SCGA FOUNDATION: GIVING BACK TO THE GAME
SCGA Foundation awards $130,000 in grants to Southern California organizations

Three times a week, various students from Manhattan Place Elementary School visit Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, a First Tee of South Los Angeles facility, where they are introduced to the game of golf while being trained in a life skills curriculum.

Western States Golf Association has operated the junior program since 1981 and the program joined The First Tee in 2003. Some notable graduates of the program include Maggie Hathaway, Head Professional Leroy Bates and The First Tee National’s Manager of Life Skills Training Eric Clark.

The First Tee of South Los Angeles is just one of 12 organizations in 2008 that received an SCGA Foundation Giving Back to the Game grant; the Foundation awarded $130,000 in grants to deserving programs across Southern California.

The First Tee of South Los Angeles serves more than 500 inner-city youth between the ages of 6 and 17 each year. Many are introduced to golf for the first time during their physical education classes at school.

“Golf is a very difficult sport,” says Fred Ensley, Director of Training. “When a child hits the ball for the first time, they have a huge smile on their face and start to have fun. At the same time, we are teaching core values, such as honesty, respect, responsibilty, and the kids are becoming better citizens because of it.”

The Giving Back to the Game grant program supports organizations that use the game to teach valuable life skills and provide educational opportunities for children. Throughout the last five years, the SCGA Foundation has distributed over $500,000 in grants throughout Southern California.

Giving Back to the Game grants are used by programs for golf course access, PGA instruction, a computer lab, in-school and after-school programs and more. This year’s grant funding of $130,000 represents a 50 percent increase over last year.

“The work that these organizations do is tremendous and we are proud to support their efforts,” says SCGA Foundation Managing Director Kevin Gigax. “With the continued expansion of the SCGA Foundation, we have grown our grant funding significantly and we know these funds are put to good use in providing opportunities for kids.”

2008 SCGA Foundation Grant Recipients
• Get a Grip Foundation
• Grandfathers for Golf
• City of Los Angeles
• Marty Tregnan Golf Academy
• Pauma Schools Foundation
• Pro Kids Golf Academy Inc.
• The First Tee of the Central Coast
• The First Tee of the Coachella Valley
• The First Tee of Pasadena
• The First Tee of South Los Angeles
• Urban Youth Golf Program
• Valley Junior Golf Association

For more information about the SCGA Foundation, visit www.scgafoundation.org