PGA professional teaching Junior One Hundred youth. Photo by Adam Hunger/PGA of America
Young black men and women got the chance to see golf differently at the Junior One Hundred Challenge, held at Ardsley Country Club in Dobbs Ferry.
Ardsley CC hosted the Junior One Hundred Challenge, a unique two-day conference designed to introduce opportunities in golf to 70 local, Black college and high school-aged boys and girls. The PGA of America and One Hundred Black Men of New York (OHBM) staged the event in Dobbs Ferry.
The Junior One Hundred (JOH) is a youth leadership and career exposure program open to students ages 12 to 24. The program focuses on career exploration, character development, personal growth, and mentorship. At this event, members of the JOH learned the fundamentals of the game, were exposed to possible career opportunities within and around the $102 billion golf business and other industries, and saw how golf can be pivotal to their future careers.
The event included a PGA Professional-led golf clinic, a panel discussion about finding inner strength and purpose through career aspirations, an address from New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks, and a career services resume workshop. The participants also had an opportunity to meet with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, PGA Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price, and OHBM President Aldrin Enis.
The highlight of the event was a Pro-Am styled, 9-hole playing lesson with 25 JOH Members paired with PGA Professionals. After the round, each playing participant received a $1,000 scholarship from OHBM.
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“The One Hundred Black Men of New York’s partnership with the PGA of America underscores a unique opportunity to bring golf to inner city children who otherwise might never have exposure to such an important game,” says One Hundred Black Men of New York Interim Executive Director Erik Cliette.
This is the second year OHBM has joined forces with the PGA of America; PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America; and PGA WORKS, a strategic initiative designed to diversify the golf industry’s workforce, to host the Junior One Hundred Challenge at Ardsley CC.
