The TGA Foundation has partnered with Youth on Course (YOC), a national grow-the-game initiative, to help provide junior golfers in Texas with affordable access to rounds of golf and life-changing opportunities.
Established in 2006, YOC is a non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams, and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the golf course.
To make the game more affordable and inclusive for juniors, YOC offers members access to play golf at nearly 2,000 courses across the U.S. and Canada for $5 or less. Last year, the more than 140,000 YOC members played over 460,000 rounds of golf at participating YOC facilities. YOC also helps put their members’ lives on a different trajectory by providing off-course growth and learning experiences including paid internships, a caddie program, and nationwide scholarships. More than 300 students have been awarded college scholarships in excess of $2 million.
From eager newcomers learning life lessons on the course to avid players who enjoy getting together for friendly competition and parents who hope to get their children into golf, signing up for YOC has often been referred to as the “most valuable membership in the game.â€
To make joining a breeze, YOC has developed an easy-to-use approach for kids where getting started is just a click away.
For an annual membership fee ($20 for Texas residents), kids and teens aged 6-18 can play a round of golf for $5 or less at any facility in the YOC network.
Members can also look forward to many more benefits, such as using the YOC app to access their digital membership card, booking tee times through GolfNow (in select areas), unlocking a free annual subscription to GolfPass Video that contains thousands of on-demand instruction tips from top coaches, and eligibility for scholarships, paid summer internships, and caddie opportunities.
That’s not all. For kids in Texas, a YOC membership also includes a TGA membership, an authorized USGA/GHIN Handicap Index® (if not already issued), and GHIN Mobile App access to post scores and track stats and progress.
With all YOC has to offer, it’s easy to see why being part of such a welcoming community is a worthwhile experience and a real game changer not only for juniors eager to play golf, but also for their families.
1. Go to the YOC website to sign up or renew a YOC Membership.
2. Complete a simple rules, etiquette, and pace of play webinar to get “course ready.â€
3. Activate the YOC Membership Number.
4. Download the free YOC Membership App and create a personal account.
That’s all there is to opening the door to a world of opportunities. If there are any questions about the YOC program or membership, visit the TGA Foundation’s YOC web page or contact Kelly Kilgo, Managing Director of TGA Foundation/Outreach.
The TGA Foundation and YOC continue to add new facilities across the state to create more opportunities for members to play golf for $5 or less. For the current list of participating YOC facilities in Texas, click here.
Be sure to check back often, because the list keeps growing as more and more facilities are committed to helping grow the game by opening their doors to YOC members. To see the full list of all participating facilities in the YOC network across the U.S. and Canada, click here.
