February 2025Word from CDGA

21st Century ProgressThe CDGA and golf as a whole have evolved considerably over the last 25 years BY ROBERT MARKIONNIHeadshotWelcome to 2025. As we reach the quarter pole of the 21st century, we want to take a moment to reflect on the first 25 golf seasons of the 2000s and look ahead to the upcoming campaign.It’s hard to believe that we are 25 years into the century. It seems that it was just yesterday when the top story was – what will happen with all of the computers when the date changes from 1999 to 2000? For those of us who are old enough to remember Y2K, there was much concern. Fortunately, the transition from the 20th to the 21st century was technologically smooth.As we look back on the years since 2000, the world has changed significantly, with technology leading the way. Whether you feel the changes have been good or bad, the one aspect that is most agreeable is there has been change. This also holds true with golf and the CDGA. Here are some comparisons:

CDGA membership in 2000 was approximately 90,000 individuals. We concluded the 2024 season with more than 112,000, and for 2025, we anticipate we will end this season with 115,000.

In 2000, CDGA members posted about 2.1 million rounds, with almost all of them through the CDGA kiosks at member clubs. Last year, slightly more than 2.8 million rounds were posted with only 5% done at the kiosks. More than 70% were posted through apps. Our estimate for the number of rounds that will be posted this year is close to 3 million, with more than 75% being posted via apps.

The CDGA was renting 3,000 square feet of space in a building in Oak Brook in 2000. Today, Midwest Golf House in Lemont has close to 25,000 square feet and is home to the CDGA, the CDGA Foundation, the Illinois Junior Golf Association, the Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents and the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance.

There were no Social Competitions on the CDGA schedule in 2000. Last year, there were 42 Social Competitions in which more than 3,200 members participated. We project the same numbers for 2025.

The CDGA and the CDGA Foundation did not have a scholarship program in 2000. In 2024, the CDGA and CDGA Foundation provided almost $40,000 in educational scholarships to deserving students pursuing their college education. We anticipate this program expanding in 2025.

Beginning in 2024, the CDGA and CDGA Foundation provided nine collegiate women’s golf programs in Illinois with grants in the amount of $2,000 apiece ($18,000 total) to help offset expenses.

The CDGA Foundation was officially founded in 1944, and its mission was to utilize the game of golf to help those veterans returning from WWII with injuries. In 2000, the Foundation continued to support veterans programs, primarily through VA Hospitals. Additionally, there were a handful of Sunshine Through Golf Camps and the three-hole Bob Berry Sunshine Course at Midwest Golf House was not yet constructed. In 2024, these Sunshine Programs and the Bob Berry Sunshine Course impacted the lives of approximately 8,000 individuals with disabilities, veterans and youth. Our goal is to grow the number in 2025.

While adaptive golf has been part of the CDGA and the CDGA Foundation for more than 80 years, the CDGA’s footprint grew in 2024 with the Inaugural Chicago Adaptive Open at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. Nearly 50 adaptive golfers from throughout the country participated. This year, the championship will be held at Fox Bend Golf Course in Oswego June 21-22, and given the success of the inaugural event, we anticipate a larger field. See Pg. 30 for more information.

In 2000, we had a 10’ by 10’ booth at the Chicago Golf Show® (100 square feet). Fast forward to 2024, and the CDGA has become the presenting sponsor. We unveiled “CDGA Town Square,” which comprised more than 12,000 square feet. Approximately 3,500 CDGA members received their Zero Friction SuperTube and personalized bag tag. More than 1,000 individuals tried the longest putt, which raised thousands of dollars for our Foundation, and overall, 20,000 golfers visited the Show. This year, we have expanded the CDGA Town Square to almost 15,000 square feet.

Dividing RuleRobert Markionni is in the midst of his 37th year with the CDGA and has been in the Executive Director role since 1996.
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