IAGA Quick Hits | 10.16.26
Investments support Utah Golf Association’s launch of the Utah Golf Legacy Fund
From the Utah Golf Association
The Bank of Utah Championship celebrated its community partnerships this month by announcing more than $400,000 in investments that create opportunities for Utah students and young athletes and build champions beyond the golf course.
Investments totaling $438,718.52 were made to benefit The Policy Project, First Tee – Utah and the Utah Golf Legacy Fund. Utah’s annual PGA TOUR event provides a statewide platform to bring people and organizations together, creating an impact that begins during Championship week and extends far beyond the fairways.
The Utah Golf Legacy Fund received a $303,508.42 investment, including $100,000 from the Utah Golf Association. The charitable arm of the Utah Golf Association, the Utah Golf Legacy Fund will provide a pathway for promising junior golfers with the ability and commitment to compete but who face financial barriers. The fund will support reimbursement grants for eligible expenses, including tournament entry fees, travel, equipment, practice and green fees, and coaching. The Championship has also created a pathway to golf’s highest level by awarding the 2026 Utah State Amateur champion, Bowen Mauss, a sponsor exemption into the Bank of Utah Championship.
“Champions are built when people see potential, remove barriers and provide the resources, relationships and opportunities needed to succeed,” said Ben Browning, Chairman and CEO of Bank of Utah. “For nearly 75 years, Bank of Utah has invested in the people, businesses and communities that make Utah strong. The Championship gives the Bank a powerful platform to continue that work — bringing partners together and investing in young people as they pursue their futures.”
An additional investment of $75,000 was made in The Policy Project, now in its second year. What began during the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship has grown into a year-round partnership supporting Teen Centers with the development of the Teen Finance Lab. Teen Centers serve students across Utah by providing food, clothing, hygiene supplies, laundry facilities and safe spaces where students can have their basic needs met with dignity. The Teen Finance Lab builds on that foundation by helping students develop practical skills in budgeting, understanding a paycheck, banking safely, preparing for employment and planning for the future. This week, the partnership also brought Bank of Utah, The Policy Project, the PGA TOUR Wives Association, Washington County School District and Black Desert Resort together to assemble 2,500 pantry packs for five local Teen Centers.
A Lasting Partnership: MontHill Extends Commitment to Indigenous Ontario Championship
From Golf Ontario
Golf Ontario is pleased to announce that MontHill Golf & Country Club has committed to become the Ontario Indigenous Championship’s permanent home.
The agreement builds on a partnership that began with the inaugural championship in 2022. As the founding host venue, MontHill has played an important role in the growth and development of the Ontario Indigenous Championship, helping establish it as a premier celebration of Indigenous golf in the province.
By extending its commitment, MontHill and Golf Ontario are reinforcing a shared vision of growing the game, celebrating Indigenous excellence, and creating meaningful opportunities for Indigenous golfers. The partnership provides stability for the championship while helping build lasting connections among players, families and Indigenous communities for years to come.
MontHill has helped the Ontario Indigenous Championship grow year after year. The club’s continued support provides a familiar setting for players and creates consistency for the communities that gather around the event each season.
“MontHill Golf & Country Club has been an integral part of the Indigenous Ontario Championship since the event’s inception in 2022. By committing to host the championship for the next five years, MontHill is helping secure the future of one of Ontario’s most meaningful golf championships. This long-term partnership reflects a shared dedication to growing the game, celebrating Indigenous excellence, and creating a legacy for current and future generations of Indigenous golfers,” says Golf Ontario’s Director of Competitions and Rules, John Lawrence.
All 50 States Join USNDP State Junior Team Program
From the United States Golf Association
This week, the United States National Development Program announced that all 50 states have joined the USNDP State Junior Team Program, establishing a nationwide player-development pathway for elite junior golfers five years ahead of the USGA’s original 2033 goal.
The milestone comes three years after the State Junior Team Program launched with seven pilot states in 2024. Created to expand, strengthen and diversify the pipeline of junior golfers ages 13-18, the program provides athletes with development, competition and talent-identification opportunities within their home states.
In February, Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Charities committed $1.5 million over three years to support the expansion of the State Junior Team component of the USNDP, helping accelerate the growth of the program.
“This is a significant moment for the U.S. National Development Program and for junior golf in this country,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, managing director, U.S. National Development Program. “When we launched the State Junior Team Program, the vision was to create meaningful development opportunities for young athletes across the country. Having all 50 states committed to the program brings that vision to life and gives us the foundation for a truly national pathway. Most importantly, it will allow more young golfers to access the resources, coaching and competitive opportunities that can help them reach their full potential.”
The State Junior Team Program began with California (Southern), Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio and Tennessee. The initial goal was establishing teams in all 50 states by 2033.
British Columbia Golf’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan
From British Columbia Golf
British Columbia Golf is working to build a more connected future for golf in BC, making it easier for people to find their place in the game and see where it might lead them next.
Golf in British Columbia takes shape in countless ways: a first lesson, a standing weekend tee time, a provincial championship, an evening at the driving range, a volunteer shift, a return to the game after years away. Around each of those experiences sits a wider network of clubs and facilities, professionals and coaches, volunteers, administrators, partners, and communities whose work keeps the game moving.
British Columbia Golf’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan sets the direction for how we intend to contribute to that shared work over the next five years.
At its centre are a new Vision and Mission that sharpen both the future we are working toward and the role we intend to play in getting there.