PGA Of America, Jack Nicklaus Combine to Present Teaching Grants of $55,000 to 11 Chapters of The First Tee

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. - The PGA Foundation, in conjunction with golf legend Jack Nicklaus, has awarded teaching grants totaling $55,000 to 11 Chapters of The First Tee representing seven states.

The PGA and Nicklaus have partnered to create a $2 million endowment to provide teaching grants to certified Chapters of The First Tee that use PGA Professionals and apprentices for instruction.

To date, 110 of the 172 active Chapters of The First Tee nationwide have been recipients of either a PGA of America or Nicklaus/PGA teaching grant. The combined PGA and Nicklaus/PGA grants total $1,405,000.

"The PGA of America is very pleased that our partnership with Jack Nicklaus can reach out to more communities on a regular basis with the Nicklaus/PGA Teaching Grants," said PGA of America President Roger Warren. "These grants have proven their value in enabling The First Tee to continue its momentum of growing the game by bringing more young people into golf."

The program continues to highlight The PGA of America's commitment to partner with its PGA Professionals to grow participation in golf.

The current Nicklaus/PGA teaching grants totaling $5,000 each have been awarded to The First Tee Chapters in Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Texas and Washington.

Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has opened 209 golf-learning facilities and has introduced the game of golf to over 450,000 participants. The focus is to give young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.

The PGA Growth of the Game Program is one of a number of initiatives administered by The PGA of America through its PGA Foundation. The PGA Foundation was established in 1954 as the Association's charitable arm to provide resources and professional expertise to make golf more accessible to all segments of the population. Today, the PGA Foundation helps promote interest and participation in the game through research, education, community golf initiatives and growth of the game grants. For more on The PGA Foundation, visit www.pgafoundation.com, or contact The PGA Foundation at (561) 624-7612.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.