In the summer of 2020, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and then LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan invited the golf industry to come together to help solve two simultaneous challenges - how to retain strong participation growth in the game created by the COVID-19 pandemic and address the lack of diversity in golf.

Five cross-industry work groups were created to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the game and business of golf. Those groups include education and skill development, youth and adult player engagement, talent acquisition, human resources, and procurement. In addition, a sixth work group focused on marketing and communications was created to build an industry campaign that retained the existing interest in the game of golf while driving further diversification of it.

The work groups focused on work education and skill development and human resources continue to deploy education, training, and resources to support golf industry employers foster more authentically inclusive places to play and work. The work groups meet regularly to create actionable outflows to be scaled across the golf industry.

Make Golf Your Thing is not a temporary project or effort to diversity the game, industry workforce or supply chain, but rather it’s a movement that is being designed to live on in perpetuity. Over the past 18-months, the following key outflows relative to inclusive places to work and play have occurred:

• The first ever U.S. Golf Industry Workplace Inclusion Survey was conducted to determine a baseline of what it’s like to work in golf. More than 2,300 respondents participated from more than 25 golf industry employers providing valuable insight on what’s working, what’s not, and what we can do better.
• The Inclusion Guidelines for Golf Facilities were published to provide gold facility operators a tool kit for creating welcoming environments at the point of play. The guidelines assist operators in applying a lens of inclusion to their inside and outside operations, welcoming staff, and marketing and communications.
• During National Golf Day, an in-depth webinar was attended by more than 200 industry employees and addressed the path forward for greater workplace inclusion.
• As part of PRIDE Month, an industrywide webinar was hosted by Athlete Ally and addressed what we can all do to create a more welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community.
• As part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an industrywide webinar was delivered by a variety of subject matter experts on how to create more inclusive environments for individuals with disabilities.

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