NCGA’s Youth on Course Program Announces Partnership With The First Tee
March 3, 2015
Junior golfers nationwide have a reason to celebrate.
On Tuesday, the Northern California Golf Association’s Youth on Course program announced the forming of a partnership with The First Tee home office and specific The First Tee chapters in Youth on Course markets as part of its national expansion.
“The First Tee is an amazing program that teaches life skills and core values using the game of golf as the platform,” said Youth on Course Executive Director Adam Heieck. “We are thrilled to expand The First Tee participants’ experience by offering increased accessibility to golf. Youth on Course is also a huge benefit to course operators as we typically subsidize unused tee times late in the day.”
The highly acclaimed Youth on Course program provides affordable access to golf through a round reimbursement program where participants pay $5 or less to play at participating facilities. Currently, more than 300 facilities are participating in Youth on Course and more than 13,000 youth participants in the Western U.S. utilize the program.
Through the partnership, The First Tee participants will have immediate access to the Youth on Course program, which delivers unrivaled access to public golf facilities, as well as scholarships and internships.
“We are thankful for our partnership with Youth on Course over the years and delighted to see it expand beyond Northern California,” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee. “We believe this partnership is a great way to enhance access for The First Tee participants in golf and it will provide important opportunities through scholarships and internships.”
Youth on Course began in Northern California under the charitable arm of the NCGA. Since its inception in 2006, more than 350,000 rounds of golf have been subsidized in Northern California alone. Youth on Course currently operates in California, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern Nevada with plans to continue expansion nationwide. The program was featured earlier this year on The Golf Channel.
Poppy Hills Golf Course, the home course of the NCGA, currently co-hosts the annual Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach along with Pebble Beach Golf Links. The tournament, held in September, features juniors from The First Tee competing side-by-side with members of the Champions Tour.
-Jerry Stewart
