Industry News

Swing into success: Make Golf Your Thing kickstarts 2024 HBCU partnership tour

Industry representatives travel to several HBCUs to build awareness, relationships and expand access to careers in golf with students and administration

March 25, 2024 (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) – Make Golf Your Thing, a collaborative industry movement, is continuing to build relationships and foster greater access and inclusivity in the sport through events at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Under the banner “Make Golf Your Career,” several golf industry talent recruiting representatives will be on site at HBCUs in the coming weeks to directly engage students in discussions about working in the $102B golf industry.

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Industry representatives visited Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. last week and are visiting Texas Southern University in Houston on March 26 and Paul Quinn College in Dallas on April 9. Additional HBCUs will be identified for events later this Spring and during the Fall 2024 Semester. The events include meetings between golf industry representatives and university leaders, as well as an activation for students, inviting them to come and learn more about internships and careers in the golf industry.

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Make Golf Your Thing industry movement works to accelerate golf’s evolution in welcoming more people from historically underrepresented backgrounds to the industry, shedding light on the extensive opportunities the industry provides across the U.S. In 2023, Make Golf Your Thing supported a career day at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala., and partnered with four additional universities to install golf simulators on campus as a way to stimulate interest in golf. The effort is part of the White House Initiative on HBCUs.

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“We are grateful that the HBCU leaders are welcoming the golf industry to their campuses and inviting us to meet the students as we aim to strengthen our industry through greater diversity,” said Dr. Michael Cooper, the USGA’s Senior HBCU Initiative Advisor and a co-chair of Make Golf Your Career’s HBCU effort. “We hope the relationships and inroads we are forging to the very capable talent that exists at HBCUs will create opportunities for students as well as the golf industry.”

Make Golf Your Thing is a collaborative industry movement working to accelerate golf’s evolution by making it more diverse and inclusive. To learn more or get involved in Make Golf Your Thing, visit https://www.makegolfyourthing.org/.

About Make Golf Your Thing Make Golf Your Thing is a collaborative movement that reflects the industry’s commitment to making the sport more diverse, equitable and inclusive by welcoming more people to golf from all backgrounds, identities and abilities to play the game, build a career, and do business in the industry. Since 2020, the following organizations and companies have financially supported the Make Golf Your Thing movement:

OrganizationsGolf Companies/Brands

AJGA

ASGCA

CMAA

IAGA

GCBAA

GCSAA

LPGA

National Club Association

National Golf Foundation

NGCOA

PGA TOUR

PGA of America

USGA

U.S. Golf Manufacturer’s Council

Acushnet

adidas

Arcis Golf

Blue One Resort

Bridgestone Golf

CAA Sports

Century Golf

Club Car

Envu

Golf Pride

GolfTEC

Harrell’s

John Deere Golf

Marriott Golf

KemperSports

PGA Golf Exhibitions

PING

PXG

Rain Bird

Srixon | Cleveland Golf | XXIO

Syngenta

TaylorMade

Topgolf Callaway Brands

U.S. Kids Golf

Wadsworth Golf Charities

Western Golf Association

Yamaha Golf

Youth on Course

CONTACT: Jane Fader, World Golf Foundation, jfader@worldgolffoundation.org


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