Get Involved... In Golf!

How to Get Involved!
Whether you are an avid golfer, an old golfer, a new golfer, a junior golfer or someone who has never touched a club but dreams of the day they can play like Tiger Woods... you are in the right place! This Get Involved! page will hopefully point you in the right direction and help you satisfy all of your golfing dreams and aspirations.

Why Play Golf?
Golf is the world's most rewarding sport. In no other sport can an average player duplicate or even better a shot or score by the world's best players. Think about it. Can you dunk a basketball like Michael Jordan? Hit a home run like Alex Rodriguez? Score a touchdown like Jerome Bettis? Chances are the answers to all three questions is "No." In golf, however, you can make a par or birdie on the same hole as Tiger Woods; you can chip in from off the green like Phil Mickelson; and if you’re lucky, you can even make a hole in one. Nobody in world can do better than that.

Massachusetts has a wealth of golf development programs aimed at all ages, levels and genders. Below is a list of programs designed to create an overall greater involvement in the game of golf. A brief description of the programs has been included below for your convenience.

Play Golf America: The Play Golf America program is aimed at providing better access to the game for golfers of all ages and levels. More than 50 courses in Massachusetts provide clinics, leagues and individual instruction as part of the Play Golf America program, which is supported by the PGA of America, USGA, PGA Tour, LPGA, Golf 20/20 and the NGCOA. Many of the Massachusetts-based programs are registered on the web site. Interested parties can search by zip code for golf instruction, golf leagues and other golf events in their area. Annual programs sponsored by Play Golf America include the following:
• Take Your Daughter (Kids) to the Course Week - July 10-16, 2006
• American Express Women's Golf Week - June 3-6, 2006
• Play Golf America Day * - June 17, 2006 (Granite Links Golf Course)

* The 2006 Play Golf America event will be held on June 17 at Granite Links Golf Course in Quincy. This special event is open to players of all abilities and ages and includes free clinics, tune-up lessons with PGA and LPGA professionals, skill challenges and contest, and the opportunity to demo equipment from a variety of leading golf manufacturers.

Golf 20/20: Many of the leading organizations in golf have come together to launch Golf 20/20, a unique collaboration that combines insightful research with strategic acumen to further the industry's knowledge, create new programs and identify areas ideal for the sport's expansion. Examples of programs supported by Golf 20/20 include Play Golf America and JuniorLinks.com.

JuniorLinks.com: This informative site was created by Golf 20/20 in hopes of serving as the ultimate junior golf web site, connecting kids, parents and program directors with everything that is "cool" in junior golf. The USGA donates its time and resources to keep this site updated. Since the site debuted, over 2,000 programs have registered in the searchable program database. The site's search capabilities have been expanded to include searches for programs with PGA or LPGA member instructors and searches based on program type (e.g., tournament series, camp, junior facility).

WGAM Junior Golf Program: The Women's Golf Association of Massachusetts (WGAM) sponsors a junior golf program for young girls looking to break into the game or compete at a higher level. The association also boasts a Junior Scholarship Fund that provides scholarship aid to deserving junior golfers who have participated in the WGAM Junior Golf Tournament Program.

Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund: The Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund is one of the largest independent scholarship organizations in New England. The Ouimet Fund was founded in 1949 and since that time has awarded over $15.1 million in need and merit based college tuition assistance scholarships. All scholarship candidates must have completed a minimum of two years service to golf as caddies, or as helpers in golf professional or course superintendent operations at any golf course in Massachusetts.

The First Tee of Massachusetts: The First Tee of Massachusetts is an initiative dedicated to providing young people of Massachusetts of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. The intent is to offer opportunities for improvement in the quality of life and create a platform where children can increase their potential for success.

MGA ForeKids Golf Program: The MGA ForeKids Golf Program is nationally recognized as one of golf's most successful programs in introducing urban children to the game. Since its debut in 1993, the MGA has extended its reach of clinics to cities including, Boston, Brockton, Lowell, Maynard, Springfield and Worcester. Each clinic provides golf course facility access, lunch, junior sized equipment and expert instruction from New England PGA and Connecticut Section PGA professionals - all at no cost to the participants. Since the clinics' inception, over 20,000 children have been introduced to the game of golf.

Traveling Golf Leagues: If you aren't a member of a club but still want to meet new people and compete in tournament golf, there are several traveling golf leagues in Massachusetts that are actively seeking new members. These leagues are open to players who shoot 69 or 99. It is an opportunity to play some of New England's best public, private, and premium courses with reserved tee times. These leagues welcome men and women golfers of scratch or bogey level who enjoy playing a wide variety of courses in a low-key, fun, competitive atmosphere. The "Traveling Golf Leagues" link above will take you to the MGA Member Club database. If you search for "non real estate" clubs you will see a complete list of all traveling-style golf leagues. Here are two of the larger golf leagues in Boston.
• The TOUR of Greater Boston
• Boston Amateur Golf Society (BAGS)
• Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA)

If you know of other similar organizations and/or programs that should be included among this list, please contact the MGA at 774-430-9100.

©2004 Massachusetts Golf Association.