Eagle County golf courses partner with ‘Golf with Us’ to bring $5 rounds to youth
Erin Kadrmas/Eagle Ranch Golf Club
A trio of Eagle County courses are offering $5 rounds for the next generation of golfers.
Last week, Bank of America launched a new initiative, ‘Golf with Us,’ which offers 6-18-year-olds a free one-year membership to Youth on Course. Youth On Course is a nonprofit based out of Monterey, California, that provides subsidized rounds of golf for $5 or less at select partner courses across the country.
More than 2,000 courses are partnered with Youth On Course nationwide. In Colorado, 38 courses — including Eagle Ranch Golf Club, Vail Golf Club and EagleVail Golf Club — have partnered with Youth On Course. In the past, the registration for Youth On Course has cost $25 for the year.
“We have been involved in the Youth on Course program for several years, with over 1,500 rounds played at Eagle Ranch Golf Club last year,” Jeff Boyer, general manager of Eagle Ranch Golf Club, said in a statement to the Vail Daily on Wednesday. “While Youth On Course memberships are for kids ages 6 to 18, we’ve seen a significant rise in participation among middle and high school students.”
The Youth On Course program at Eagle Ranch Golf Club offers the $5 green after 2 p.m., which also includes a small bag of practice balls prior to the round and opportunities for paid high school internships, college scholarships and involvement in the Youth On Course caddie program. It also includes a registered handicap indix in the United States Golf Association’s Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN) system. For more information, visit http://www.ColoradoGolf.org/youth-on-course.
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“Golf has the power to shape young lives in incredible ways — not just through the sport itself, but through the friendships, confidence and opportunities it creates,” Youth on Course CEO Adam Heieck stated in a press release. “Through this partnership with Bank of America, we’re making it possible for more kids across the country to step onto the course and discover what’s possible. This partnership is about more than just golf; it’s about opening doors and changing futures.”
Local courses are also playing host to several important prep and junior club tournaments this year. Eagle Ranch is hosting a Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) girls high school golf tournament on April 30 as well as the 3A state championship for boys next October. There is also the annual Junior Club Championship on July 29. Gypsum Creek Golf Course will host the 3A Region 4 tournament May 13-14.
The Vail Golf Club has the Colorado Junior PGA Shotgun event on June 18, the Vail Golf Club Junior Series 9-hole event on July 10 and July 24 and the fourth-annual Vail Golf Club Junior Club Championship on July 31st.
