More than 200,000 Rounds already played to benefit families of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders
FRISCO, Texas – Led by Honorary Chairman Jack Nicklaus and anchored by Memorial Day weekend, PGA of America Golf Professionals nationwide and Folds of Honor—a non-profit foundation that provides academic scholarships to families of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders—will again celebrate Patriot Golf Days together. Already, more than 200,000 golfers have played rounds in support of Patriot Golf Days.
Over the last 17 years, Patriot Golf Days has grown to encompass a variety of fundraising efforts that involve PGA of America Golf Professionals and golfers in all 50 states and 41 PGA of America Sections. These include rounding up green fees, donations at the counter, hosting golf tournaments or participating in Hero100 Golf Marathons. The Memorial Day weekend events have raised more than $84 million and funded more than 16,800 scholarships to help the families of Veterans and first responders.
“Veterans, Active Duty Military and First Responders are very near and dear to the hearts of PGA of America Golf Professionals, myself included as my father served in the Navy during World War II,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). “Programs such as Folds of Honor and PGA HOPE allow the game to improve and even save lives. We invite golfers everywhere to get involved, whether it’s adding to your green fees or playing in a golf marathon, every donation helps.”
Created by PGA of America Golf Professional Lt Col Dan Rooney, a former F-16 fighter pilot, Patriot Golf Days began as a grassroots fundraising initiative in 2007 encouraging golfers across the country to add an extra dollar to their green fees to fund Folds of Honor scholarships.
“Playing golf’s most heroic round during Patriot Golf Days over Memorial Day weekend allows us to provide a life-changing education,” said Lt Col Dan Rooney, PGA, founder and CEO of Folds of Honor. “I encourage everyone to go to the golf course or visit patriotgolfdays.com and make a one-time donation to assist those who need and deserve our help. While last year Folds provided over 9,300 scholarships, which was a record, the need remains great. The continued participation in Patriot Golf Days is critical to our mission, and we are so thankful to everyone who is making it a success. We are grateful for this record-breaking support through the game of golf.”
Folds of Honor continues to lead the onsite efforts for Patriot Golf Days activities surrounding Memorial Day weekend. The PGA of America REACH Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, will support the promotional efforts for Patriot Golf Days to the more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals, their facilities and consumers.
Additionally, since 2023, the Folds of Honor Foundation has made a commitment to PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. The program includes a six-to eight-week golf instruction curriculum taught by PGA of America Golf Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency.
To donate or register for Patriot Golf Days, visit patriotgolfdays.com.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world’s foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of US military service members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving our country and communities. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded over 52,000 scholarships totaling about $244 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 45 percent are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on Candid. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA Professional. He is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship visit foldsofhonor.org.
Media Contacts:
Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com
Glenn Greenspan, Folds of Honor, GGreenspan@foldsofhonor.org
