SFK Newsletter Fall 2014

Fall 2014

Dix Hills Park Junior Golf Program Dix Hills, NY

Dennis Wagner, GCBAA Member and Board Member, served as auctioneer at the annual Foundation Auction.

The 2014 Silent Auction was a huge hit with clubs signed

by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson.

Honoring the Past, Building the Future: 2014 Summer Meeting & Foundation Auction Recap

Each year, the GCBAA Summer Meeting and Foundation Auction prove to be the biggest fundraising effort benefitting the GCBAA Foundation and Sticks for Kids Program. More than 180 GCBAA members and guests gathered this year in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 5-7 for three days packed with educational sessions, meetings, and networking opportunities.

Yet, this year, the success isn’t just in the numbers. Beyond the $55,000 raised, beyond the 300+ active Sticks for Kids Programs, beyond the 45,000 youth served, beyond the 300+ new sets of junior clubs sent to programs across the country, GCBAA members and guests discovered the immense impact of our program on a quiet morning at Quail Chase Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

In the weeks leading up to the Summer Meeting, the Executive Staff and Fundraising Committee were hard at work. Thanks to an outpouring of support from generous donors and sponsors, the list of items donated this year was a huge hit with the crowd.

There were premium bottles of bourbon and wine, Coach purses, handmade jewelry, autographed memorabilia, vacation packages to Disney World and wine country, and hunting/fishing/sightseeing trips in Kansas, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Michigan. True to form, the 2014 live auction, silent auction, raffle, and charity golf tournament raised nearly $55,000 to fund our Sticks for Kids and scholarship programs.

As GCBAA members and guests kicked off the annual Sticks for Kids Charity Golf Tournament, they couldn’t help but notice a young boy named Connor who was hanging around the tee box, eager to show off his swing.

Connor’s coach, LPGA member Brenda Daniels, soon joined in the conversation.

Brenda has been teaching juniors to golf at Quail Chase for years, and she pulled from the storage room a well-worn set of original Sticks for Kids clubs. The cut down, adult clubs were old and heavy, and had obviously seen a lot of use through the years. The old clubs served as a tangible reminder to everyone of where the GCBAA Foundation and Sticks for Kids Program started, and how very far the program has come.

Those days of cut down clubs and struggling to keep programs up and running are over. Today, the Foundation boasts more than 328 active programs across the United States, and counting.

This year alone, 15 new programs were launched, including partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Links Across America, the Michigan Women’s Golf Association, and the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association. The Foundation is in the process of developing a custom-designed sets of Sticks for Kids branded junior clubs. There is also a waiting list for New Program and Maintenance Grant requests for 2015.

As the Sticks for Kids Program continues to grow and evolve, the GCBAA Foundation strives to keep improving.

With the support of the Executive staff, GCBAA members, and generous sponsors, the Foundation can continue building a successful program and impacting the lives of the children and communities it serves. Thank you for your hard work and your continued support. We look forward to working with you for years to come.

The Sticks for Kids Charity Golf Tournament was held Aug. 7 at Quail Chase Golf Club in Louisville. Members and guests enjoyed a beautiful day on the course while raising money for the Sticks for Kids and GCBAA Foundation Scholarship Programs.

Gradual Program Takes Long Island Junior Golfers to the Next Level Located in the Town of Huntington, N.Y., the Dix Hills Park Golf Course is home to an elite Sticks for Kids junior golf program, boasting six years of success and counting. The partnership between the Town of Huntington Parks and Recreation Department and PGA Professional George Dixon serves hundreds of children ages 6-18 each year.

With sessions running through the spring, summer and fall, children in Dixon’s program have the opportunity to hone their skills and move at their own pace, while enjoying the affordability of group lessons.

“A lot of kids can’t afford private lessons,” Dixon says. “Group lessons are affordable, and you keep them interested with a gradual program.”

Over the years, Dixon has built three successful programs to help childrenlearn fundamentals and enjoy the game. The Basic Program is designed for children who are generally new to the game and need instruction in all areas— from basic fundamentals and how to swing to safety, rules, and etiquette.

After completing three Basic Programs, players can move onto the Club Division, which offers a more advanced level of instruction. Held exclusively on the course, the Club Division teaches rules, etiquette, safety, and sportsman-

ship as students play various types of golf formats.

When they have mastered the Club Division, kids can move onto the High School Development Program, modeled after high school tryouts.

“I have three high school coaches working with me, and I get about 60% of the kids returning,” Dixon says. “There are 5-6 kids working with each instructor, and the instructors are all adults, high school coaches, or professionals in the golf industry. We average about 50 kids in the spring, 100 in the summer, and 40-50 in the fall, an average of about 200 per year for the 9-hole golf course.”

Dixon believes the two biggest keys to his program’s success is flexibility and good marketing.

“I think I’m successful because of the way I run it,” he says. “I tried the full-day, full-week model and it just doesn’t work. The kids get overloaded with information and start to tune out. If you’re a parent who wants to drop a kid off at 9:00 a.m. and pick him up at 3:00 p.m., this is not for you. We teach to the kids and flexibility is the key. If you pay for the program, you should have the opportunity to get the time you pay for, so we offer make-ups. If a child gets sick, or we have to cancel because of rain, we allow the parents to bring the child in another day. Most programs don’t offer that, and that’s huge.”

To help spread the word about the programs, and attract new players from Dix Hills, Huntington, and the surrounding areas, Dixon relies heavily on resources in the community and online.

“I advertise in the local bulletin. It goes to everyone in town, and it’s a great way to get the word out. I would definitely encourage other programs to look for something similar in their own communities,” Dixon says. “I also rely heavily on my email database. It’s easy and it’s free, and more people need to learn how to take advantage of it. One day, I might put one of my employees out on one of the holes for a contest. $5 to enter. If you hit the green, you win a free round of golf. Anyone who wants to participate has to provide an email address, which

goes into the database. I can collect 300-400 new email addresses that day.

Then, when I want to advertise a special announcement or one of the junior golf programs, I build an email and send it out.”

Asked what is his favorite part of running a successful junior golf program is, Dixon replied immediately with a smile.

“The best part is introducing the new kids to the game, the ones who have never picked up a club. Hearing that a kid doesn’t want to get involved in anything else or is not interested in other sports or can’t play anything else, but they take to golf—that’s the most rewarding. I love introducing little ones to the game and seeing that they can’t

wait to come back. The only thing that I would really like to see improve is finding a way to get more women engaged and interested in the game. There were 375 women’s golf scholarships that went unused in the metropolitan area last year. We need to find a way to change that, and get more girls out here on the courses.”

With the support of the Town of Huntington Parks & Rec Department and the GCBAA Foundation’s Sticks for Kids Program, George Dixon will surely find a way to do just that.

For more information about the Dix Hills Park Golf Course Junior Golf Program, call 631-499-8005 or visit www. crabmeadow.com/-junior-golf-camps

Spotlight on Scholarship Recipient: Eric McCarthy, Class of 2016 Growing up, Eric McCarthy always dreamed of attending the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Eric was born and raised in Omaha, Neb., and graduated from Skutt Catholic High School in 2012.

Now in his junior year at UNL, Eric feels like he’s well on his way to accomplishing his dream.

“One advantage to being an only child, I always hung out with my parents and their friends. They instilled a good work ethic,” Eric says. “I had my first job when I was 16 and worked to earn money and pay for my own car. It taught me to be self-sufficient.”

Applying that work ethic at college, Eric is currently working on a double major in Construction Management and Business Administration. He is proud to be one of the 2014-2015 GCBAA Foundation Scholarship recipients.

“A lot of people ask why I chose construction management and business,” Eric admits. “No one in my family is in construction, but my dad has done some small remodeling projects over the years. I always helped him and I really enjoyed it. I never saw myself sitting behind a desk all day. My family has always been in business though. My grandpa ran Nebraska Testing Labs and was part owner of Tent Event and Big Red Vending. I was always around, and got a lot of exposure on how to own and run a business. My motivation is to be well-rounded, and I think the two majors really work well together. My plan is to focus on my construction management classes first, and then finish up the

business management. So far, it’s going really well.”

ably moving anywhere else for a good opportunity.”

Eric’s connection to golf also comes from his family.

Asked what advice he has for high school students and other construction management majors, Eric didn’t hesitate.

“I picked up golf when I was young,” he says. “I played a lot with my grandma. She’s in her 80’s now and still golfing. I hope I’m still golfing when I’m that age. My family has always played.

In high school, I would try to go at least three times a week. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”

Looking forward, Eric is excited to see where life takes him after graduation.

“I’m open to anything,” he says. “I wouldn’t mind living in Nebraska forever. I love it here. But I have no prob-

“My biggest piece of advice to high school students is to go somewhere you love. UNL is the place I want to be.

I love it. If you go somewhere and it’s not everything you want it to be, don’t be afraid to find something else. And to construction management majors— know that it’s going to get harder. It gets progressively harder as you advance in the program. Stick with it. There are always people who can help. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be intimidated. If you stick with it, you’ll get where you want to go.”

Ready to Rumble – 2015 Winter Meeting Harley Raffle Coming Soon!

It’s time to gear up for the 2015 Chuck Cloud Memorial Raffle for your chance to win a 2015 Heritage Sotftail Classic Harley Davidson motorcycle! One of the GCBAA Foundation’s most popular fundraisers of the year, proceeds from the annual Harley Raffle benefit the Foundation’s Sticks for Kids and Scholarship Programs.

Tickets will go on sale soon, and can be purchased for just $100 each. Only 500 tickets are available. That’s a 1 in 500 chance of winning the grand prize of a brand new Harley or $10,000 cash!

The drawing will be held Thursday, February 26 at the Closing Celebration of the Golf Industry Show, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Participants need not be present to win.

For more information, contact Lori Romano in the GCBAA Office 402-476-4444 or lori_romano@gcbaa.org.

Since 2012, the USGA and Chevron have donated more than $1.2 million to Eagles for Education, a program designed to support educational programs that use the fundamentals of golf to teach the principles of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to young people. This year, the GCBAA Foundation received an Eagles for Education Grant, and 14 Sticks for Kids Programs were chosen to participate using some exciting new STEM-related resources and curriculum.

Each participating program received a brand new 64GB iPad Air that was registered, activated, and pre-loaded with dozens of golf-related apps, lesson plans, and educational materials designed to help the instructors take their existing programs to a whole new level. There are golf swing analysis apps, which give instructors the opportunity to capture photos and video of students’ swings and correct issues, and a number of instructional videos and golf drills, designed to teach and reinforce fundamentals. There are also a variety of STEM-related lesson plans, general golf news, and Sticks for Kids program materials.

To maintain eligibility, recipients will be asked to provide periodic updates on how the iPads are being integrated into their programs. We’re excited to see how this new opportunity may positively impact our Sticks for Kids Programs. Be sure to stay tuned for news and updates!

What People Are Saying About Sticks for Kids

“We are very happy to have the Sticks for “Without this program, hundreds of children in our community Kids equipment at our golf course. It allows would never have been introduced to the game of golf.” us to serve the next generation of golfers.”

-Darren M. -Tim S. “I would love to discuss the possibilities of “A big THANK YOU to the GCBAA for providing this program!” making the program available to more of our -Mike S. PAL chapters. We have 350 chapters across

the country, the District of Columbia, Virgin “Golf has been a fun way to connect mentors with the Islands, and Nigeria.” youth in our area. Thank you for this wonderful pro -Mike D. gram. The OKC Parks & Rec would probably not have any participants in golf if it weren’t for Sticks for Kids.” “Our programs are very successful in bringing kids to the game. We have fathers, mothers, grandpar -Sue W. ents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, neighbors, and “We are pleased, honored, and fortunate to be guardians bringing kids out for our free golf days. able to offer golf opportunities to kids in our Many of them are using the clubs you provided for us community and collaborate with our local golf until they can get a set of their own. We love teaching courses. Thank you for making it possible!” the kids how to play, and the etiquette of the game -Kym D. teaches them respect for others. Thanks again!

-Tim A. “Thanks for providing clubs to kids who would not be able to afford them!”

-Cindy C.

Members Accept Invitation, Connect with Florida Program When GCBAA member and PGA Professional Ron Stepanek recognized the need for some Sticks for Kids Program support in his hometown of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., he immediately sprang into action.

Described as a family-oriented community that emphasizes recreation and quality of life, the City of Palm Beach Gardens’ goal was to distinguish itself as a “signature city” by being the first municipality in the country to host an entire league of PGA Junior League Golf in its inaugural year. Spearheaded by Sherri Pla, PGA Head Professional at the Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course, the effort was designed to encourage juniors of all ability levels to join teams and learn the game.

Knowing that access to equipment is often a hurdle for children who are being introduced to the game, Ron reached out to Sherri with information about the GCBAA Foundation’s Sticks for Kids Program.

“After working with the GCBAA Executive Office to get the city a shipment of SFK clubs to support the new league, I worked with Sherri Pla to coordinate a mini-PR event in conjunction with the start of her program,” Ron says.

To help kick off the new program, Ron reached out to GCBAA member and Executive Board member Dennis Wagner, who jumped at the opportunity to visit a local Sticks For Kids Program and see the GCBAA Foundation’s mission in action.

“I attended the event in Palm Beach Gardens to represent the GCBAA since we had just donated 10 sets of clubs for Sherri Pla’s new program,” Dennis says. “This was just a try-out day. Sherri told me that she expected 25-30 kids, but when it was all said and done, she must have had close to 75 children attend. Seeing the kids who had never swung a golf club hit balls, seeing their eyes light up with excitement, was priceless. And the number of parents supporting their kids and encouraging them was amazing.”

Moving forward, both Dennis and Ron would like to see more programs reaching out to GCBAA members with invitations to visit.

“Of course it was invigorating to see the kids enjoying golf,” Ron says.

“However, I think our goal needs to be creating an emotional connection with GCBAA members and these programs.

I feel it is incredibley beneficial for GC-

BAA members to SEE and FEEL how their organization and efforts are impacting the lives of kids.”

Dennis agrees.

“Our Sticks for Kids programs have an amazing impact on the children they serve,” he says. “Just seeing the smiles and the attitude of these kids, especially the ones who didn’t have any clubs to use and picked up our SFK clubs—it was unbelievable, and it has made me look at the program differently. I always knew we were doing good, from all the stories and articles written about the program, but when you witness it firsthand and get personally involved with one of these programs, the feeling is overwhelming.

I want to see more of our members get the ‘bug’ so to speak. I want them to get out there and see some of these programs for themselves, and see all the good they do so they will get move involved and help us raise more money and continue to grow. Like I kept saying at the Summer Meeting Auction, ‘It’s for the kids!’”

If your program is interested in reaching out to GCBAA Members to set up a visit or demonstration, please contact Lori Romano at 402-476-4444 or lori_romano@gcbaa.org.

Sherri Pla, PGA Head Professional, welcomes children, families, and GCBAA members to the new PGA Junior League Golf program at the Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course.

As a Sticks for Kids grant recipient, the Palm Beach Gardens PGA Junior Golf League received 10 sets of junior clubs, allowing children who may not own their own equipment to participate in the program.

GCBAA Foundation | 6040 S. 58th St., Suite D | Lincoln, NE 68516 Tel: 402-476-4444

Fax: 402-476-4489

www.sticksforkids.org