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.
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.
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.
“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:
| Organizations | Golf 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