In an effort to be more accessible, affordable, and inclusive, the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) is reducing Junior Membership, Qualifier, and Preview fees by nearly 10% in 2022 with plans for further reductions over the next several years. The fee reduction is part of a larger plan by the AJGA to remove entry barriers into competitive junior golf.
“We see the AJGA as a perfect avenue to help make golf more inclusive,” said AJGA Executive Director Stephen Hamblin. “We want to remove any barrier that would prevent someone from playing golf at a national level and provide as many opportunities to as many people as we can. Through our ACE Grant program, we have been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion for nearly 20 years and we will continue to grow this initiative moving forward.”
The fee reductions serve as another piece to help junior golfers, by making national level junior golf more affordable. The ACE Grant provides financial assistance to junior golfers who have the ability but not the means to compete in national junior golf competition. The program reimbursed $565,253 in 2021 and more than $5 million overall to juniors who play in AJGA and other national and state-level events.
Over the years, the AJGA has provided assistance to juniors in The First Tee programs. This partnership has resulted in more than $1 million being reimbursed to these juniors who are competing at a national level. The total fundraising impact on The First Tee surpassed $2 million in 2021 due to AJGA donations.
The AJGA’s diversity and inclusion efforts are not just focused on junior golfers, but also on developing the next generation of golf industry professionals through the AJGA Internship program and full-time staff members.
“The staff at my event were awesome,” said PGA TOUR Player Harold Varner III. “The coolest part for me was having a conversation with them and understanding where they come from and seeing all walks of life. It’s nice to see people involved and having love for golf.”
The AJGA Internship program has grown exponentially since the AJGA’s inception in 1978. In 2021, the AJGA hired 76 interns to travel and work at the National Headquarters. Of those interns, 54% were female and 23% were racially diverse. In recruiting for the 2022 internship, the AJGA team visited 25 recruiting events across the country with 10 of those having a large focus on HBCUs, highlighting an emphasis on bringing people from all backgrounds into the AJGA family. The AJGA also utilizes various recruiting platforms to reach an additional 800+ colleges and universities across the nation.
“It’s really great to hear about the efforts of the AJGA,” said LPGA TOUR Player Mariah Stackhouse. “Diversifying within an organization is where great ideas come from. The more diverse the group of people you are working with, that’s where magic really happens.”
The AJGA has formed partnerships with several organizations including the Women in Golf Foundation, Black Golf Directory, African American Golfer’s Digest, WE ARE GOLF Diversity Taskforce, National Minority Golf Foundation, Evans Scholars, and Living Sport. These organizations have provided candidates for the AJGA’s internship program as well as guidance and conversation on making the AJGA and golf better. Beyond establishing a partnership with these minority organizations, the AJGA was a proud partner of the first annual African American Golf EXPO & Forum Sponsored by Golf Digest in 2021. The AJGA has also hired a diversity consultant to conduct training sessions with both full-time staff and interns.
“The AJGA has been a willing partner for increasing diversity and inclusion for over 20-years,” said Dr. Michael Cooper, APGA Tour Director of Youth Pathway to the PGA Tour. “We regard the AJGA as the world leaders in developing junior golf talent; and Executive Director, Stephen Hamblin, continues to influence other golf industry organizations to do the right thing.”
The AJGA also works with several professional golfers on organizing or running tournaments that have a specific diversity and inclusion goal. These professionals include Harold Varner III, Cameron Champ, Mariah Stackhouse, Annika Sorenstam, and Stacy Lewis.
For more information about the AJGA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, please contact the AJGA’s Director of Training and Development, Lauren Shelly, at lshelly@ajga.org.