USGA development grant window now open for ages 13-18
By Ken MacLeod
The window for competitive golfers ages 13-18 to apply for 2025 grants being awarded by the USGA’s U.S. National Development Program is now open. Click here to determine eligibility.
The USNDP is the new and growing program by the USGA to develop a national golf program similar to those offered by other nations. It includes grants up to $10,000 to players and their families who don’t have the resources to assist with a range of needs in helping players reach their potential.
“The grants are not to replace a player’s instructor or team but to provide resources beyond instruction, to accelerate the development of skills and strategies that can enhance their performance on and off the golf course,” said Dr. Beth Brown, the Senior Athlete Development Specialist for the USNDP, who is based in Norman.
The overall goal is to help promising players develop and eventually they will have opportunities to play for their state or national teams as the USGA fleshes out the national development program. The national team is already up and running and six of its members played in the recent U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Southern Hills, including finalist Asterisk Talley. Emerie Schartz of Wichita, a frequent competitor in Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour events, is on the team.
“There are five tiers to our program,” Brown said. “Right now we’ve launched two of those tiers, with the grant program and the national team. There will eventually be state teams, regional teams and other opportunities.”
The USGA awarded 71 grants in 2024 including two to Oklahoma residents, although Brown said she was not at liberty to disclose the recipients. It will award 100 grants in 2025 and up to 300 by 2033.
The state teams has pilot programs in seven states and that number should grow by seven or eight states per year until all have a team by 2035.
The goal, Brown said, is to help young U.S. golfers be more successful at the elite college level and beyond.
“We’re really the only country that has golf in the Olympics and no federation,” Brown said. “From an outcome base we want to see more Americans at the top of leaderboards. Even in college, we’re seeing that ½ the numbers at the elite college level are Americans and ½ from other countries. We want to foster future generations of American golf talent and provide resources to parents and players.”
The USGA program is not in competition with other golf organizations, such as the American Junior Golf Association, but is striving to collaborate and partner with such entities that focus on providing competition to its participants.
“Our goal for grant recipients and their families is not just to provide dollars for competitions, but to also provide support, consultations, webinars, sports psychology and more,” Brown said. “We will direct them to people we’ve vetted and trust.”
To apply for the grants, male golfers must have a USGA handicap index of 2.4 or better and females 5.4 or better. For more information on the program, go to usga.org/usndp.