The PGA of America Announces Founding Partnership with FairWays to Leadership to Promote Leadership Diversity in Golf Industry

The PGA will provide two grants to help train leadership cohorts

(PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.) – The PGA of America has announced a founding partnership agreement with FairWays to Leadership, a 501(c)(3) that expands diversity in business leadership through access to golf. FairWays to Leadership supports college students from diverse backgrounds by providing leadership training so they can become effective business leaders, and the social skills to help them access opportunities through the game and business of golf.

The two-year agreement provides FairWays to Leadership with a grant each year, as well as programmatic support from the PGA, such as giving students and alumni access to PGA Career Services to help them find jobs in the golf industry, and a scheduled speaker series to include PGA of America Members, staff and executives. FairWays to Leadership will also engage with the industry-wide Make Golf Your Thing movement. 

FairWays to Leadership’s mission is simple: promote diversity, equity and inclusion in business through golf literacy. The idea is using the game to promote social inclusion in the workplace, diversity in business leadership and equitable professional opportunities for underrepresented groups – goals that align with the PGA’s inclusion efforts throughout the industry. 

As part of the agreement, FairWays to Leadership will train two, 10-student cohorts each year. Also, PGA Members and staff will lend their support to appropriate programming and activities. Members will also provide golf instruction for the cohorts.

“This partnership was a natural fit for the PGA of America because FairWays to Leadership is aligned with our vision to make all aspects of the game and industry workforce more welcoming and inclusive,” PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross said. “Committing to support this type of effective grassroots-level organizing and education is critical to developing more representative decision-makers and leaders in the golf industry. And it’s already paying dividends as the PGA has hired one student full-time, as well as one intern from the program. We’re very excited about that success.”

“We are excited to have the PGA as a Founding Partner of FairWays to Leadership,” said Dr. Eric Boyd, Co-Founder and President of FairWays to Leadership. “The partnership will be instrumental in helping us provide leadership and professional career development training to diverse groups of college students through a digital learning academy, leadership speaker series and golf instruction.”