the Free Press.
“I’ve always loved working with kids – from 10 years coaching my son and daughter’s Liittle League teams, to working with young journalists at the Free Press,” Robinson said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the smiles as TGA students learn to play golf.”
Robinson has a lifelong passion for golf. He has played the game since age 10, was the No. 1 player on his high school team and played on the freshman team at Stanford University. “It was pretty clear I wasn’t varsity material, so I gave up competitive golf and started working for the Stanford Daily,” said Robinson, who soon became sports editor of the Daily, then editor-in-chief his senior year.
His one competitive claim to fame was helping Gary Koch win the 1970 U.S. Junior Amateur. “I missed the cut – by a lot,” Robinson said. “But somehow I got there by beating Jay Haas in the local qualifying at St. Louis, so I figure I helped Koch by keeping Haas out of the field.”
Robinson is eager to begin TGA classes this fall in Macomb County and the Grosse Pointes. The territory includes about 900,000 people, more than 250 elementary schools and 30 public golf courses.
“Macomb County and the Grosse Pointes are wonderful golf communities and were always high on our radar as being pegged as a growth opportunity for TGA and the game of golf,” said Joshua Jacobs, President and CEO of TGA. “Dave has a passion for golf and his bigger desire to work with youngsters makes for a strong combination which we are looking for in our territory directors. His strong sense of the entrepreneurial spirit will also carry him a long way in his community.”
TGA has put more than 38,000 K-8th grade students through its programs, and there are 41 TGA programs in 22 states with more than 1,500 schools participating. Michigan continues to be an important state for TGA with franchises in East and West Oakland County and South Central Michigan.
Total Golf Adventures (TGA) (www.totalgolfadventures.com) was founded in 2003 with a mission to provide all K-8th grade students with access to the game of golf through the first national at-school, after school Golf Enrichment Program.
TGA is one of the fastest-growing sports franchises and junior golf companies because the traditional barriers of convenience and cost that prevent 90% of children from playing golf are eliminated when golf is brought to the schools.
TGA’s 5 Level Golf Enrichment Program, developed by golf professionals and education experts, teaches the fundamentals, rules and etiquette of golf, while promoting golf’s life values through its character development initiative, “Play the Fair Way with TGA.” TGA transitions students from their schools to the golf course by offering camps, tournaments, clinics and private lessons.
TGA supplies its territory owners with the tools they need to succeed while building a strong base of corporate supporters that supply a variety of services and products to TGA territories. Just added to a growing list of corporate partners/sponsors is Staples®, which provides printed marketing solutions for all TGA territories. Already participating with TGA are Nicklaus Golf Equipment, the official provider of junior golf clubs, and Garb, Inc., the official provider of apparel for participants and staff.
Total Golf Adventures is endorsed and named as the official junior golf initiative by the National High School Golf Coaches Association (NHSGCA) and the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA); is a national supporting organization of the After School Alliance and Lights on AfterSchool, and is a corporate advocate and a partner of the President’s Challenge on Physical Fitness.
Contact:
Macomb/Grosse Pointes: Dave Robinson 586-489-8332; drobinson@totalgolfadventures.com
For TGA: Alan Taylor 516-835-151
