News

The Road to Augusta with Mason Howell

From the Georgia State Golf Association

Leading into the playing of the 90th Masters Tournament, the GSGA released – The Road to Augusta – a video series detailing Mason Howell of Thomasville as he was set to become the first Georgian in over 50 years to compete at Augusta National Golf Club as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion.

The four-part series features lengthy interviews with Mason, Robb and Lauren Howell (Mason’s parents) and Jimmy Gillam (Mason’s high school coach).

Each video details a different aspect of Mason’s journey and covers receiving the invitation from Augusta National, reliving his U.S. Amateur victory, the newfound pressure and obligations he has faced since and his parents sharing Mason’s growth as a kid to a top amateur in the world.

A New Look for the Golf For All Fund

From Golf Ontario

Golf Ontario is proud to introduce a new visual identity for the Golf For All Fund—one that reflects both the purpose of the fund and its role in shaping a more inclusive future for the game across the province.

A Symbol of Growth, Connection, and Opportunity

At the heart of the new identity is the maple key—a symbol that represents growth, movement, and the intentional spread of opportunity.

Often seen spinning and travelling before taking root, the maple key reflects how the game can reach new communities, create new pathways, and grow in ways that are both natural and purposeful.

More than a symbol of growth, the maple key represents structure and connection—how the Golf For All Fund is designed to unlock access, remove barriers, and create lasting impact across Ontario.

It also builds on Golf Ontario’s identity. While the association is represented by the maple leaf, the maple key offers a forward-looking evolution—one that connects heritage with the future of the game.

The Golf For All Fund maple key logo:

Symbolizes growth, movement, and new beginnings

Represents access, connection, and opportunity

Builds on Golf Ontario’s maple leaf heritage in a modern, future-focused way

Creates a distinct identity for philanthropy and community impact

AZ GOLF Extends Partnership with Grass League as Official Tournament Operations Partner

From AZ Golf

AZ GOLF is excited to announce it has extended its partnership with Grass League, the world’s first high stakes par 3 golf league. As part of the agreement, AZ GOLF will serve as the Official Tournament Operations Partner, overseeing all on-course operations for Grass League events.

The partnership is effective immediately and will run under a two-year agreement through December 2027.

“Grass League is excited to partner with AZ GOLF as the official Tournament Operator of our qualifying events and championships,” said Jake Hoselton, CEO, Grass League. “As competition remains at the core of the Grass League, AZ GOLF brings a level of professionalism, structure, and oversight that is critical to the integrity of the game—while helping us forge new pathways in defining par 3

competition.”

Under the terms of the agreement, AZ GOLF will support operations for Grass League qualifying events both in-market and out-of-market through 2027. AZ GOLF’s responsibilities will include inside-the-ropes operations, registration and check-in, facilitation of pre-event player meetings, on-course rules officiating and official scoring.

The partnership will debut publicly at Grass League’s first event of the 2026 season, scheduled for April 24–25 at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe.

Scottie Scheffler’s Caddie, Ted Scott, has a Bigger Story

From the Louisiana Golf Association

“If there’s a story, he’s told it,” says his wife, Melanie.

Today, Scott is serving up breakfast too: eggs, bacon, avocado and toast. And cinnamon lattes meticulously concocted and poured into Masters mugs. There are millions of these ceramic collectibles in circulation, but how many are owned by a caddie who’s been on the bag for an actual Masters winner — something Scott has done four times in the past 14 years? He sets the frothy beverages in front of his guests.

Full disclosure: This story won’t entirely be about Ted Scott. He’s not trying to be rude; the 52-year-old devout Christian and looper for World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler rarely is. But that angle doesn’t interest him. Instead, we’re in his hometown of Lafayette, La., in balmy mid-January to visit places he’s passionate about and meet the people whose stories he thinks are important — the ones strapped with challenges but full of promise.

“It’s like, let’s help other people with the stuff that we’ve been given, with the blessings that I’ve received. Let’s pass it on,” Scott says. “I’ve never seen a U-Haul hooked up to a hearse, right? We can’t take it with us, so why are we getting all this blessing? What do we do with it? Let’s go help some people.”

On the golf course, Ted Scott understands the narrative shouldn’t be about him. Turns out that’s the way he lives his life too.

Reese Isings, Drake Lai receive inaugural Andrew Putnam Scholarship

From Washington Golf

The Washington Golf Foundation has announced that Reese Isings of Puyallup, Wash., and Drake Lai of Sammamish, Wash., have been selected as the recipients of the inaugural Andrew Putnam Scholarship presented by TRUE linkswear.

Introduced in 2026, the annual scholarship – established by the Washington Golf Foundation in partnership with Tacoma native and PGA TOUR player Andrew Putnam – offers financial support to two standout junior golfers who have demonstrated strong character and community engagement in addition to both golf talent and financial need. Both Isings and Lai, through their academic and golf efforts, unequivocally fit the spirit of the award.

“We want to provide opportunity to those who show promise, and we want to assist in their growth as young people and as golfers, in developing character and skills,” Putnam says. “I benefited from an incredible junior golf program when I was growing up, and this scholarship is one way to provide others that same opportunity.”

Reese, 15, is a sophomore at Emerald Ridge High School. She can remember golf being part of her life for as long as she can remember, growing up watching her father play and eventually getting her own clubs at the age of seven. In the few years since she began to compete competitively, Reese has garnered seven top-10 finishes in WJGA events. At Emerald Ridge, she maintains a 4.0 GPA and was on the girls’ golf team that placed fourth in the 2025 WIAA 4A Girls’ State Golf Championship.

“Being selected for this scholarship means a lot to me,” Reese said of her honor. “It allows me more opportunities that I wouldn’t have had, which excites me and makes me feel like my goals are more achievable.”

Missouri Golf Association Rebrands as Missouri Golf

From Missouri Golf

For more than a century, the Missouri Golf Association has worked to promote and protect the game of golf throughout the Show-Me State. As the game has evolved, so too has the organization, continually adapting to better serve golfers across Missouri.

Now, after more than 120 years serving golfers across the state, the organization is taking the next step forward. The Missouri Golf Association is introducing a refreshed brand that honors its legacy while looking toward the future of the game in Missouri.

Focused on inclusivity and the growth of the game in the Show-Me State, the rebrand starts with the subtle but meaningful name change from “Missouri Golf Association” to “Missouri Golf.” While the name is changing, the organization’s mission and commitment to serving golfers across Missouri remain the same.

The change reflects a simple idea: every golfer in Missouri has a place in the game and within Missouri Golf.

Simply put, Missouri Golf represents the game for everyone who loves to play it in the Show-Me State.

Indiana PGA HOPE Veterans Heading to National Secretary’s Cup

From Indiana Golf

For the first time in program history, the Indiana PGA Section will have a team represented at the PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup, often referred to as “The Veterans Major.” The 2026 event will take place on Monday, May 11 at Chester Valley Golf Club, located just outside of Philadelphia.

The Secretary’s Cup brings together teams from across the country to celebrate the impact of PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere)—the flagship military program of the PGA of America. Each team is made up of four military veterans and one PGA Professional, competing in a 9-hole scramble format against teams representing PGA Sections from across the nation.

Representing Indiana in the 2026 Secretary’s Cup will be:

Dan Heavrin – U.S. Army

Jeremiah Runser – U.S. Army

Travis McGovern – U.S. Navy

Gil Sanchez – U.S. Army

Crystal Morse – PGA Professional

Together, the group will compete against 11 other PGA Sections, proudly representing veterans from across Indiana on the national stage.

Owning His New Role

From the Colorado Golf Association

When Whitey O’Malley, his wife Lanna and some partners built Saddleback Golf Club in Firestone starting in 1998 and opened it in 2001, it was one of O’Malley’s first impressions about the golf course business.

“My first experience, going back to the early 2000s, was ‘Holy smokes is this industry slow to take up technology,” O’Malley said in a phone interview with Colorado Golf Journal late last month. “That was my first take on it. … I was just amazed that the adaption of technology, even in 2001, was that slow.”

Even now, a quarter-century later, he noted, “I think we’re behind on the track quite a bit. It’s an industry that’s steeped in tradition, and I don’t think we’re as willing to try things. Here’s a good example: the autonomous mowers out there right now. We’re all excited because we’ve got all this new technology, right? These autonomous mowers running around the courses and how they can mow all night, how efficient they are and this and that. There are a lot of benefits. (Then) you look over to Europe; they’ve been (using autonomous mowers) for freaking 10 years. You know, what the hell are we doing? So we’re slow to adopt, very cautious, maybe afraid of change. But it slowly creeps in.”

(For the record, Saddleback recently went to basically totally autonomous mowing, with 16 such mowers soon expected in the fleet that does it thing overnight. “There’s no downside to it really,” O’Malley said. “We’re all in.”)

New NCGA Foundation–Golf with a Purpose

From the Northern California Golf Association

Since its founding 125 years ago, the NCGA has believed in the power of golf to change lives and connect communities.

Today, the NCGA Foundation is carrying those tenets forward and reaching more than ever through four primary pillars, which just happen to spell out: G-O-L-F

• Grow the Game (Junior Development): Supporting youth golfers at every stage of their journey—from first swings, to access through Youth on Course, to competitive play and lifelong engagement.
• Opportunity Through Golf (Scholarships, Careers and Volunteers): Opening doors through education, professional development and support for the people who make the game possible.
• Lives Changed Through Golf (Where Golf Transforms Lives): Supporting programs that use golf to build confidence, connection and opportunity, such as veteran-focused initiatives, PGA HOPE and other life-impact programs.
• Forever Preserve Our History and Traditions (Hall of Fame; Endow Junior Championships): Honoring Northern California’s golf legacy by preserving its history, celebrating greatness and learning from the past to inspire a brighter future.

From Dormant Winters to Year-Round Attraction: The Links at Greystone

From the New York State Golf Association

Greystone: A New York Golf Course that isn’t Hibernating this Winter

New York State is home to more than 800 golf courses spread out across a diverse geographic area. Like many other states in the Northeast, the golf industry here is largely at the mercy of the shifting seasons. When the snow finally hits, many of these public facilities go dormant until spring.

To stay active, many golfers turn to simulator golf (a more recent phenomenon) or traditional winter outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and more. In response to this recreational demand, golf clubs groom cross-country ski trails for members or allow casual sledding and snowshoeing on property if their terrain and conditions permit. Most course operators view the snow and seemingly endless winter months as an obstacle. It becomes a time to focus on off-season projects, selling next year’s memberships, or taking a well-deserved vacation.

But one popular public golf course in the Rochester area, The Links at Greystone, sees the snow differently. To the club ownership, it isn’t an obstacle; it’s a product.

Mass Golf Adds Team Scramble Format For Member Day Events At Whitinsville & The Orchards

From Mass Golf

After a record-setting year that brought more than 2,000 golfers to some of Massachusetts’ most sought-after private clubs across the state, Mass Golf Member Days are back this year and giving members another way to take part in a statewide event.

For the first time since the Member Day program was established in 2010, two events will exclusively utilize a two-person scramble format. The doubles-style events will be held June 22 at Whitinsville Golf Club in Northbridge (afternoon shotgun start only), and October 5 at Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley.

While the scramble format adds something new, the heart of Member Days remains the same. The 2026 schedule includes nearly two dozen events where Mass Golf Members play using an 18-hole Stableford format at outstanding private clubs.

Beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, golfers can enter the lotteries for their preferred events. In order to participate, you must have an active Mass Golf membership and create a Golf Genius Player Profile if one hasn’t already been created. This system ensures a fair and efficient way for all Mass Golf Members to get their chance to participate.

“We’re thrilled to have another great lineup of courses all around the state this year, as well as a first-time host in The Haven,” said Kyle Sherman, Mass Golf’s Manager of Member Events & Services. “I’m also looking forward to the addition of the two-person scramble format for two of the 2026 Member

2026 GCSAA Rounds 4 Research Auction

From the GCSAA

The 2026 GCSAA Rounds 4 Research auction is coming up – and more than 1,500 rounds are now live for you to preview! Be ready when the auction opens on April 26 and register for your account today.

Explore courses, add rounds to your wish list, and share bucket list spots with your foursome in preparation for the live bidding. Funds from Rounds4Research support valuable programs locally including turfgrass research, education, and advocacy. Items vital to the success of our industry. With rounds in nearly every state across the country, there’s something for everyone.

Register and explore the auction below.

WA Golf Launches New Digital Home

From WA Golf

Washington Golf (WA Golf) recently launched a redesigned website at wagolf.org, creating a modern digital hub for WA Golf members and golfers across Washington and North Idaho.

Built on HubSpot with a mobile-first approach, the new platform features streamlined navigation, enhanced club and course directories, and easier access to member programs and resources.

The site also supports WA Golf’s efforts to grow membership and connect more golfers with playing opportunities, benefits, and information—serving as the hub of golf in Washington and North Idaho.

McKenzie Brothers Maintain Family Legacy with Grandfather Watching on

From the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association

It should come as little surprise that, as a toddler, Connor McKenzie’s first words had to do with golf.

McKenzie, an Upper St. Clair graduate who has thrived on the local junior and amateur scene and is now competing at Robert Morris University, has truly been immersed in the sport since, essentially, his birth.

“My first word was ‘tractor,’” said McKenzie, sitting at a table alongside his brother, Colin, in Robert Morris’ Island Sports Center golf dome outside of Pittsburgh on a frigid mid-February afternoon. “All I saw back then were the lawnmowers around St. Clair Country Club. I guess you could say golf has had a pretty big influence on me.”

That may be quite the understatement.

Golf hasn’t just had an influence on McKenzie and his brother, but has almost been an inherent trait, with family roots deeply interwoven in the history of two of Western Pennsylvania’s most notorious golf courses, St. Clair Country Club and Oakmont Country Club. And that family lineage of success is being continued today, in a very strong way, with Connor and Colin.

AZ Golf Sends Two Female Amateurs to Ford Championship Qualifier

From AZ Golf

A dramatic sand shot made on Wednesday afternoon by Ashley Shaw earned her an eagle, a hug from mom, and a ticket punched to the March 23rd Monday qualifier of the LPGA Ford Championship, alongside Cynthia Lang.

For the second year in a row, AZ GOLF and the LPGA held a pre-qualifying event with the top two participants advancing to the Monday qualifier for the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. Held at the Cattail Course at Whirlwind Golf Club, 12 of the top female amateurs in Arizona competed on the same course that the championship event will be held for the chance to qualify for a playing spot in one of the LPGA’s top events.

“It’s a really cool opportunity for these players that the LPGA is providing,” said Kylie Shoemake, assistant director of competitions for AZ GOLF.

While Ashley Shaw secured her spot in dramatic fashion in the playoff, Cynthia Lang played flawless golf carding a bogey-free 3-under-par 69 to secure the top spot on the day. About the opportunity provided to her, Lang said “I’m just really excited for Monday, I’ve never experienced anything like this.”

Shaw and Lang will join 46 other players on Monday March 23 vying for two coveted spots into the Ford Championship held March 23-29, and Arizona golf fans are pulling for both of them.

Scotland Run’s Winter Challenge

From the Golf Association of Philadelphia

He tried to ice skate on the first tee. He failed.

He tried to play golf while wearing skis. He failed.

But Brian Hecker succeeded in turning Scotland Run Golf Club into a social media sensation. The club’s head golf professional starred in a pair of Instagram reels that generated 24.4K and 11.4K views, respectively.

“I’m kind of like the office class clown, so the how of it really was like, ‘There’s nothing going on. Let’s come up with funny ideas and do content while we have down time.’ We’re just being goofy,” Hecker, 52, of Williamstown, N.J., said. “I’m not a big social media guy, so I didn’t know it racked up a lot of views. That’s funny.”

Clip No. 1, posted on Feb. 2, shows Hecker ice skating on the golf course. Ten inches of snow, reinforced by subzero temperatures thereafter, provided a seemingly perfect surface. Plus, Hecker played ice hockey during his Washington Township High School days, so why not use the first tee as a makeshift rink?

He glides gingerly at first. Assistant Professional Aidan Caspar and member Josh Jones, spectators in Scotland Run’s pro shop, record. Just as Hecker gets a burst of speed, he stumbles. The cameramen chuckle; “Kids of the Last Days” by The Strike plays as Scotland Run’s kid at heart lies in the snow.

Hecker is at first unaware of the video evidence. Once he watches it, he laughs. Post the footage. You can’t heckle Hecker; his skin is as thick as the snow.