Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – For the ninth consecutive year, people throughout the United States have the opportunity to improve their golf game during the entire month of May by participating in Play Golf America’s PGA Free Lesson Month.
Play Golf America's PGA Free Lesson Month is designed to reach new golfers and help existing golfers improve their game with a free, 10-minute golf lesson conducted by PGA Professionals nationwide. It is a growth-of-the-game initiative between The PGA of America, Golf Digest, The Golf Channel and Golf for Women. Nike Golf is the official program sponsor.
PGA Free Lesson Month is one of the most successful growth-of-the-game campaigns in the golf industry. Last year, the program shattered its own eight-year growth record by a 32 percent margin. Almost 6,900 PGA Professionals from 5,572 facilities nationwide gave an estimated 122,160 free lessons to amateurs across the country. PGA Professionals indicated that 56 percent of the free lessons they conducted were with new customers. PGA Professionals each gave an average of 17 lessons with each lesson lasting more than 18 minutes. A total of 36,890 hours were dedicated to free lessons. The entire list of PGA Professionals and their respective facilities hosting free lessons this year is posted on the updated Web site, www.playgolfamerica.com.
“For the ninth consecutive year, PGA Free Lesson Month continues to impact The PGA of America's mission to increase golf participation among new and occasional golfers,” says PGA of America president Roger Warren. “With our support of Golf Digest, Golf For Women, The Golf Channel and Nike Golf, we look forward to continued growth and sharing the expertise of PGA Professionals with golfers of all skill levels.”
The Golf Digest Companies, which has teamed with The PGA of America since the campaign’s inception, will use three publications - Golf Digest, Golf World and Golf For Women - to promote PGA Free Lesson month to a combined audience of almost nine million readers. Golf Digest will provide editorial coverage on PGA Free Lesson Month in its May issue and will feature a roster of PGA Professionals offering 10-minute free lessons. The May issue of Golf Digest also will include an insert sweepstakes card, giving readers a convenient way to sign up for a free lesson and register to win a golf getaway vacation. In addition, the program will be featured in Golf For Women magazine’s May/June issue, Golf World magazine’s April issue, and it will also be posted on www.golfdigest.com.
The Golf Channel, in its fourth year as partner, will dedicate May as PGA Free Lesson Month on its instructional golf show, “Golf Academy Live.” The PGA of America president Roger Warren will be the special guest on the first program scheduled for May 1. Three more specialty shows will feature PGA Professionals, including PGA Teacher of the Year Peter Krause and PGA Director of Instruction Rick Martino, who will communicate the message of the program to nearly 70 million viewers. In addition, The Golf Channel will promote the program on-air in their nightly news program, “Golf Central,” and online at www.TheGolfChannel.com.
Nike Golf, in its capacity as the official sponsor for a fourth consecutive year, is supplying prizes for the Sweepstakes winners.
“We are delighted to serve as the official sponsor of this important initiative for the fourth consecutive year,” says Nike Golf’s U.S. general manager, Cindy Davis. “We do so because we believe in it. Every free lesson provided by PGA Professionals is another step towards the industry’s goal of increasing golf participation.”
Every golfer who takes a free lesson and sends in a free lesson card, will be entered to win a grand prize sweepstakes package. The amateur Grand Prize winner, picked at random, will win a four-day trip to the PGA Village which includes a three-day PGA Golf School in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Grand Prize for the PGA Professional who gives the most lessons is an appearance on The Golf Channel’s “Golf Academy Live.” Both the amateur and PGA Professional will receive a custom-fit set of Nike golf clubs along with Nike Golf footwear and apparel. One hundred “First Swing” booklets and a dozen Nike Ignite golf balls or Leadbetter’s Quick Tips will also be awarded chosen at random.
