Established in 1991, The LPGA Foundation’s mission is to empower, inspire and transform the lives of girls and women through the game of golf.
This is accomplished through four main initiatives: LPGA-USGA Girls Golf; LPGA Leadership Academies; Scholarship Programs; and the Dolores Hope LPGA Financial Assistance Initiative.
The success of the Foundation’s junior golf programs in recent years has helped to change the face of the game. In 1995, girls made up only 17% of all junior golfers. Today they total 33%, with girls under the age of 18 becoming the fastest growing segment of the golf population. You need look no further than to the Foundation’s Girls Golf program to help explain that increase. The program is on track to bring more than 80,000 girls to the game in 2018, with a goal of reaching 100,000 per year by 2020.
In 2015, The LPGA Foundation deepened its commitment to the personal growth of young women through LPGA Leadership Academies. These two-day events are designed to keep teenage girls engaged in golf and prepare them for leadership opportunities. The LPGA Leadership Academy uses golf as a vehicle to provide a framework for young women to develop their confidence along with communication and leadership skills. Group exercises, expert-led discussions, journaling, and interaction with female executives and mentors help girls discover their unique strengths and leadership style.
The LPGA Foundation also administers several scholarship programs for young women who enjoy the game of golf and plan to attend college in the fall. Additional grants and financial assistance funds for those in the golf industry are also supported through The LPGA Foundation.
LPGA*USGA Girls Golf (Girls Golf)
For 30 years, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf has been the only national program of its kind that specializes in providing a “girl-friendly,” girls-only environment for juniors to learn and play the game of golf.
Founded in 1989 by LPGA LPGA Professionals member Sandy LaBauve, who dreamed of sharing her love for the game of golf with her two daughters, the program has become the industry leader in bringing young girls to the game. With more than 500 sites in communities across the country, nearly 90,000 girls participated in the program in 2019. This kind of success has helped to change the face of the game in recent years. In 1995, just 17% of junior golfers were female. Today that number is 33%, the highest percentage in history.
Golf is a transformative sport that inherently teaches valuable life skills like honesty and perseverance. It is one of the few sports that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Girls Golf has specialized in creating experiences that help girls fall in love with the game while making sure their skills are progressing so they can play with confidence.
Girls Golf sites provide girls with quality golf instruction led by LPGA and PGA teaching professionals or certified coaches from The First Tee. These teachers host golf clinics and special themed events for girls in communities across the U.S. and even beyond our borders in countries like Canada, Italy, France and Korea.
Girls Golf members learn important life skills while building lasting friendships and experiencing competition in a fun, supportive environment, preparing them for a lifetime of enjoyment with the game. Teaching leadership skills to inspire healthy living, the Five E’s of Girls Golf are used to Empower, Enrich, Engage, Exercise, and Energize girls through the game of golf.
Leadership Academies:
In 2015, the LPGA Foundation began a new, exciting journey, as we introduced a two-day LPGA Leadership Academy to keep teenage girls engaged in golf and prepare them for leadership opportunities.
The LPGA Leadership Academy uses golf as a vehicle to provide a framework for young women to develop their confidence, communication, and leadership skills.
Group exercises, expert led discussions, journaling and interaction with female executives and mentors help girls discover their unique strengths and leadership style.
We use the game of golf as a platform and learning tool to:
- Teach girls how to become better decision makers
- Overcome and let go of set backs
- Take calculated risks and "Lean In"
- Develop skills to accomplish specific goals
- Play their own game and find their own voice
Forty participants receive a scholarship to participate in this unique event which will be hosted in four markets.
To learn more and register, click here: https://www.girlsgolf.org/events/leadership-academy
LPGA Foundation Scholarships
The LPGA Foundation administers several scholarship programs for young women who enjoy the game of golf and plan to attend college in the fall. Qualifications for all scholarships include strong academic programs, community service, and recommendations.
Four of the existing scholarships are the Dinah Shore Scholarship, the Marilynn Smith Scholarship, the Phyllis G. Meekins Scholarship, and the Goldie Bateson Scholarship.
The LPGA Foundation's structure allows for the establishment of endowed scholarships in honor or in memory of individuals who made a significant difference in the world of golf.
To learn more about the LPGA Foundation and its initiatives, visit LPGAFoundation.org.
