To study extra about find out how to become involved with First Tee – Canada or Youth on Course, go to firstteecanada.ca or golfcanada.ca/youthoncourse.
Golf is now the most-played sport in Canada and shall be performed by roughly six million Canadians from quite a lot of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds this 12 months. To maintain the expansion of the game and make sure that golf represents the strengths of Canada’s range, junior packages should be accessible and inexpensive.
Golf programs operated by cities are open to the general public and supply inexpensive golf alternatives for individuals of varied ages and financial means. Municipally run areas additionally function neighborhood hubs, fostering social interplay and integration amongst individuals of all backgrounds. This sense of neighborhood encourages participation in golf and attracts people and households who could not have thought-about the game in any other case.
These services are particularly welcoming for kids, as they supply high quality recreation at an inexpensive value. Many municipal golf programs, significantly these in main markets, supply a low-cost annual move for kids 18 and below. For instance, an annual junior move to play in any respect 5 of the Metropolis of Toronto programs prices $378, with monetary support accessible for qualifying households.
Membership at a municipal golf course supplies kids with a complete spring, summer season and fall’s price of out of doors exercise and in-person social time for a value that’s extra inexpensive than most different sports activities.
The preliminary step in Golf Canada’s partnerships with municipalities is to interact kids via First Tee – Canada, a youth improvement program that gives life-enhancing experiences via golf at neighborhood centres, faculties and golf programs.
Golf Canada has formally partnered with 34 municipalities from coast-to-coast, together with main metropolitans just like the cities of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. As well as, over 83 per cent of First Tee – Canada’s neighborhood centre areas serve low-socioeconomic neighbourhoods.
The intention is to first introduce kids to golf via First Tee – Canada at city-operated neighborhood centres, then transition them to on-course programming at their close by municipal golf course via occasions and registered programming.
Golf Canada distributes personal registration hyperlinks to local people centres, who primarily serve kids from fairness deserving communities. With the assist of RBC, all First Tee programming offered on the municipal degree is obtainable without charge to the contributors or program areas.
After kids have skilled registered programming and are able to progress their expertise on the course, they will play rounds of golf at their municipal course for $5 or much less via Youth on Course. All First Tee – Canada contributors obtain a complimentary Youth on Course membership that enables them to entry inexpensive inexperienced charges at taking part programs throughout Canada.
There are presently 21 municipal programs which have partnered with Golf Canada and Youth on Course. With the continued assist of RBC and provincial golf associations, Golf Canada helps subsidize rounds of golf to youth aged 18 and below. Since 2018, almost 17,000 rounds of inexpensive golf have been performed by juniors at these taking part programs.
Collectively, Golf Canada and municipalities are working collectively to create an accessible, inexpensive entry-point into the game for all younger individuals throughout Canada.