All six branches of the Service are represented in PGA HOPE, including the Space Force. Almost 90 percent of the military personnel (87.5) are Veterans, 7.6 percent are active duty and 4.8 percent are Reserve/National Guard. Almost 70 percent of the military personnel are considered beginners or somewhat familiar with the game.
The most frequent disability accommodations are, in order: hearing loss; traumatic brain injury, PTSD and mobility limitations. About 12 percent of the military personnel are women.
Rob Elliott, PGA, a National Co-Chair for the PGA HOPE Committee who has been holding classes at his Wisconsin-based academy since 2019, would like to see the number of graduates surpass 20,000 in five years. He realizes it takes financial support through sponsorships to help grow PGA HOPE, but the easier part should be getting more PGA of America Golf Professionals involved.
“The Veterans say it’s life-changing for them,” Elliott explains. “It’s also life-changing for the PGA of America Professionals. Watching the smile on the Veterans’ faces when they hit a shot they’ve never hit before is priceless.”
It’s the same look the younger golfers exhibit in PGA Jr. League, which has expanded to include PGA Opportunity Leagues to provide golf for those who might have financial barriers. The number of registrants went from 71,000 to just shy of 80,000, a 3 percent increase from 2024. Every day, the PGA of America is moving closer to its vision of a world where golf is accessible for every child, everywhere – regardless of their background or circumstance.
How much does PGA Jr. League attract newcomers to the game? Evidence shows 45 percent of the players who participate are considered beginners. In many cases, that also applies to their parents.
“Junior golf is the future,” Rea says. “We must plant seeds so that golf is successful and right now we are the farmers of the game, and our PGA Professionals are taking those seeds and nurturing them so they become great golfers or just golfers who like playing with their friends.
“We’re getting parents off the cart path and onto the course and playing golf, too, and that’s bringing families together. That’s showing how golf can bring generations together and that’s super exciting for us.”
The PGA of America has targeted markets such as Miami, Tampa, Phoenix, Atlanta and Chicago for PGA Opportunity League expansion, supported by a partnership with KPMG. One of the newest PGA Opportunity Leagues that will soon open at The Park – a recently closed-down municipal course in West Palm Beach, Florida, that was revived through the efforts of former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh – hits home for many PGA Professionals.
To honor longtime PGA of America employee Dan Baker, PGA, who died in a car accident late last year, the PGA of America REACH Foundation and the South Florida PGA combined to create a PGA Opportunity League in his name at The Park. Baker worked alongside Waugh to bring The Park into reality. Baker also ran the PGA Show for almost 20 years before leaving in 2024 to help authenticate the making of “Happy Gilmore 2.”
Large strides also were made through the PGA WORKS programs designed to holistically open doors in and through the game of golf. PGA WORKS used its five unique programs to serve almost 600 young professionals from underrepresented and underserved communities, with almost 75 percent of them non-white.
In the Fellows program, 78 percent of the 23 college graduates secured jobs, with 67 percent of those jobs in golf. The John & Tamara Lundgren PGA WORKS Scholarship has increased to $8,000 annually for students in PGM Programs.
One of PGA WORKS’ most popular programs continues to be Beyond the Green, which provides opportunities for students to connect with industry leaders, executives, and influencers at PGA of America events and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the golf industry and its operations.
“I know our PGA of America Members want to help diversify the workforce by mentoring young individuals who want to get into the game of golf through opportunities such as PGA WORKS,” Rea says. “We want to show them that golf probably has a place for them, even if they’re not going to be a golf professional.”
PGA WORKS hosts numerous events each year, highlighted by the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship that brings together many HBCUs.
While most of the PGA of America REACH Foundation’s programs started on a grass-roots level, Sprague says its growth to a national level has been a large part of its success.
“Having the PGA of America REACH Foundation at the national level also helps our corporate partners. I like to say it’s like one-stop shopping for them in different ways they can partner with the PGA of America,” Sprague says. “They can give back to the game through the PGA of America and the Foundation’s initiatives to make the game better. Our corporate partners like to engage with golf, and the PGA of America REACH Foundation gives them a chance to do it at many different levels.”
The PGA of America REACH Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, has announced the 2025-26 class for the PGA WORKS Fellowship.
The PGA WORKS Fellowship, established in 2017, provides the opportunity for a paid immersion in a PGA of America Section’s Foundation operations. The PGA WORKS Fellowship is one of the most valuable entry-level opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to gain experience in the golf industry.
The Fellowship gives recent college and university graduates a first-hand look at everything that a career in the $102 billion golf industry can provide. The primary responsibilities of the 23 PGA WORKS Fellows will be to support and execute philanthropic initiatives for the charitable foundations of their respective PGA Sections. This includes assisting with marketing, communications and fundraising activities, as well as PGA HOPE programming for Veterans and junior golf initiatives such as PGA Jr. League and Drive, Chip & Putt.
“We are thrilled to welcome our new class of PGA WORKS Fellows to their respective PGA Sections,” says PGA of America President Don Rea Jr. “Our PGA WORKS Fellowship program isn’t just about opening doors, it’s about equipping the next generation of leaders and ensuring those doors lead to meaningful career paths and lasting connections.”
As part of PGA WORKS’ mission, Fellows are encouraged to continue their careers in golf following their fellowships with direct access to both PGA of America Career Consultants and mentors to help achieve their career goals. In the history of the PGA WORKS Fellowship, 89 percent of all Fellows have acquired jobs within the golf industry, and 83 percent have acquired full-time positions upon completing their fellowship. Past Fellows have gone on to work for Titleist, the First Tee, the USGA, APGA and the PGA TOUR, among other golf companies, sports organizations and leading industries. Others have continued their education or taken their career in golf a step further by attaining PGA of America Membership.
Currently, seven PGA WORKS Fellows alumni work for the Association at the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas: PGA WORKS Leader Cameron Dinkins; PGA WORKS Program Coordinator Iyannei Miranda; PGA REACH Events Coordinator Caroline Riggs; PGA Jr. League Grants Coordinator Tomie Anderson; PGA Jr. League Specialist Dayvon Collins; Membership Representative Cameron Jones and Education Faculty Rosa Jones, PGA.
Patrick Appel, Fairfield, Calif.; University of California, San Diego; Northern California PGA Section
Mackenzie Blake, Buffalo, N.Y.; SUNY Cortland; Western New York PGA Section
Claire Calabro, West Chester, Pa.; Florida State University; Gateway PGA Section
Will Cisko, Sparta, N.J.; Rutgers University; New Jersey PGA Section
Kenadie Daegar, Payne, Ohio; University of Northwestern Ohio; Michigan PGA Section
Katherine Foerg, University Heights, Ohio; Niagara University; Northern Ohio PGA Section
Shandiin Harper, Farmington, N.M.; Western New Mexico University; Sun Country PGA Section
George Hill, Jackson, Miss.; University of Alabama; Metropolitan PGA Section
Jacob Hillan, Rensselaer, Ind.; Ball State University; Indiana PGA Section
Leann Kelly, Dunwoody, Ga.; Auburn University; Southern Texas PGA Section
A.J. Kisting, New Berlin, Wis.; St. Norbert College; Wisconsin PGA Section
Harlee Lucier, Parish, N.Y.; Utica University; Central New York PGA Section
Savannah Nissel, Ocala, Fla.; Rollins College; North Florida PGA Section
Emmett Noone, Center Valley, Pa.; Temple University; Philadelphia PGA Section
Kennedy Pickering, McKinney, Texas; University of Colorado Boulder; Northern Texas PGA Section
Nina Piscitello, Sacramento, Calif.; California Baptist University; Southern California PGA Section
Sydney Reichard, Brookline, N.H.; University of South Carolina; New England PGA Section
Bryan Sandoval, Littleton, Colo.; University of Colorado Boulder; Colorado PGA Section
Emme Speas, Camas, Wash.; Colorado State University; Carolinas PGA Section
Issie Spray, York, England; Jacksonville State University; Southern Ohio PGA Section
Noah Tietsort, Tulsa, Okla.; Rogers State University; South Central PGA Section
Maria Villamil, Bogota, Colombia; Lincoln University of Missouri; Kentucky PGA Section
Elizabeth Young, Lexington, N.C.; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Middle Atlantic PGA Section
