Only 45 days after launch, Golf 20/20’s Get Golf Ready adult player development initiative exceeded its 2009 target of 700 certified facilities offering the program. More than 800 facilities have been certified to host Get Golf Ready programs and another 250 facilities have applied but have not yet been certified, according to a quarterly report from Golf 20/20.
The organization expects several hundred additional facilities to be certified this year. The online facility registration process began on January 29 to coincide with presentations at the PGA Merchandise Show. The following week, additional presentations at the Golf Industry Show stimulated further industry interest.
The 2009 Get Golf Ready host sites are geographically dispersed throughout the country. However, the following six metro markets have been targeted for 2009 for a greater concentration of host sites: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. A minimum of 10 facilities have been certified to offer Get Golf Ready in each of these markets.
Get Golf Ready continues to function as an effective industry collaboration. The PGA of America is providing significant support in the areas of player development, promotion and technology, and has made Get Golf Ready the featured "Play Golf America" program for 2009. The National Golf Course Owners Association, the Club Managers Association of America and the International Association of Golf Administrators, among others, are aggressively promoting the initiative with their memberships. And a broad industry coalition of more than 60 organizations and individuals have committed more than $2.5 million in funding over three years to support the payment of $1,000 stipends to participating facilities.