THE FUTURE OF OUR GAME

Golf is a perfect activity for children of all ages. It provides whole-body exercise and muscle development, it promotes a spirit of friendly competition, and the sport relies on total honesty and courtesy. Overall, golf is an environment in which young players develop values that will lead to an outstanding adulthood.

GOLF 20/20 works with affiliated organizations to develop strategic programs that introduce juniors to the game. These programs provide the young participants with the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment on the links, and the industry benefits by ensuring that the next generation will continue to expand upon the golf traditions of the past.

Careful research has revealed that junior golf programs have a remarkable rate of success in terms of generating adult players. Only 30 percent of young people who are introduced to the game outside of a structured program continue playing in adulthood. But 60 percent of participants in a structured program will become active adult players.

National programs aimed at bringing kinds into the game include The First Tee, which is part of the World Golf Foundation. The First Tee was designed to impact youngsters who would not otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed to golf, and is supported my a number of funding sources, including contributions from all the major allied associations.

The National School Golf Program was piloted by GOLF 20/20 in 130 elementary schools in eight markets during the 2004-2005 school year. The program, which is now overseen by The First Tee, will reach more than one million youngsters in 2008-2009 through a specially-developed physical education curriculum.

JuniorLinks.com is the ultimate junior golf website, with a listing of thousands of junior programs across the country, and valuable information for juniors, their parents and program administrators. Juniorlinks.com is managed by the USGA Foundation.

Take Your Daughter to the Course Week was created by the National Golf Course Owners Association, and now lives under the Play Golf America platform. It is designed to attract young women to golf, as is the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program.

The Sticks for Kids Program is supported by the Golf Course Builders Association of America Foundation and aims to bring golf and its associated life skills to the under privileged youth of our communities.  Integrity, discipline, etiquette and environmental stewardship are just a few of the life skills taught along with the rules of the great game of golf.  The Sticks for Kids Program, now celebrating 10 years of youth outreach, has over 400 programs serving 60,000 youth across all 50 states, 8 international military bases and China in 2009.