Youth on Course – 2020 more than ever
The program which provides $5 rounds of golf to kids age 6-18 at participating courses throughout the Pacific Northwest (and, indeed, throughout the U.S.) had a terrific year. For harried parents trying to figure out what activities were safe for their kids during the COVID-19 pandemic and the school closures, Youth on Course was an easy fix for the problem of what to do with kids who suddenly had a lot of time on their hands.
If you were wondering where today’s youth were in 2020, well, take a look at these numbers – they were evidently teeing it up at your local participating Youth on Course facility.
Idaho Golf Association
Idaho’s Youth on Course program is administered in conjunction with the Idaho Junior Tour.
- 2020: 1,274 members, and 4,420 rounds played
- 2019: 743 members, and 1,580 rounds played
Oregon Golf Association
Youth on Course is a benefit of Oregon Junior Golf membership.
- 2020: 2,782 members (as of 10/15/20), and 17,136 round played (as of 9/30/20)
- 2019: 1,980 members, and 10,223 rounds played
Washington Golf
Visit WA Golf Youth on Course for complete information.
- 2020: over 5,600 members, and an estimated 25,000 rounds played (as of 11/1/2020)
- 2019: 3,600 members, and 8,500 rounds played
British Columbia Golf
Currently, the only province in Canada to have a Youth on Course program is Alberta, which started a two-year pilot program in 2019. Visit albertagolf.org for information. British Columbia Golf administers their junior program, Future Links, through Golf Canada.
According to the National Golf Foundation, it is estimated that the golf industry could see an increase of half a million junior golfers in the U.S. by year’s end.
