Contact: Kenna Durian
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grand Rapids Youth Golf Organization Receives Grant From United States Golf
Association (USGA)
First Tee – West Michigan has been selected as a recipient of a $5,000 United States Golf
Association (USGA) Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Grant. This investment
will help expand First Tee – West Michigan’s efforts to grow the game of golf by creating more
accessible and inclusive opportunities for youth throughout West Michigan.
The USGA IDEA Grant will support the expansion of First Tee – West Michigan’s youth
development programs, including Play 9, PGA Jr. League, Rise Above, after school
partnerships, junior coaching, and the organization’s caddie program. Through these initiatives,
First Tee – West Michigan is working to remove barriers to participation and ensure more young
people feel welcomed, supported, and empowered through the game of golf.
The USGA IDEA Grant program supports First Tee chapters across the country that are working
to increase access and create meaningful opportunities for young people from all backgrounds.
By investing in programming that reaches a variety of communities and removes barriers to
participation, the grant helps chapters like First Tee – West Michigan continue making golf more
welcoming and accessible for the next generation of players.
With support from the USGA, First Tee – West Michigan will continue expanding opportunities
for youth to experience the game in a variety of ways, including through free 9-hole playing
opportunities for lower income participants, competitive experiences like PGA Jr. League,
summer day camp opportunities for lower-income participants (called Rise Above), or career
building opportunities through the caddie and junior programs. Each program provides young
people with the skills, confidence, and character development they need to thrive both on and
off the course.
Established in 2011, First Tee – West Michigan’s mission is to enable kids to build the strength
of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly
integrating the game of golf with its life skills curriculum, First Tee – West Michigan creates
learning experiences that build inner strength, self confidence, and resilience that kids can carry
into everything they do.
Serving more than 2,500 students annually, First Tee – West Michigan offers programs in Grand
Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, and Kalamazoo. Through the support of partners like the USGA,
the organization continues working to ensure every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and
thrive through the game of golf.
