July 6, 2021
At its most basic level, the mission of the TGA Foundation is to ensure the game of golf grows and prospers. That calling takes many forms, but in each case golf and growing the game are front and center in the TGA’s charitable efforts. The Bill Penn Grants are a perfect example. Named after the esteemed former TGA Executive Director, these annual gifts of up to $5,000 are allocated to select organizations that enrich their communities through outreach, such as golf instruction on the local level, educational resources and junior golf programs.
This year’s two esteemed grant recipients are the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Fort Worth-Dallas West and Girls Golf of Greater Houston. Both organizations introduce young girls to the game and use the instruction process to instill vital life skills such as self-discipline, confidence, honesty, loyalty and commitment through group lessons and one-on-one mentoring.
Known as “Coach Lee” to hundreds of youngsters she’s nurtured, Gladys Lee, an LPGA Class A Professional, started her LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Fort Worth-Dallas West group back in 1986 under the name of the Roaring Lambs International Junior Golf Program. The co-ed organization was dedicated to encouraging the participation of multi-racial, inner-city youth in junior golf activities.
Through Coach Lee’s diligence and vision, the Roaring Lambs grew and expanded to the DFW suburbs providing training and opportunities to children of every social, economic, race and religious background. “With great pride for three decades it has been my observation to witness young women and men who participated in the Roaring Lambs program utilize the outstanding values that were taught,” Coach Lee said when speaking with the Texas Golf Association Foundation.
“I’ve seen these young people develop, grow and focus on the commitment it takes to become future leaders in any area of interest they chose to seek.”
In 2015, the Roaring Lambs became exclusive to girls and was rebranded under the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf umbrella. The boys in Coach Lee’s program were welcomed by other junior golf groups, which allowed her to focus on girls. Serena Shaw, an 18-year-old senior at Hebron High School in Carrollton, has been active in the Roaring Lambs since she was 12. Shaw said the support and guidance she’s received from Coach Lee helped her gain the confidence to pursue a collegiate golf career, something she’s working toward, But it’s so much more than that, Shaw explained.
“Coach Lee cares about the well-being of her students,” said Shaw, who in June won medalist honors at her U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur qualifier. “Golf is more than just a score to her. It’s a lifestyle, and she has been able to instill that into her students. She knows that golf is mentally a challenging game, and works with her students not only on perfecting their swings but strengthening their minds.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: LPGA Golf 101 & LPGA-USGA Girls Graduate with Flair
“She is an advocate for her junior golfers and provides every opportunity to help them achieve their dreams,” said Shaw.
The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Fort Worth-Dallas West this year received a Bill Penn Grant of $5,000. Counting Serena Shaw, there are currently 36 girls registered for the program. Coach Lee said she recently decided to never turn away a child because her parents can’t afford the fees.
Nearly half of the funds from the TGA Foundation will pay for the full 2018tuition for 11 girls. “If the family can’t afford the program, I don’t charge them,” Coach Lee said. “It’s just $225for an annual fee. This grant will help subsidize those fees for young girls who want to join but their families can’t afford it.”
Coach Lee said she’ll use the remainder of the Bill Penn Grant on various costs, such as PGA Junior League fees, replacing golf equipment and green fees.
To learn more about the Roaring Lambs and LPGA -USGA Girls Golf DFW, visit https://roaringlambsjrgolf.com/.
Girls Golf of Greater Houston also received funding this year from the TGA Foundation. Executive Director Stacey Frank plans to use her organization’s $2,000 Bill Penn Grant to enhance her annual six-week golf camp for girls ages 6-16. Every summer for the past four years, Frank oversees anywhere from a dozen to 18 girls.The girls mostly come from inner-city environments where golf is about as common as wide, open spaces.
Frank divides the campers into two groups: girls ages 6-10 and 11-16. “I wanted to give young girls in the community an opportunity and exposure to the game of golf, the sport I love,” Frank said. “There is little to no golf taught in our local elementary and middle schools, so I wanted to give inner-city kids an opportunity to learn the game and the life skills golf can bring.”
Frank also exposes the girls to opportunities that golf can provide later in life with college scholarships and access to future career-assisting contacts. These two benefits of Girls Golf of Greater Houston strikes a chord with the parents. “They are appreciative of the exposure the girls get to the game of golf,” Frank said. “When I speak to the parents about the college scholarships that golf can offer their girls, they are enlightened because most parents are unaware that golf can provide a future for their daughters.”
Frank works with the youngsters on all the fundamentals of the game — grip, putting, pitching, chipping and the full swing are all covered. When camp ends, they all get to play a nine-hole round of golf. For most, it will be the first time they’ve ever played.
The money Frank received from the Bill Penn Grants will be used to upgrade equipment she uses at the Girls Golf of Greater Houston camps, as well as prizes and t-shirts for the campers. For more information on Girls Golf of Greater Houston, visit https://www.facebook.com/GirlsGolfofGreaterHouston/.
To learn more about the Bill Penn Grants and the opportunities they provide visit https://www.txga.org/2018/08/17/bill-penn-grant/
