Headline: Bay State Representatives Travel to the Nation's Capitol to Take Part in the 10th National Golf Day Celebration

For Immediate Release: April 26, 2017

The golf industry came together as one at the 10th National Golf Day held on April 26.

Washington, D.C — The largest group of Bay State golf representatives traveled to Capitol Hill this past week to take part in the 10th Annual National Golf Day celebration.

United as an industry, the goal was to discuss the game’s nearly $70 billion economic impact, $4 billion annual charitable impact, environmental value to local communities and fitness benefits. A record 175 Congressional meetings were scheduled and nearly 200 attendees from 35 U.S. states participated.

“Celebrating our 10th anniversary was an historic moment and significant milestone for the golf industry,” says Steve Mona, CEO of World Golf Foundation and administrator of WE ARE GOLF. “The game's economic, charitable, environmental and fitness benefits echoed throughout Capitol Hill as we shared golf's contributions, both locally and nationally, with our country's decision-makers."

A $2.5 billion industry, golf in the Bay State annually supports nearly 25,500 jobs with $796.8 million of wage income, generates roughly $74.3 million in charitable giving and continues to be the home of some notable golf equipment manufacturers that support the state's exports, such as The Acushnet Company (parent company of the Titleist brand of golf equipment and apparel) and Callaway Golf, among many others.

The experience began the morning of April 25 with the first-ever National Golf Day Community Service Project.

On that day, more than 100 golf industry leaders teamed up with former Dedham C&PC superintendent Mike Stachowicz, who now serves as Turf Management Specialist for the National Park Service, on beautification and preservation projects that included raking, overseeding, aerating, brushing walkways and sprucing up gravel pathways. (click here to read more about that special day).

The next day, the Bay State group - which included representatives from the NEGCOA and MGA - made their way to the Nation's Capitol and held meetings with Members of Congress.

Meetings were held with the following legislative offices: Rep. Seth Moulton, Sen. Edward Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Stephen Lynch, Rep. Niki Tsongas, Rep. William Keating, Rep. Jim McGovern, and Rep. Joseph Kennedy.

Discussions focused on just how impactful the golf industry is on the Bay State economy. After all, golf produces a gross economic output of $2.7 billion which is comparable to other significant Massachusetts industries, namely fitness and recreational sports centers ($1.5 billion), semiconductor manufacturing ($1.7 billion) and medical equipment manufacturing ($3.5 billion).

Bay State golf facilities also generate revenues comparable to all other spectator sports in the state combined  - football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer.

Additionally, industry leaders met with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and Federal agencies to highlight the two million jobs impacted by golf and the nearly $4 billion raised for charitable causes through 143,000 philanthropic events annually. Throughout the day, participants shared stories about the game’s 15,000-plus diverse businesses, tax revenue creation, accessibility, tourism, ecological value and the fact that one in 75 U.S. jobs is impacted by the industry.

“I look forward to National Golf Day every year. It’s a chance to visit with the folks at WE ARE GOLF here on Capitol Hill to talk about the positive impact the game has on our economy, worthy charities and personal fitness," says Congressman James E. Clyburn, Assistant Democratic Leader (D-SC). “I especially appreciate the opportunity to discuss expanding diversity throughout every aspect of the game of golf.”

This year’s event also included Mike Davis, Executive Director of the USGA, the PGA TOUR's Billy Hurley III, and Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen.

“The influence of the game continues to grow. Golf continues to lead the way, in terms of not just physical strength but also mental strength and character,” says Senator John Barrasso (R-WY). “Golf is a worldwide, growing global activity.”

Organizations participating were the Club Managers Association of America, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Links to Freedom, National Alliance for Accessible Golf, National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA TOUR, Salute Military Golf Association, The First Tee, U.S. Golf Manufacturers Council, USGA, World Golf Foundation and several others.

National Golf Day featured a day-long exhibit in the Rayburn Foyer with live lessons for Congressional Members and staff from 2012 PGA Teacher of the Year Michael Breed, host of “The Golf Fix” on Golf Channel and LPGA Teaching Professional Karen Palacios-Jansen, founder of Cardiogolf, a golf-specific fitness system. Special exhibits and activities included a “Closest to the Pin” contest on an aboutGolf simulator; state-of-the-art swing analysis from GolfTEC; a Republican vs. Democrat “Putting Challenge;” and interviews with attendees on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio.

Visit the social media hub to continue following the action. Through April 30, be sure to use #NGD17 and tag @wearegolf on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to show your support for the golf industry.

About WE ARE GOLF
WE ARE GOLF, created in 2010, is an industry coalition that communicates the economic, charitable and environmental impact of golf, as well the health and wellness benefits of the game and the affordability and accessibility of golf, to Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and regulatory agencies. The goal of WE ARE GOLF is to ensure that laws and regulations that impact the golf industry are fair and appropriate to an industry that generates nearly $70 billion in economic impact annually, impacts close to two million American jobs and generates nearly $4 billion in charitable giving each year.

For more information, please visit www.wearegolf.org.