The big catch phrase among golf cognoscenti year to year is “growing the game.”
To me that doesn’t mean bulking up the bottom line, though that’s a plus.
Nor does it mean expanding the PGA Tour to every corner of the globe.
It means getting kids on the links in any way possible—and giving them the space, time and place to fall in love with golf forever.
Fortunately we have plenty of organizations out there with a mind and heart to get kids into golf, but in some instances, the biggest barrier of all remains: Being able to afford access to the kind of courses that’ll hook them for good.
One of those outfits, Youth on Course, opens the door to quality golf by subsidizing their rounds via donations—plus supporting college scholarships, paid internships and caddie training programs.
It’s a worthy cause, and we can all support it by bidding on rounds of golf for ourselves at some of America’s most coveted private tracks, from the comfort of our own computers or mobile devices.
Youth On Course hosts its annual online auction November 10-14, with all proceeds supporting youth golfers across the country with rounds of golf for $5 or less.
Who among us wouldn’t love to tee it up at a bucket-list beauty while helping kids get into the game?
Potential supporters can bid on golf on legendary private clubs like Rivier and Sleepy Hollow; a round of golf and dinner at The Institute, one of Golf Advisor’s “10 Insanely Private Golf Courses You Will Never Get to Play”); and many more bucket-listers. The auction also offers a one-year private golf club network membership, golf getaway packages and family-friendly events and destinations.
Operating in every U.S. region, Youth on Course has more than 70,000 active members with access to 18 holes of golf for $5 or less at thousands of courses across 34 states and Canada. Since 2006, juniors have completed 950,000 rounds while the organization has helped generate more than $6.2 million in tee-time revenue reimbursed back to individual golf courses.
Since 2008 they’ve also awarded 241 students with scholarships, totaling more than $1.7 million in financial support. The current Youth on Course scholarship retention rate is 98 percent, with 53 students already graduated.
Says Youth on Course Chief Development Officer Jeff Clark in a recent press release, “The generous support from bidders is vital to supporting the Youth on Course core purpose of providing today’s youth with life-changing opportunities through golf. With exclusive items and experiences offered, this is a great chance for bidders to gain access for themselves to some cool places, and at the same time, provide access to a new world for our youth members.”
Sounds good to me.
Follow Youth on Course via Twitter and Instagram (@yocgolf) or the hashtag #YOCAUCTION19 for the latest information about the auction and its items.
