One of 70 organizations across U.S. receiving grant through initiative
PHOENIX, Arizona – I GOT This Foundation has been selected to receive funding through a dedicated grants program operated by the golf industry’s initiative, Make Golf Your Thing.
As one of 70 designated organizations across the U.S., I GOT THIS Foundation was chosen for its efforts to strengthen golf by opening doors and inviting more people from historically underrepresented groups to experience the sport.
Founded in 2019 by Amy Bockerstette, a golfer with Down syndrome, I GOT THIS Foundation has a mission to promote golf instruction and playing opportunities for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. Opportunities include I GOT THIS Discovery Golf Clinics, I GOT THIS Golf Camps, and the I GOT THIS Championship.
The championship is a two-day, 18-hole independent play event on a regulation course, with United States Adaptive Golf Alliance world ranking points. The only one in the country exclusively for people with intellectual disabilities.
Launched in 2020, Make Golf Your Thing Grassroots Grants Program – through its latest round of funding – is distributing $500,000 to organizations nationwide, bringing the total program investment to $3 million over six years.
“We are honored to be a recipient of the Make Golf Your Thing grant” stated foundation Executive Director Tracy Hupko. “This is a testament to the endeavors to increase accessibility, acceptance, and diversity in the game of golf.”
The Make Golf Your Thing Grassroots Grants Program was established to support organizations and programs that are strengthening golf by opening doors and inviting more people from historically underrepresented groups to experience the sport, including Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous communities, as well as women, LGBTQI+ individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
The program is being financially supported by industry partners committed to helping make the game more welcoming and inclusive for all.
This collective industry effort is showing meaningful results. According to the National Golf Foundation, golf participation reached 47.2 million Americans in 2024 – a 50% increase over the past decade. Ethnically diverse participation has grown, increasing 44% since 2020, with 6.9 million ethnically diverse people playing on-course golf in 2024, and for the first time, representing a quarter of all on-course players.
Female participation has similarly grown, with 7.9 million women playing on-course golf in 2024 – a 41% increase since 2019. Women now account for 28% of all on-course participants and represent more than 60% of golf’s participation gains since 2019.
Golf is a sport anyone can learn to play and enjoy, promoting quality exercise and a healthy lifestyle. I GOT THIS believes golf provides a great social experience for players, families and friends. Those who play golf are afforded many wonderful opportunities to see new places, meet new people, and make great memories.
Make Golf Your Thing is a movement to strengthen the golf industry and communities by making the sport inclusive and accessible. The initiative supports grassroots organizations working to welcome new participants to golf while building pathways for long-term engagement with the sport.
The grants program is being administered by the American Golf Industry Coalition, a partnership among golf’s leading organizations working to collectively tell the story of golf’s contributions to the economy, health and wellness benefits, charitable giving, and environmental and sustainability initiatives.
Funding for the program is made possible through the generous support of industry partners committed to making the sport more welcoming and inclusive for all.
For more information on I GOT THIS Foundation Discovery Golf Clinics, Golf Camps, Instructor Academy or I GOT THIS Championship, visit www.igotthis.foundation.
For more information on Make Golf Your Thing, visit https://makegolfyourthing.org/.
