What is Make Golf Your Thing?
In 2020, the golf industry united together to address two simultaneous opportunities: how to bring greater diversity to our sport and how to build on the momentum that golf has experienced since the pandemic began. A year later, “Make Golf Your Thing” was launched as a collaborative effort across the golf industry to ensure the future of golf is open to everyone.
This multi-faceted, multi-year campaign invites people to the sport from all backgrounds to enjoy the game of a lifetime in their own way.
Make Golf Your Game focuses on elevating and connecting with groups that are creating welcoming entry points to the sport and expanding opportunities for individuals and communities to engage with golf. Inviting people from all backgrounds to the game begins by supporting organizations that are working to make golf more inclusive and accessible to all.
Grassroots Grants Program
The Grassroots Grants Program supports charitable organizations that are dedicated to making the sport more accessible and welcoming to all, inviting people from all backgrounds and abilities to engage with golf. Facilitated through the American Golf Industry Coalition (a division of the World Golf Foundation), $3M has been distributed to 187 unique organizations through six phases of funding, reaching more than 150,000 adults and children nationwide. Phase VI of the program distributed $500,000 to grassroots organizations committed to exposing underrepresented groups to the game.
The Phase VII Grassroots Grants Application for 2026 will be open from Monday, February 9, through Friday, March 6, at 11:59 p.m. Learn more at https://www.golfcoalition.org/grassrootsgrants.
Make Golf Your Career works to identify, attract, and engage talent from diverse backgrounds through an industry-wide job portal for golf industry employers and job seekers. Led by the PGA of America, the portal links directly to industry partners’ career pages, creating a one-stop shop for employers and potential candidates. Visit makegolfyourcareer.org to learn more.
In addition, industry representatives partner with 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with three campuses developing dedicated golf learning centers, and participate in major recruiting events such as the National Black MBA Conference, Delta Sigma Theta National Convention, and the Get in the Game Conference. Make Golf Your Career also hosts webinars that highlight career opportunities across the golf industry.
Expanding internship opportunities in golf, the USGA offers two programs—Pathways Launch and Pathways Discover—that provide career exposure and hands-on experiences for individuals from diverse backgrounds interested in working in the sport. Pathways Launch is a three-month, USGA-led internship that places participants with world-class, globally recognized businesses across a wide range of disciplines within the golf industry. Pathways Discover offers a 10-day, behind-the-scenes experience at the U.S. Open, featuring professional development, networking, and career-building opportunities. Click here to learn more.
Make Golf Your Business is dedicated to the creation of a diverse supplier database connecting minority-owned businesses to golf courses, tournaments, and industry leads. With the establishment of a supplier portal, industry leaders like the PGA TOUR, LPGA, PGA of America, USGA, & NGCOA can connect with vendors, content creators, apparel brands, and more. Led by the PGA TOUR, the supplier portal provides businesses a new opportunity to introduce their goods & services to the golf industry by registering their business.
We are in the process of updating our supplier portal and will share information about the new portal once it becomes available.