Federal Way, Wash. – Washington Golf, in collaboration with Youth on Course, the non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the golf course, has experienced a significant rise in junior golf member participation in 2020.
Youth on Course membership in Washington and Northern Idaho has seen its numbers grow to 4,520, which is an increase of 28% over 2019’s membership numbers. These members have access to more than 60 golf courses across the state. Notable inclusions include Chambers Bay, Snohomish GC, and The Home Course, where rounds start at $5 with a Youth on Course membership.
“We are proud to have grown the WA Golf YOC membership to over 4,500 junior golfers and 60 golf facilities in Washington and Northern Idaho,” said Torrin Westwood, WA Golf manager of membership and club relations. “We look forward to providing more opportunities and access for families in the coming years, and we thank all of our members and facilities for their support.”
Nationally, Youth on Course has reached notable milestones including one million rounds completed. Of those, 184,418 have been played in the first two quarters of 2020 alone and 9,106 in Washington and Northern Idaho.
Committed to making the game more appealing, inclusive and accessible to nurture the next generation of lifelong players and lovers of the game, Youth on Course helps 95,000 young people across North America succeed.
Fueling the golf industry in Washington and Northern Idaho, WA Golf has already subsidized and reimbursed participating golf courses $39,794 through July. The organization’s structure helps golf courses fill typically unused tee times and garner additional revenue with more than 40% of members playing with paying adults. Nationally, the amount reimbursed back to participating courses has almost doubled in the past year reaching close to $400,000 this year alone and totaling nearly $8 million dating back to 2005.
From Aug. 10-14, Youth on Course celebrated #YOCWeek to reintroduce the organization through a rebranding launch and to raise awareness for their life-changing efforts.
About Washington Golf
Founded in 1922, the WA Golf is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers. Serving nearly 70,000 individual members at more than 550 member golf clubs and 270 golf courses throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, WA Golf works to continually expand the game of golf to people of all backgrounds. WA Golf also serves as a statewide representative of the United States Golf Association and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.
About Youth on Course
The core purpose of Youth on Course is to help young people grow and succeed both on and off the course by providing opportunities to play, learn, grow, and build relationships through affordable, inclusive access to play. Members play thousands of courses for $5 or less, benefit from career opportunities through the caddie and internship program and receive college scholarships. Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, more than one million rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and nearly $2 million has been awarded in college scholarships. Across North America, Youth on Course serves Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and parts of Canada.