TGA Premier Sports, the nation’s leading introductory and recreational junior golf program has partnered with Youth on Course, the non-profit organization providing young people with subsidized golf, college scholarships, paid internships and a caddie program. This partnership creates a significant pathway for junior golfers who learn the game at non-green-grass facilities (schools and community centers) then transition to playing at golf courses, further fueling their passion for the sport.
With these premier youth golf organizations joining forces, more opportunities are being created for juniors to take advantage of Youth on Course memberships and TGA’s Player Pathway is further strengthened with greater numbers of new players and families transitioning from off-course to on-course programs.
In 2003, when TGA founder and CEO Joshua Jacobs developed his introductory golf model (which is on pace to enroll its ONE MILLIONTH student by 2020), it was his vision to create a Play Pathway that drives young golfers to local golf courses and national golf programs like Drive, Chip & Putt and PGA Junior League, thus feeding the next generation of lifelong golfers into the industry’s pipeline. That vision is now being realized thanks to partnerships like this Youth on Course alliance.
“TGA Premier Sports shares our goal of providing young people with life-changing opportunities through sports,” says Adam Heieck, Youth on Course CEO. “We’re proud to partner with TGA to provide members with on-course experiences at more than 1,200 available YOC venues.”
Beginning this month in Northern California, parents who register their kids in TGA golf camp programs will receive a complimentary Youth on Course membership. In addition, parents who register their kids in TGA after-school enrichment programs will have the opportunity to add a Youth on Course membership and have affordable access to more than 1,200 partner courses. The partnership will expand to additional regions in 2020.
TGA (Teach, Grow, Achieve) programs deliver introductory golf and sports programs directly at schools and community centers through before- or after-school enrichment programs, camps, leagues, and physical education programs. The programs incorporate multi-level, station-based learning curriculums that promote progressive skill development in sports along with academic subjects, life lessons, physical fitness, and rules and etiquette. TGA summer camps and after-school enrichment registration details and locations can be found www.playtga.com.
TGA has impacted more than 700,000 kids to date through its after-school golf enrichment and camp programs. More than 70% of TGA’s participants and their families are new to the sport while 42% of its total participants migrate to local golf facilities. TGA’s major program differentiator is the curriculum and how students participate in interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Labs that allow them to explore and relate concepts such as gravity, aerodynamics, and simple machines through the sports they are playing.
“TGA introductory programs at schools and community-based organizations break down barriers to entry for new golf consumers and provides access for kids and families to learn the sport,’” says Joshua Jacobs, CEO of TGA Premier Sports. “Youth on Course does the same for golf courses with junior golfers making them a perfect partner to further develop the Player Pathway and ensure young golfers and their families continue playing and become lifelong golfers. Together we create a seamless transition from non-green grass to green grass facilities.”
Youth on Course has more than 70,000 active members across the country. Since 2006, juniors have played more than 925,000 rounds while the organization has helped generate more than $6.2 million in tee-time revenue reimbursed back to individual golf courses.
The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth with access to life-changing opportunities through golf. Members can play hundreds of courses for $5 or less, benefit from employment through the caddie and internship program, and receive college scholarships. Since 2006, more than 925,000 rounds have been played by Youth on Course members in more than 30 states and more than $1.7 million has been raised for college scholarships.
For more information on Youth on Course, visit www.YouthOnCourse.org. To learn more about TGA Premier Sports, visit www.playtga.com.