is now one of the largest youth access programs anywhere in the country. Youth on Course turned 10 this
summer, and now incorporates caddie programs, paid high school intern- ships, college scholarships and of course, access to $5 rounds of golf. Those rounds of golf however are no longer limited to Northern California. As of the printing of this magazine, Youth on Course (the rebranded name of the NCGA’s Foundation) operates in 12 states. YOC partnered with other state and regional golf associations around the country, and by the end of this year, more than 15,000 participants will be proud owners of a YOC membership card. Parents often tell us the card is the reason many of their kids feel the need to own a wallet. Sometimes it’s the only card of value they have with their name on it. Nearly 350 courses participate and more than 70,000 rounds are reimbursed annually, mostly due to the generosity of NCGA members and
clubs, local corporations and partnerships with founda- tions who value making a difference in the lives of our next generation. The NCGA is still the largest donor, pro-
viding approximately $500,000 in annual staff support. Each year 1,500 YOC “alumni” are welcomed as full-scale NCGA members when they turn 19. Occasionally I’m asked how we
know the program has worked. Aside from the growing membership, sum- mer internships and college scholar- ships, we also know the following: YOC scholars have a nearly 90% college graduation rate, have jobs at international golf organizations and Fortune 500 companies. They’ve played in
Web.com Tour events and volunteer in their communities well above the national average. They also continue to play golf and they tell us it has helped them develop as people and make them better students. And maybe most impor- tantly, they are better able to converse with adults because they have the confi dence to do so. About a year ago I had the pleasure of serving on an interview panel for our internships. One of the young women was extremely nervous. She had been part of the
program for a year and one of the other people on the panel asked her to talk about the transition from middle school to high school. She burst into tears and told us she had been ruthlessly bullied her freshman year and she had no confi dence. One of her friends had told her to come to the golf course to start learning to play golf and become part of the program. It changed her life. She loved golf and now she wanted to work at the golf course. If that isn’t evidence the program is working, I don’t know what is.
The number of people responsible for helping us get to this point is too long to mention. But rest assured they give time, effort and money because they value the impact Youth on Course has on our participants. We all owe a great deal to Bruce Baker, Michael Hexner, Chris Clark, Paul Morton, Pat Quinn and Bill Hammonds—who have all acted as board chairs of Youth on Course since inception. To the NCGA, its members, our boards and staffs and the thousands of donors who continue to make it possible for us to invest in the next generation, thank you.
2016 Youth on Course scholarship recipients holding their new laptops. SUMMER 2016 /
NCGA.ORG / 69
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