Colorado Springs, Colo. - The U.S. Golf Association awarded 59 new grants totaling $1,454,220 to nonprofit organizations to support affordable and accessible golf programs and facilities. These new awards will reach more than 17,000 kids and individuals with disabilities nationally as part of the USGA’s effort to bring golf to audiences that otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to learn the game.
USGA funding has exceeded $49 million during the past nine years and is only $80,000 short of reaching the original Grants Initiative goal of giving $50 million in support during the past decade (1997-2006). Grant funds will be used at programs for instruction, golf course and range access, equipment, and course construction. The USGA “For the Good of the Game” grants program is enhanced by the support of state and regional golf associations and local PGA of America sections, which make a significant impact in promoting the game to everyone.
“Golf is a game that gives us instant and long-term camaraderie,” says USGA president Walter Driver. “The USGA is proud to support local programs for kids and individuals with disabilities that provide opportunities to learn the game of golf, to discover the life skills and values inherent to the game, and to experience the pure joy of hitting your first shot off the ground.”
Nowhere is the sport’s camaraderie more evident than in the relationship between the USGA and the allied golf associations. For example, the Philadelphia Variety Club received a $55,000 grant from the USGA to help build the Vincent Mariniello Golf Course, a project spearheaded by the Philadelphia Section of the PGA of America. The three-hole course and driving range will be built with monies from both organizations and will be used exclusively by individuals with disabilities, catering to 400 kids each summer.
“A working partnership between the USGA and a PGA Section, which essentially is a franchise, is wonderful,” says Geoffrey Surrette, executive director of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA. “It brings professional and amateur golf together to do what is right for the game.”
Another grant went to the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation. It received a $22,500 award for Little Legends, a golf program for 13 low-income areas that will potentially reach 1,000 kids.
“We’re proud to have the Little Legends program recognized by the USGA through this grant,” says Tim Kreger, director of development for the Foundation. “Success with low-cost programming takes collaborative efforts from many resources. It is a blessing that the USGA continues to partner with our organization to offer the necessary funding to continue allowing us to grow this great game. Collaboration is the key to success and this is just one example of how the USGA continually provides growth opportunities for all state and regional golf associations.”
In addition to monetary support, the USGA has also developed material resources to help golf programs foster local partnerships. The latest informational booklet is “Fore! Raise Your Voice - A Communications Guide,” which helps programs develop strategic communications plans.
Additionally, the USGA offers a fund-raising strategy manual entitled “Approaching the Green - A Fundraising Guide for Non-Profit Golf Programs.”