COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The United States Golf Association (USGA) has awarded 59 new grants totaling $1,454,220 to non-profit organizations to support affordable and accessible golf programs and facilities. These new awards will reach more than 17,000 kids and individuals with disabilities nationally as part of the USGA's effort to bring golf to audiences that otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn the game.

USGA funding has exceeded $49-million during the past nine years, and is only $80,000 short of reaching the original Grants Initiative goal of giving $50 million in support during the past decade (1997-2006). Grant funds will be used at programs for instruction, golf course and range access, equipment, and course construction. The USGA "For the Good of the Game" grants program is enhanced by the support of state and regional golf associations and local PGA of America sections, which make a significant impact in promoting the game to everyone.

"Golf is a game that gives us instant and long-term camaraderie," said USGA President Walter Driver. "The USGA is proud to support local programs for kids and individuals with disabilities that provide opportunities to learn the game of golf, to discover the life skills and values inherent to the game, and to experience the pure joy of hitting your first shot off the ground."

Nowhere is the sport's camaraderie more evident than in the relationship between the USGA and the allied golf associations. For example, the Philadelphia Variety Club received a $55,000 grant from the USGA to help build the Vincent Mariniello Golf Course, a project spearheaded by the Philadelphia Section of the PGA of America. The three-hole course and driving range will be built with monies from both organizations and will be used exclusively by individuals with disabilities, catering to 400 kids each summer.

"A working partnership between the USGA and a PGA Section, which essentially is a franchise, is wonderful," said Geoffrey Surrette, executive director of the Philadelphia Section of the PGA. "It brings professional and amateur golf together to do what is right for the game."

Another grant went to the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation. It received a $22,500 award for "Little Legends," a golf program for 13 low-income areas that will potentially reach 1,000 kids.

"We're proud to have the "Little Legends" program recognized by the USGA through this grant," said Tim Kreger, director of development for the Foundation. "Success with low-cost programming takes collaborative efforts from many resources. It is a blessing that the USGA continues to partner with our organization to offer the necessary funding to continue allowing us to grow this great game. Collaboration is the key to success and this is just one example of how the USGA continually provides growth opportunities for all state and regional golf associations."

In addition to monetary support, the USGA has also developed material resources to help golf programs foster local partnerships. The latest informational booklet is "Fore! Raise Your Voice -- A Communications Guide," which helps programs develop strategic communications plans.

Additionally, the USGA offers a fund-raising strategy manual entitled "Approaching the Green -- A Fundraising Guide for Non-Profit Golf Programs."

Here is a complete list of programs receiving new funding across the country;

Organization Name City, State Grant Amount

Alegent Health Immanual Rehabilitation Center
Omaha, Neb.
$12,750

Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped
Phoenix, Ariz.
$12,500

American Society of Golf Course Architects
Brookfield, Wis.
$15,000

Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation
Baltimore, Md.
$3,000

Boys & Girls Club of Topeka
Topeka, Kan.
$4,800

Boys and Girls Clubs of Gloucester County, Inc.
Glassboro, N,J.
$5,000

Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills, Inc.
Southern Pines, N.C.
$16,000

Boys and Girls Club of Western Broome
Endwell, N.Y.
$10,000

Boys and Girls Clubs of Lorain County
Oberlin, Ohio
$7,500

Central Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
Helena, Ariz.
$32,500

The First Tee of Central Coast
Summerland, Calif.
$40,000

Challenge Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
$8,500

Chattanooga Junior Golfers Development Program
Chattanooga, Tenn.
$35,000

Children's Service Society of Wisconsin
Wausau, Wis.
$5,000

City of Erie
Erie, Pa.
$80,000

Courage Center-Courage Duluth Programs
Duluth, Minn.
$4,650

Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation
Oakland, Calif.
$12,500

Future Masters, Inc.
Orlando, Fla.
$20,000

Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology
Spring Hill, Fla.
$6,000

Heart of Variety Fund
Philadelphia, Pa.
$55,000

Jasper County Sheltered Facilities Association
Joplin, Mo.
$7,250

Kinzua Hills Golf Club
Kinzua, Ore.
$30,000

Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce Charity Foundation
Los Angeles, Calif.
$10,000

LPGA Foundation
Daytona Beach, Fla.
$175,000

LP's Southside Community Youth Center
Sandusky, Ohio
$20,000

Massachusetts Golf Association
Norton, Mass.
$4,960

Metropolitan Golf Association Foundation
Elmsford, N.Y.
$20,000

Muncie Boys and Girls Club
Muncie, Ind.
$6,400

National Alliance for Youth Sports
West Palm Beach, Fla.
$100,000

National Coalition of 100 Black Women
San Francisco, Calif.
$10,000

National Golf Course Owners Association
Mount Pleasant, S.C.
$100,000

Northern Maine Development Commission, Inc.
Caribou, Maine
$8,500

Nurturing Individuals Needing Assistance Foundation
Calumet City, Ill.
$4,800

Ohio Junior Golf Association
Norwalk, Ohio
$20,000

Plentywood Golf Club
Plentywood, Mont.
$3,800

Positive Swing
Southport, Ind.
$22,500

Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands
East Sandwich, Mass.
$21,000

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Ill.
$15,000

San Jose Sports Authority
San Jose, Calif.
$45,000

Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club Inc
Santa Fe, N.M.
$16,000

Seattle Junior Golf Foundation
Seattle, Wash.
$35,000

South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation
Irmo, S.C.
$22,500

Southern Texas PGA Foundation
The Woodlands, Texas
$35,000

Special Olympics International
Washington, D.C.
$25,000

Special Olympics Southern California, Inc.
Culver City, Calif.
$6,300

The First Tee of Columbus
Columbus, Ga.
$30,000

The First Tee of Jacksonville, Inc.
Jacksonville, Fla.
$20,000

The Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association
Philadelphia, Pa.
$40,000

Traverse City Junior Golf Association
Traverse City, Mich.
$20,000

The University of Southern Mississippi- Technology Learning Center
Hattiesburg, Miss.
$25,000

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
$22,500

United States Golf Association
Colorado Springs, Colo.
$9,270

United States Golf Association
Colorado Springs, Colo.
$1,440

West Penn Minority Junior Golf Association, Inc.
Monroeville, Pa.
$65,000

Whittier Middle School
Loraine, Ohio
$1,300

YMCA of South Hampton Roads
Virginia Beach, Va.
$35,000

Youth On Course, Inc.
Salt Lake City, Utah
$7,500

Youth Sports Council of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
$12,500

USGA Grants Initiative: A Capsule History

The United States Golf Association is working to make the game of golf affordable and accessible. Since 1997, the grants initiative has traditionally focused on programming for economically disadvantaged kids and individuals with disabilities. The USGA Executive Committee has extended this grants initiative to the end of the decade (2010), bringing total anticipated USGA support to $65 million to provide financial support and assistance to deserving golf programs. Beyond its Grants Initiative, the USGA partners with national organizations to promote affordable and accessible facility development, course access, girls' golf, and initiatives for individuals with disabilities.

For more information on the USGA Grants Initiative, contact the Grants office in Colorado Springs, Colo., at (719) 471-4810 or visit the Grants Section of the USGA Web site at www.usga.org.

Media Contact:
Craig Smith
(908) 234-2300