The national newspaper reported on how the 11-year-old program that caps the cost of a round at $5 for registered players ages 7-18 is catching on and is now offered at 330 participating courses in 12 states.
A USA Today report highlighted how the Youth on Course program is removing financial barriers to bring more young players into golf.
The Northern California Golf Association Foundation started Youth on Course in 2005, with a simple idea: Make it possible for kids from ages 7-18 to never pay more than $5 for a round of golf, thus giving more of them access to the game that is often viewed as an unaffordable luxury.
Those who sign up for Youth on Course (youthoncourse.org) receive an official membership card in the mail and can begin playing at identified courses for $5 or less. They can then play in any participating state or region, regardless of where their membership is based. The Youth on Course organization subsidizes the remaining balance for the cost of their rounds through regional and local fundraising efforts, and reimburses participating courses.
According to USA Today, Youth on Course is now offered at 330 courses spanning 12 states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
“It’s good for the game,” Youth on Course’s Executive Director, Adam Heieck, told USA Today. “We’re trying to provide access to opportunities, and that’s what Youth on Course is all about.
“[Youth on Course] is impacting kids more than just on the golf course,” Heieck added. “We get a lot of calls from parents who have said it has changed their family dynamic or their kids and their behavior. It’s bringing people together through the game of golf.”
In 2009, USA Today reported, Youth on Course expanded to add the Caddie Academy and make high school internships and college scholarships available to members.
Through the Caddie Academy, deserving and enthusiastic Youth on Course members can caddie at some of the top courses in their area. And through the internships, they can gain meaningful work experience in the golf industry and explore alternative career choices.
Heieck told USA Today that he envisions the program’s expansion into the Southeast and Northeast regions of the U.S. in the next year or so, and that he hopes to establish Youth on Course as a household name by 2020.
“We see this as a logical extension of The First Tee, and as something that the entire [golf] industry can get behind,” he said.
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