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The USGA has formed partnerships with several
national initiatives to help better serve the game at its grass-roots
level. All of these programs share a common philosophy with the
Association in terms of growing the game while also teaching
valuable life skills.
The USGA is the largest financial
supporter of The
First Tee network and at year-end 2008,
had provided in excess of $24 million dollars to 174 individual
chapters
of The First Tee and to the Home Office. The First Tee is an initiative of the
World Golf Foundation that was officially founded in 1997 as a partnership between
the USGA, PGA of America, LPGA, PGA TOUR, and Augusta National
Golf Club. The organization was created to increase the number of youth participating
in the game, with an emphasis on those who would not otherwise have access, by
developing affordable golf learning facilities where kids can learn the game
of golf at places where they are welcome to play. In addition to developing junior-friendly
facilities, The First Tee has developed a strong life skills component to complement
the golf curriculum that incorporates community service and mentoring opportunities.
The First Tee programming is implemented at its individual chapters, which are
located in 48 states across the country. The USGA is the largest financial supporter
of The First Tee network and at year-end 2008, had provided in excess of $24
million dollars to 174 individual chapters of The First Tee and to the Home Office.
To attract more girls to the game of golf, the USGA entered into a partnership
with the LPGA and the Girls Scouts of the USA in 1996 to create the LPGA Girls
Golf Club. This program introduced more than 2,500 girls nationwide to the game
of golf. In 2002, the USGA continued its support of junior girl golfers by  partnering
with the LPGA Foundation. The newly restructured program titled LPGA-USGA
Girls
Golf is aimed at increasing the number and diversity of girls who have the
opportunity to learn and play the game of golf in a fun and comfortable environment.
Each
site is operated on a local level with professional instruction and volunteers.
USGA volunteers, state and regional golf associations, and EWGA members provide
Rules of Golf education as well as community support. Additionally in 2002, Girls
Golf launched its matching grants program as a way to help local sites with expenses
incurred for equipment, instruction, and course and range access. As of December
2008, the USGA has awarded more than $1.3 million to support the initiative since
its involvement in 1996. At year end 2008, Girls Golf had 187 sites and nearly
6,000 girls participating nationwide. More than 60,000 girls have participated
in Girls Golf since its inception.
The National Alliance for Accessible Golf (the Alliance) is a charitable
organization founded in 2001 working to ensure the opportunity for all individuals
with disabilities
to play the game of golf. The Alliance is a broad-based coalition comprised
of individuals with disabilities, representatives from national golf organizations,
and specialists in the fields of rehabilitation, medicine, therapeutic recreation
and physical therapy.
In an effort to advance golf for individuals with disabilities,
the organization
has written tool kits for golf course owners and golfers. Through GAIN
(Golf: Accessible and Inclusive Networks) and other programs, the Alliance
also
promotes inclusion and awareness to the golf industry, golf instructors,
and the public.
To view the National Alliance for Accessible Golf’s
Web site, please visit www.accessgolf.org.
Hook
a Kid on Golf (HAKOG) was founded in 1990
by the National
Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), in order
to give individual communities the tools and
resources necessary to start their own junior
golf programs.
The USGA assisted with the creation of HAKOG
with a $90,000 start-up challenge grant, followed
by
a
$45,000 challenge in 1991. After NAYS not only
met both challenge grants but exceeded them,
it became
clear that HAKOG was a well-established program
that effectively introduced the game to youth
across the
country. The USGA has continued its financial
support HAKOG programs, awarding NAYS to date over
$973,000
in funding.
At the local level, USGA financial assistance
matches the $125 program enrollment fee for
up to 10 economically
disadvantaged youth in the HAKOG Tee Level
Clinics provided that the organization subsidizes
participant fees for an equal number
of economically disadvantaged youth as they are requesting. Tee Level Clinics
are designed to introduce the game of golf to beginners through a week-long curriculum
that focuses on basic instruction and life skills education. In addition, participants
receive a new starter set of golf clubs at the end of programming. Since 2001,
the USGA has awarded over $800,000 for this subsidization, which translates into
over 6,400 youths who have been able to participate in the Tee Level Clinic for
no fee. This process has effectively doubled the number of economically disadvantaged
participants impacted by USGA dollars through HAKOG programs. Although HAKOG
also operates a Start Smart program for beginner golfers ages 5-7 and Green
Level Clinics, a six-week program designed to transition beginners onto the
golf course,
USGA funds only subsidize enrollment into the Tee Level Clinics. Organizations
should not come directly to the USGA Foundation for these matching grants but
instead contact the NAYS office, who is responsible for distributing the matching
funds awarded to them by the USGA.
The USGA office will accept grant applications for HAKOG Challenge
Leagues provided that these programs are also operated for economically
disadvantaged youth. Challenge
Leagues are designed as a continued access opportunity for youth who have advanced
through the introductory HAKOG Clinics and have demonstrated the ability and
desire to play on the golf course. In 2002, the USGA awarded NAYS $50,000
in matching funds for Challenge Golf Leagues operated through their partnership
with the Police Athletic League.
Founded in November 2000, Kids on Course is a partnership between
the USGA and the National Golf Course Owner’s Association
(NGCOA) with the goal of securing affordable golf course access
for participants in USGA-supported junior golf
programs. Both organizations believe that access to affordable playing
opportunities is one of the most important factors in facilitating
the development of young
people through golf. The characteristic that defines the Kids on Course
program is the rate that kids pay – only $1.00 per round.
In addition to providing affordable access, Kids On Course offers
a Web site where participants can
post scores to track improvement. The USGA handles the overall administration
and
planning of this project, with assistance in marketing from the NGCOA.
More
information can be found at http://www.usga.org/aboutus/foundation/initiatives/kidsoncourse.html.
The USGA has provided financial support to Special
Olympics since 1992. Additionally, representatives of the USGA have assisted
at the Special Olympics national invitational golf tournament, which
is played in accordance to the USGA’s Rules of Golf. More than 100 Special
Olympics athletes compete annually at the Special Olympics National Invitational
Tournament.
Among Special Olympics sports, golf provides one of the greatest opportunities
for these athletes to train and compete with their peers in the community.
The public setting of a golf course is a great venue for all athletes to
demonstrate their skills and passion for the game. The mission of Special
Olympics is to
provide year-round sports training and competition to athletes with cognitive
or developmental disabilities.
For more information about Special Olympics,
please visit www.specialolympics.org.
Golf 20/20 is an industry-wide initiative to develop future interest
and lasting involvement in the game of golf. The Junior Initiative is
aimed at enhancing
communication and organizing resources related to junior golf. In 2001, the USGA
launched JuniorLinks.com --- the ultimate junior golf web site, serving kids,
parents and program directors. The site hosts a searchable database of junior
golf programs registered across the country. JuniorLinks.com offers articles
and resources on junior golf. The USGA manages the day-to-day operations of JuniorLinks.com.
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