Some of the most exclusive — and expensive — golf courses in the world are in Westchester, but that doesn’t mean youngsters have to cash out their college fund to get a start in the game.
If you’re 6-18, you can join Youth on Course through the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) and play any of the Westchester County-operated courses for just five bucks.
The whole idea, of course, is to get more kids into golf by removing one of the biggest barriers to participation, its expense, while also dealing with another problem, access to golf courses. The MGA teamed up with the Westchester County Parks Department to secure courses for kids to play and joined the Youth on Course national network to manage the eClub membership program.
To take advantage of the offer, youngsters sign-up online for $20 and complete a short online tutorial that covers some of the basic etiquette and rules of the game. They will then receive a card with an individual membership number within a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, a temporary card can be printed from the website.
That’s all it takes! Each participating course has slightly different tee times available for the program, so it’s best to call ahead to make sure there’s a time to play on the day you want. And the greens fee is only $5!
Hudson Hills, Mohansic, Saxon Woods, Dunwoodie, and Sprain Lake are all participating in Westchester. The Youth on Course membership is also good at Pelham Bay, Split Rock, Van Cortlandt Park, and Mosholu in the Bronx and several courses in New Jersey and Long Island. In fact, since Youth on Course is a growing nationwide program, the membership card is honored at over 1,100 courses around the country! Other membership goodies include an official USGA/GHIN handicap, a subscription to Met Golfer magazine, and other MGA benefits.
The biggest benefit of all? Getting an early start in golf!