Metropolitan Golf Association adds the Five Bethpage Courses to its YOC Roster
(PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.) - Youth on Course – the non-profit organization providing young people with subsidized golf, college scholarships, paid internships and a caddie program – and the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) has announced the addition of Bethpage State Park Golf Courses to its participating course roster.
Youth on Course members may play the Green, Blue, Yellow and Red courses, along with the championship Black course, for the usual rate of just five dollars. The addition of Bethpage State Park brings the total of Met Area courses that are available to members to 29, along with YOC’s impressive national network. Members can take advantage of discounted rates at 46 different golf courses included in Golfweek’s “Best Courses You Can Play” list. To find a complete list of locations, visit the course directory.
“We are honored and thrilled to announce the addition of Bethpage to the extensive line up of courses available in the New York metropolitan region,” says Michael Lowe, Youth on Course VP of Programs. “These bucket list courses will challenge and inspire our junior golfers at a price that is inclusive to all.”
Bethpage Black is the most notable in the Bethpage State Park’s portfolio playing host to a number of professional events including two U.S. Opens and the 2019 PGA Championship. Ranked No. 8 in Golf Digest’s 2019-20 America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, the course is slated to host the 2024 Ryder Cup.
“We have been thrilled with the initial response to our Youth on Course partnership with junior golfers across the Met Area,” says Peter Nicholson, Director of the MGA Foundation. “The addition of Bethpage will provide these members with five additional courses and the opportunity to play at a championship caliber venue.”
Youth on Course has more than 60,000 active members across the country. Since 2006, juniors have played more than 10 million holes and 845,000 rounds while the organization has helped generate more than $5.2 million in tee-time revenue reimbursed back to individual golf courses.
In addition to subsidized rounds, Youth on Course also facilitates paid internships, a caddie program and nationwide scholarships. They have awarded 241 students with college scholarships totaling more than $1.7 million in financial support. The current Youth on Course scholarship retention rate is ninety-four percent, with 80 students already graduated.
About Youth on Course
The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth with access to life-changing opportunities through golf. Members play hundreds of courses for $5 or less, benefit from employment through the caddie and internship program, and receive college scholarships. Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, more than 845,000 rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and more than $1.7 million has been raised for college scholarships. In the United States Youth on Course serves Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin with the goal of delivering affordable golf in all 50 states by 2021. The program has expanded to Alberta, Canada with plans on servicing every province by 2022.
YouthOnCourse.org | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube
About the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA)
The Metropolitan Golf Association was founded in 1897 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest amateur golf associations representing more than 500 clubs in the tristate Metropolitan Area. Through a network of more than 300 volunteers, and a full-time staff operating out of its Golf Central headquarters in Elmsford, N.Y., the Association fulfills its role as a true non-profit service organization. Through a variety of unique, relevant, and innovative services for member clubs and area golfers, the MGA has established itself as a leader among local and national golf organizations. Of note, the MGA was the first golf association in the country to celebrate 100-year anniversaries for is Amateur (1899), Open (1905) and Junior (1912) Championships.
About the MGA Foundation
The MGA Foundation is the charitable arm of the Metropolitan Golf Association. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to growing the game through innovative programs designed to attract and educate young people from all backgrounds. MGA Foundation activities include the GOLFWORKS student intern program, junior competitions and clinics, caddie academies and support of caddie programs, as well as the local Caddie Scholarship Funds. The MGA Foundation is also a founding partner of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York and helps direct the activities of the network of First Tee programs and facilities in the tristate area.