ATLANTA – More than 500 golf professionals worldwide have applied to be a U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Kids Teacher, indicating a remarkable upward trend in focus on junior golf.
The 557 applicants is an increase of 81% over the 2011 total of 308, which was previously the highest number of applications for the award. The applicants come from 46 states and 11 countries, which are also both records for this award.
“The significant increase in applicants suggests that the U.S. Kids Golf mission of helping kids have fun learning the lifelong game of golf is being fulfilled like never before,” said Dan Van Horn, founder and president of U.S. Kids Golf. “The selection process will be more competitive than ever, and we have confidence that the future of junior golf is in excellent hands.”
The award, in its ninth year, recognizes golf professionals across North America who focus much of their time and energy on developing young golfers in their communities. The instructors are judged on several criteria, including percentage of time devoted to kids programs, creativity, communication and efforts to grow the game.
The 2012 Top 50 Kids Teachers will be recognized Friday, January 25, 2013, at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.
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 600 golf tournaments for kids each year, including Local Tours in more than 40 cities, ten Qualifiers across the nation, seven 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
1-888-387-5437 ext. 108
asadler@uskidsgolf.com
