UPDATE (April 6, 2020) – Due to the ever-increasing risks associated with coronavirus COVID-19, the Alabama Golf Association and the Alabama–NW Florida PGA (and with the guidance of Youth on Course National Partners) have decided to postpone the official launch of Youth on Course Alabama (YOCA). We are targeting Monday, June 15 as the official launch of YOCA. We will continue to provide updates on this page as they become available. Currently the 2020 Alabama–NW Florida PGA Junior Tour season is on schedule.
PELHAM, Ala. (March 12, 2020) – The Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation is excited to enter into a strategic alliance with the Alabama Golf Association for the benefit of youth throughout the state of Alabama. Beginning in May 2020, the Alabama Golf Association will launch a new Chapter of Youth on Course in Alabama, an initiative aimed to provide youth ages 6 to 18 access to life-changing opportunities through the game of golf.
Since 2006, more than 900,000 rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and has awarded more than $1.73 million for college scholarships throughout the U.S. With a Youth on Course Membership, players will have access to play thousands of courses for $5 or less in 38 regions overseen by 41 Allied Golf Associations.
“Youth on Course is an initiative we are extremely excited about and felt the time was right to bring it to the State of Alabama,” says Jeremy Gardner, Director of Junior Golf at the AGA. “This will give us the ability to make golf and some of our state’s premier facilities more accessible to youth golfers of all backgrounds and skill sets.”
In 2020, Youth on Course Alabama will become a key initiative supported by the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation and its youth pillar. Specifically, all Alabama-NW Florida PGA Junior Tour Members will have access to a 2020 YOC Membership. To bolster the participation and create a larger community behind YOC Alabama, the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Junior Tour has agreed to include a Youth on Course membership as an option when players sign up for a 2020 Junior Tour Membership.
In addition to the Membership fee, players will have the option to add a Youth on Course package to their membership – granting them benefits like a complimentary GHIN Handicap Index, access to AGA Championships, deals and discounts, and a complimentary Robert Trent Jones Trail Card. Specifically, all Alabama-NW Florida PGA Junior Tour Members who opt in to this package will have access to play at the following facilities for $5 or less:
- RTJ Golf Trail at the Shoals | Muscle Shoals
- RTJ Golf Trail at Hampton Cove (all courses) | Owens Cross Roads
- RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes | Gadsden
- RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley | Birmingham
- RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill | Prattville
- Gateway Golf Course | Montgomery
- Lagoon Park Golf Course | Montgomery
- RTJ Golf Trail Grand National | Opelika
- RTJ Golf Trail at Cambrian Ridge (all courses) | Greenville
- RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks | Dothan
- RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove (all courses) | Mobile
- Glenlakes Golf Club (Lakes) | Foley
“It is important we consider the future of golf when making decisions around the strategy and direction of the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation – Youth on Course will help us capture this vision,” says AL-NW FL PGA Executive Director, Bart Rottier. “Creating life-changing opportunities through the game of golf is a core principle we stand firm in. We are excited to begin this partnership with the AGA.”
An important purpose of the Alabama Golf Association is to grow the game. The AGA and the Youth on Course Alabama Board of Directors are committed to getting youth golfing at an affordable rate across the State of Alabama. For the participating facilities in Alabama, the AGA recognize that the $5.00 fee may not adequately cover the expense of the round so each course is subsidized a negotiated rate by Youth on Course Alabama and the Alabama Golf Association for the remainder of the green fee.
“The Alabama Golf Association is committed to growing the game of golf in our state,” says Andy Priest, Executive Director of the Alabama Golf Association. “Partnering with Youth on Course is our next step towards fulfilling that commitment. Youth on Course membership offers youth golfers from across the state very affordable facility access, not only in Alabama but nationally in participating states, along with opportunities for professional instruction, programming and competitions to provide a well-rounded golf experience.”
Youth on Course Alabama will officially launch on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Individuals who register for YOC Alabama prior to the May 5th launch date will not receive their credentials until that time.
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ABOUT YOUTH ON COURSE
Born in 2006 out of the Northern California Golf Association, Youth on Course began as the NCGA Foundation – a way to increase the accessibility and affordability of golf for Northern California youth. Within five years, the program was thriving and expanded opportunities for members to include a caddie program, paid high school internships and college scholarships. To date, YOC has expanded to 33 regions, subsidized more than 900,000 rounds of golf, hired more than 175 interns and 550 caddies and award $250,000+ in scholarships annually.
ABOUT THE ALABAMA GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Alabama Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1915 whose mission is to serve and promote amateur golf in Alabama. AGA is the USGA’s liaison for golf in Alabama. AGA membership consists of over 130 member clubs represented by nearly 18,500 individuals. The activities and services of the Alabama Golf Association are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of Alabama golfers who wish to serve the game and the association through service.
ABOUT THE ALABAMA-NW FLORIDA GOLF FOUNDATION
The mission of the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation is to positively impact the lives of those who reside in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through community outreaches, programs and initiatives the game of golf provides. The Foundation has three (3) main areas it will focus its programming and outreach on. These include engaging youth, military/veteran and diverse populations within the PGA Section. Our dream: create life-changing opportunities through the game of golf.