HOWARD BANKHEAD (October 2014)
I will not be denied the opportunity to help those in need who are less fortunate than me.
My favorite, motto is “Anything that is positive is possible”! I realized and came up with this truism in 2004, my fourth year of playing golf and being in the golf business. Because God is positive, I give God credit for all things positive and God made it possible for me to being Huntsville’s Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development to a reality, therefore “Anything that is positive is possible”.
I believe working with the golf industry and the sport of golf, we can mend some serious social problems. As we know, golf is the world of the affluent. For many years and even today, the golfing environment is where deals and decisions are made that affect almost every aspect of our lives. From education, to business, to politics and maybe religion, in the golf environment, be it in the private country club or on the course, small deals and big time decisions are made.
In 2008, the Detroit Economic Club was pleased to host Joe Steranka, then the chief executive officer of The PGA of America. His talk concluded that Golf is a $76 billion annual industry that employs more than 2 million people and raises more than $3.5billion annually for charity.
The PGA Tour is known for being the leading sport entity to contribute more to charity then all of the major sports including the NFL, NBA and NBL. The PGA TOUR announced January 22, 2014, that it has surpassed $2billion in all-time charitable giving. Community beneficiaries include a wide variety of organizations including hospitals, youth development organizations, growth-of-the-game programs and food banks.
Whenever I see a commercial about how much the PGA tour has given $2billion to charity, I see God’s hand in it! Just think… how many lives would not benefit from the financial support of the PGA Tour and the PGA of America.
Due to the impact that Tiger Woods has had on the golfing world i.e., increase in TV ratings (increased revenue), increase in the purses of tournament that benefits all of the players on the various tours, the caddies, the tour staff personnel, the golf courses, the sponsors, almost everything we see onscreen and the personnel behind the scenes, benefit from the wonderful game of golf.
When there is a golfing event on television such as the PGA Tour; the Ryder Cup; LPGA; The Masters, Presidents Cup etc., people from all over the world watches and enjoy the efforts of the players and congratulates the winner. And when Jim Nantz (I met at Southern Hill in 2007 at the PGA championship) with CBS and/or other sportscaster interviews the sponsor of the tournament or Tim Finchem the Commissioner of the PGA Tour and they talk about the local charities that well benefit from the tournament, I am thankful for those charities, but sadden for other charities like Huntsville’s Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development program. Because programs like the Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development are not in a city (location) where a national or worldwide golf event is being held, some of the most worthwhile programs and communities are left out of the $5.5billion and counting annually for charity that benefits youth development organizations and growth-of-the-game programs. Even when this community had The First Tee of Huntsville, we did not qualify to apply or receive any of the $5.5billion dollars.
From a Bloomberg report, an article titled “Golf Market Stuck in Bunker as Thousands Leave the Sport”; the golf industry is in the rough. Once the go-to activity for corporate bonding, the sport is suffering from an exodus of players, a lack of interest among millennials and the mass closure of courses. There are numerous reasons why golf may be losing some of its luster. But like jazz, the industry has to learn how to improvise for a period of time until new ideas and activities are implemented.
So I write this plea to the entire golf industry of which includes the players, manufacturers, golf facilities, media, associations, individuals and all that make golf the wonderful entity it is. Support this program TVYGD that is unique; has the capacity; professional and dedicated to the growth-of-people, lives, and growth of the game.
I know the PGA Tour and PGA of America cannot support all of the charities that they would like to support. But the Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development (TVYGD) charity not only benefits the lives of the kids and their families, but we also benefit the golf industry! TVYGD has been awarded grants from the PGA of America “Growth of the Game” program and several grants from the USGA “Good for the Game” program. So TVYGD is good for our kids and golf…with that being said, we ask that you financially support TVYGD.
Howard Bankhead
Executive Director
Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development
604 Jordan Lane
Huntsville, AL 35816 USA
256-604-8172
