Nov 4, 2024

2024 PGA REACH Carolinas Birdie Blitz

Benefitting PGA HOPE Carolinas

$4,854Raised of $100,000

$4,854

Raised of $100,000

Your support will grow the game of golf through serving military Veterans, junior golfers, and diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives!

Please scroll below for more information on what the Birdie Blitz is, the mission of the PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation, a PGA REACH promotional video, a PGA HOPE impact story, and list of our sponsors and how you can get your company involved.

How The Birdie Blitz Works

On November 4th, committed fundraising teams of 2 will be playing golf for 5 hours from 10am to 3pm on 27 holes of golf set up as par 3's. As partners, they will be playing captain's choice format and will be trying to play as many par 3 golf holes as possible and make as many birdies as possible within that 5-hour time frame. It's estimated that teams will play between 30-40 total holes of golf.

Leading up to November 4th, these teams will be promoting their donation pages to colleagues, friends & family asking them to make a "birdie pledge" - a pledge of a certain amount of money for each birdie that the team makes on November 4th, giving them incentive to go out and make as many as possible. For example, if a pledge of $5 per birdie is made and the team makes 20 birdies on November 4th, the donor will be charged a $100 donation once the event is complete. Donors can also choose to give a straight donation of any amount of their choosing. Either way helps us reach our goal of raising money to fund the programs of the PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation, which you can read more about below.

If you're interested in committing a team to help us fundraise, just click the "JOIN" button at the top of the page, and you can register your team. If you're interested in donating to our cause, click the "DONATE" button at the top of the page, and you will be presented with the option for a birdie pledge to a specific team, or a straight donation of any amount you prefer. Every dollar counts! Thank you so much for your support!

PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation Mission

The PGA REACH Carolinas Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and philanthropic arm of the Carolinas PGA Section. We are committed to serving our communities and the future of golf through our three pillars – Youth, Military, and Inclusion. The primary programs for these pillars include PGA Junior League, Drive, Chip & Putt, PGA HOPE, and the PGA WORKS Fellowship.

The Foundation was created with the following purposes:

To improve and advance opportunities for youth.
To provide golf as a therapeutic rehabilitation tool for active and retired military Veterans and their families.
To encourage diversity and inclusion by promoting golf to all, particularly those who have no exposure to the game.

Youth – PGA Jr. League is bringing friends, families, and communities together through experiences that transcend golf. PGA Jr. League is focused on providing a fun and competitive environment for 70,000 kids nationally each year to learn and connect through golf. PGA REACH provides financial scholarships for girls and boys to join existing teams and is creating Opportunity Leagues to offer more comprehensive support including clubs, shoes, transportation, and more. In 2023, 3,260 girls and boys participated in PGA Jr. League in the Carolinas, with 81% of those being beginner or recreational golfers. The Carolinas Section was able to provide 523 children with scholarships and access to learn, play and love the game of golf. Eight (8) local First Tee Programs are involved with PGA Jr. League, as well as the SwingPals program in Durham, NC.

Military Veterans – PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is creating a path forward for thousands of Veterans across the U.S through the game of golf. Since 2015, 3,600+ Veterans have come to the game of golf through PGA HOPE Carolinas progams. For 2023 participants, 100% were persons with disabilities (physical or invisible wounds). In 2024, we plan to serve more than 1,280 Veterans through 60 total HOPE sessions. Physical disabilities, post-traumatic stress, and other challenges resulting from service can make it difficult for Veterans to feel like they belong in civilian life. PGA HOPE is offering thousands of our service members a place where they can be and feel like themselves among a community of fellow Veterans. PGA HOPE is the only adaptive golf program with the ability to scale nationally, providing even more opportunity for PGA of America Golf Professionals to bring to their facilities and impact to Veterans’ lives. Through an MOU with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans are able to receive direct referrals to PGA HOPE as a form of therapy and wellness. Led by PGA of America Golf Professionals trained in adaptive therapy and military cultural competency, PGA HOPE takes Veterans through a 6-8 week curriculum that covers all fundamentals from grip to playing nine holes and everything in between.

Diverse Communities & Inclusion – PGA WORKS is a program that offers access to individuals from diverse backgrounds—whether by gender, age, race or color, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, religion or Veteran status—into the golf industry to gain experience in all facets of the golf industry. In 2017, the Carolinas launched a fifteen (15) month immersive position offered annually. In 2024, we will welcome our 8th PGA WORKS Fellow to the Carolinas PGA Family. So far, 100% of our PGA WORKS Fellows have gained a full-time position in the golf industry after serving the Carolinas PGA through their fellowship.

Please enjoy this video that helps explain and show more about the pillars of the PGA REACH Foundation and how they help grow the game of golf and serve our communities.