(PEBBLE BEACH, CA) – Youth on Course – the non-profit providing youth with access to affordable golf, meaningful high school employment opportunities and college scholarships – extended to a pair of major golf markets by partnering with the Georgia State Golf Association and Golf House of Kentucky.
As part of the agreement, junior golfers in these territories will be able to join the Youth on Course network and access unlimited golf for $5 or less per round. Courses offering the program this season will be announced soon.
Born in Northern California, Youth on Course subsidizes greens fees to remove cost as a barrier to entry for potential lifelong golfers. Nearly 20,000 kids age six to 18, across 14 states, are active members of YOC and play at hundreds of partner courses each year.
“We were looking for a way to engage our junior golfers beyond a competitive setting,” said Golf House of Kentucky Executive Director Steve McMilen. “This game teaches so many valuable lessons and opens so many doors, that we want to remove any obstacles to regular play.”
Funds raised by the Kentucky Golf Foundation will go toward round subsidies as facilities across the state begin to adopt the program. In the future, the KGF is considering expanding into college scholarship awards and paid caddie positions that operate through Youth on Course. Golf House of Kentucky – a family of golf associations that includes the Kentucky Golf Association, Kentucky PGA and Kentucky Golf Foundation – will oversee the program.
Nearly 500,000 subsidized rounds have been provided by Youth on Course to date and the organization has awarded $912,000 in college scholarships to deserving members. Alumni of their internship and caddie programs have also gone on to be collegiate golfers and productive members of the industry.
Georgia, home to Bobby Jones, The Masters and some of golf’s richest history, embraces growing the game through providing youth with opportunities.
“A key part of our mission is to make golf accessible to all ages, and Youth on Course is a wonderful organization which allows us to help provide access for juniors and ultimately create golfers for life,” said GSGA Executive Director Matt Vanderpool. “By making the game affordable we will cultivate and grow the next generation of golfers which will in turn benefit our member facilities, creating a win-win scenario.”
Funds raised by the Georgia State Golf Association will go toward round subsidies as facilities across the state begin to adopt the program. The first available courses to offer the Youth on Course rate will likely be announced this spring.
Industry support for Youth on Course is a momentum driver for the organization as it spreads nationwide. Many view the initiative as a bridge between youth instruction and consistent play throughout adulthood, as well as an opportunity for junior golfers to interact outside of a competition setting.
“Introducing ‘$5 or less’ green fees in Georgia and Kentucky is a huge leap forward in making golf readily available for youth throughout the country,” said Youth on Course Executive Director Adam Heieck. “There’s an enormous opportunity to grow the game in such important areas and we could not be more thrilled to welcome these associations and a new group of junior golfers into the Youth on Course family.”
Support for Youth on Course drives the organization’s growth across America. This year, the organization has been recognized by The Golf Channel and Golf Digest as an essential bridge between youth instruction and consistent play throughout adulthood.
For information and a list of Youth on Course partners, visit www.youthoncourse.org, or call 831.625.4653.
About Youth on Course
The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth with access to life-changing opportunities through golf. Members receive access to hundreds of courses for $5 or less, employment opportunities through the Caddie Academy and internship program, and college scholarships.
Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. In 2014, Youth on Course began partnering with state and regional golf associations to expand nationally, with the goal of providing access to affordable golf in all 50 states by 2020.
For more information, please visit: youthoncourse.org
Contact:
Dan Shepherd
Buffalo.Agency
703.891.3320
dshepherd@buffalo.agency
Tommy Glasgow
Buffalo.Agency
703.891.3348
tglasgow@buffalo.agency
