Family Course complements new PGA/USGA Tee it Forward program
ATLANTA – The U.S. Kids Golf Family Course program has received a significant benefit, as the USGA has begun officially rating the Level 2 tees.
The U.S. Kids Golf Family Course program, created in 2002, allows juniors and beginners to play from distance-appropriate yardages. Over 1,000 courses worldwide have installed the Family Course at their facility.
The Level 2 Family Course tees are typically around 3800 yards in length for 18 holes. The recommended yardages are between 75-115 yards for Par 3s, 185-245 yards for Par 4s and 285-345 yards for Par 5s. The level is for more advanced players than Level 1 Family Course tees, which average approximately 2200 yards for 18 holes.
“The Family Course program is an extraordinary benefit for players whose experience and abilities are not suitable for traditional course yardages,” said Dan Van Horn, Founder and President of U.S. Kids Golf. “Now that the Level 2 tees are being rated by the USGA, aspiring young golfers have the opportunity to track their progress through the handicap system.”
Along with the Family Course news, U.S. Kids Golf announced its support of the new PGA/USGA “Tee It Forward” program, while suggesting further initiatives for the industry to revitalize the game. The program, which encourages golfers to play at tee lengths best suited for their skill level, employs the same philosophy as the Family Course initiative.
“The Family Course has proven to be successful across the globe,” Van Horn said. “We began partnering with the PGA on the Family Course program in 2007. Now, we are delighted that both the PGA and USGA will be providing more focus on the fact that golfers enjoy the game more when playing from tees that are better suited for their ability.”
Van Horn believes that the existing Family Course tees will function as a “head start” for the Tee it Forward program.
“What is nice about this new initiative is how well the permanent Family Course tees integrate into it,” he said. “By having actual tee markers installed, the Family Course provides a specific teeing area for ongoing enjoyment for those whose golf abilities are not served by traditional tee yardages.”
U.S. Kids Golf has established three additional recommendations for courses and the industry as follows:
1. Encourage the use of shorter tees for any golfer whose enjoyment of the game would be enhanced by more success on the course. U.S. Kids Golf believes that golfers enjoy shooting lower scores and that regardless of distance off the tee, if a golfer cannot average 6 shots per hole (54 for 9 holes), he or she would enjoy the game more by playing from a shorter yardage.
2. Emphasize that 9-hole rounds are eligible to be entered for handicapping purposes and should be encouraged due to limited discretionary time available for many people.
3. Encourage golf course architects to design as many as seven different teeing areas per hole in order to provide all golfers with tees that match their abilities.
About U.S. Kids Golf
U.S. Kids Golf, LLC is based in Atlanta, Ga., and manufactures equipment and related golf products made especially for kids. In addition to more than 4,000 golf shops and retail locations in the U.S., the company’s products also are available in over 75 countries worldwide.
The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation, a Georgia non-profit recognized as a 501(c)(3) charity, was created in 2001 and provides services that include competition and instruction. The Foundation organizes more than 500 golf tournaments for kids each year, including Local Tours in more than 40 cities, ten Qualifiers across the nation, six Regional Championships, a European Championship and the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship and Teen World Championship, which are held each year in Pinehurst, N.C.
In partnership with the PGA of America, the Foundation also supports the U.S. Kids Golf Family Course program, which provides guidelines that help courses make the game easier to learn and more fun for kids and their families.
For more information, call 1-888-387-5437 or visit www.uskidsgolf.com.
Contact:
Andy Sadler
U.S. Kids Golf
Corporate Communications Director
1-888-387-5437 ext. 108
asadler@uskidsgolf.com
www.uskidsgolf.com
