PGA HOPE offers veterans an outlet to boost their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being through golf.
Partner Snapshot
Golf provides a unique opportunity for military veterans to connect with each other in an outdoor, healthy environment. PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), a program of the Professional Golfers Association, does just that, providing an outlet for veterans to boost their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.
PGA HOPE is a free golf program for veterans and active-duty military personnel, led and taught by PGA Professionals. When they complete the program, the veterans are considered “graduates” and remain engaged with the program, and more importantly, with each other.
Seth Scollard, Assistant Executive Director of the Nebraska Section PGA, says the program has become about more than just golf. “Golf has almost become secondary. It’s about the camaraderie and the ability to take their minds off everything else for a couple of hours each week,” he says. “As the program has grown, it’s created a veteran community through golf.” Graduates come together for a variety of activities centered around golf and more, including golf leagues, baseball games, and serving food at homeless shelters.
“Golf has almost become secondary. It’s about the camaraderie and the ability to take their minds off everything else for a couple of hours each week”
The Challenge
The PGA HOPE program falls under the umbrella of PGA REACH Nebraska. At the national level, the PGA REACH is the philanthropic arm of the PGA, offering programs that focus on military, youth, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in golf. In Nebraska, PGA HOPE is one of the section’s flagship programs, with over 550 active participants in its sixth year.
Nebraska PGA runs several golf events over the course of the year, with Seth as the point person for organization and execution. In the past, they offered a nine-hole event for PGA HOPE program graduates, but with more veterans involved than ever, Seth and his team decided to up the ante and create the 18-hole PGA HOPE Classic. The Classic added another tournament under the purview of the PGA REACH Foundation, and another need for a golf event-specific tool to manage and execute such events.
The Solution
A few years back, Seth connected with one of the PGA Professionals on staff at GolfStatus, Jason Meinginger, to discuss how GolfStatus’ software could help facilitate registration, live scoring, and much more for each of the Foundation’s events—and make Seth’s life considerably easier. “There are a lot of software options out there that cater to PGA Professionals and golf facilities, but when you look at charity events, there’s a different set of needs,” Seth says, and explains that GolfStatus meets those needs for PGA Nebraska’s charitable events, with capabilities to provide coaching, handle registration, sponsor onboarding exposure, and simplify post-event accounting.
PGA Nebraska’s partnership with GolfStatus provides software, support, and resources for members and event planners.
The Results
The PGA HOPE Classic is a different take on a classic golf fundraiser. While raising money is certainly part of it, it’s an ancillary benefit—the true goal is to bring the PGA HOPE graduates together to enjoy a day on the golf course with other veterans. “We’re not trying to raise money off of the veterans,” Seth says, since the field of golfers is limited to program graduates. “Providing access is more important than raising money for this tournament.”
Dollars raised from tournament sponsorships went right back into the PGA HOPE program. “They knew what they were supporting and loved that their money went back into the program, which is a home run all around,” Seth says. He went to one of the PGA HOPE program’s longtime sponsors, PenFed Credit Union, with a new opportunity to support veterans through the Classic. Tournament planners rolled GolfStatus’ exclusive Technology Sponsorship into the event’s Title Sponsor, which earned them broad exposure throughout the platform and demonstrated their commitment to veterans. “They loved it!” Seth says.
He says GolfStatus makes their tournament accounting much more streamlined. “It’s much easier to run dollars through the event site, and get one payout after the tournament,” Seth says, explaining how it saves him time and hassle not having to deal with checks, cash, and receipts.
Connections & Camaraderie
Seth explains that the vast majority of participants in the PGA HOPE Classic—around 85%—registered as individuals rather than teams. “That part is really cool—they get a chance to meet new people and build new relationships by playing golf.” He says golf gives veterans a safe, healthy environment to connect with other veterans. “They’re out in the fresh air, getting some exercise and challenging themselves. Golf provides that environment,” Seth says.
The PGA HOPE Classic is an opportunity for veterans to connect with one another and build camaraderie.
PGA HOPE is billed as a veteran program first and a golf program second. Seth says it’s an outlet for veterans and active duty military personnel to be with their brothers and sisters and experience camaraderie. “They get a true sense of belonging, whether they’re new to golf or getting back into the game,” Seth says. “They’re with their peers being active out in the world again. That’s what this program is all about.”
Tools Built for Golf
GolfStatus’ event websites include easy online registration that syncs to the software’s backend. “Online registration is the way to go,” Seth says. “It eliminates so many headaches.” Instead of paper forms or emailed registrations, it’s all automated, and event planners can track registrations and payments as needed in the tournament management portal.
When it came time to make team and hole assignments, all the player information was already in the software, eliminating the need for spreadsheets or handwritten lists. Because so many graduates registered as individuals, Seth could simply create teams and make hole assignments right in the platform, and golfers could refer to the event website to see who they would be playing with and what hole they would start on.
Golfers entered their scores on the GolfStatus mobile app after each hole, which synced to the tournament’s live leaderboards.
Seth said graduates loved the live scoring offered by the GolfStatus mobile app. They downloaded the free app ahead of the tournament and input their team’s live scoring code when they arrived at the golf facility. “We got a lot of great comments about live scoring—how easy it was and how much it enhanced the day,” Seth says, noting that live scoring made the tournament more fun and engaging, and golfers loved the app’s integrated GPS feature.
A Future of Partnership
As the PGA HOPE program continues to grow, Seth says they’re considering adding another tournament to bookend the golf season. “We got so much feedback about wanting more opportunities to play with other veterans,” he says.
Seth says that the PGA Nebraska Section plans to continue to leverage GolfStatus for its Foundation-sponsored golf tournaments, including the PGA HOPE Classic, while also encouraging PGA Professionals at courses around the state to opt into using GolfStatus for their facility’s charity events. “GolfStatus bridges the gap between the course’s PGA Professional and the host nonprofit, which makes life easier for both parties,” he says. “Plus, GolfStatus has PGA Professionals on staff which demonstrates their level of knowledge and expertise.”
“GolfStatus bridges the gap between the course’s PGA Professional and the host nonprofit, which makes life easier for both parties.”
“I see so many people try to wing it when planning a tournament for the first time, but I’ll tell them to use the resources at their disposal,” Seth says, including the PGA Professional at the golf facility and GolfStatus. He tells other foundations and charities that GolfStatus’ software, combined with its in-house support team, tournament planning resources, and fundraising opportunities, make golf fundraisers more efficient and more lucrative.
“At the end of the day, GolfStatus helps us support veterans, and that’s what really matters,” Seth says.
