PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- People across the United States will have the opportunity to improve their golf game throughout the entire month of May by participating in Play Golf America’s PGA Free Lesson Month. The PGA of America and Golf Digest jointly launched this successful campaign in 1998. Now, on its 10th Anniversary, PGA Free Lesson Month continues to set records, with more than 147,000 free lessons given last year.
Play Golf America's PGA Free Lesson Month is designed to reach new golfers and help existing golfers improve their game with a free, 10-minute golf lesson conducted by PGA Professionals nationwide. It is a growth-of-the-game initiative between The PGA of America, Golf Digest, the GOLF CHANNEL, Golf For Women and Golf World. Nike Golf is the official program sponsor. Consumers can find the most updated list of participating PGA Professionals in their area by inserting their zip code at www.PlayGolfAmerica.com.
PGA Free Lesson Month is one of the most successful growth-of-the-game campaigns in the golf industry. In 2006, a total of 147,332 free lessons (21 percent increase from 2005) were given by 7,485 PGA Professionals (8.7 percent increase) at 5,880 facilities (5.5 percent increase) across the country.
PGA Professionals each gave an average of 20 lessons with each lesson lasting an average of 19 minutes. A total of 46,655 hours were dedicated to free lessons in 2006. PGA Professionals indicated that 55 percent of the free lessons they conducted were with new customers; 23 percent were new or beginning golfers; 31 percent were women; and 11 percent of the PGA Professionals gave lessons to individuals with disabilities.
“PGA Professionals are dedicated to growing the game and the success of PGA Free Lesson Month is a testament to that commitment,” said the PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. “With the continued support from our loyal partners in the Golf Digest Publications, the GOLF CHANNEL and Nike Golf, PGA Professionals across the country will once again be able to share their expertise with golfers of all skill levels. We are proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of PGA Free Lesson Month and look forward to another record-setting year.”
Golf Digest Publications has teamed with The PGA of America since the campaign’s inception in 1998. PGA Free Lesson Month is covered in Golf Digest, Golf For Women, Golf World, and GolfDigest.com to a combined audience of nearly 10 million readers.
“PGA Free Lesson Month is one of the most tangible programs for attracting new players to the game and sparking interest among existing players,” said Jerry Tarde, Chairman and Editorial Director of Golf Digest Publications. “Over half a million free lessons have been given nationwide since this growth-of-the-game initiative was launched 10 years ago. We’re proud to partner with The PGA of America and have our extensive resources support this ever-growing campaign.”
GOLF DIGEST PUBLICATIONS: (Contact: Andrew Katcher, 212-630-2488, Andrew_Katcher@condenast.com)
Golf Digest Publications has teamed with The PGA of America since the campaign’s inception. Golf Digest’s May issue features PGA Free Lesson Month, along with a roster of PGA Professionals nationwide offering free 10-minute lessons. There is also an insert sweepstakes card for readers to sign up for a free lesson and register to win a golf getaway vacation. In addition, the program is featured in the May/June issue of Golf For Women, the April 6 issue of the weekly Golf World and on www.GolfDigest.com.
THE GOLF CHANNEL: (Contact: Mark Mitchell, 407-355-4063, mmitchell@golfchannel.com)
The GOLF CHANNEL partners with The PGA of America to promote Free Lesson Month for the fifth year. The GOLF CHANNEL promotes PGA Free Lesson Month through various programming, reaching over 75 million viewers, and additionally at www.theGOLFCHANNEL.com. The Grand Prize for the PGA Professional who gives the most lessons during PGA Free Lesson Month is an appearance on “The Turn”, the GOLF CHANNEL’s newest instructional program that leads off Monday’s Night School, airing every Monday at 10 pm ET.
