This continues to be an extraordinary season of golf in the northeast with high level tournament competition sprinkled all over New England. The Travelers Championship in Hartford, CT, June 20-23, The USGA Senior Open in Newport, RI June 27-30, and the LPGA FM Global at TPC Boston Labor Day weekend highlight the links slate.
These tournaments, however, are not just about tees and trophies, they are about involvement and impact. While fans flock to the fairways to watch the world’s best players, the tournaments and courses have a greater good in mind for sure, namely, charity and community outreach.
Travelers Triumphs
The Travelers Championship, held in 2024 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT, has always been one of the truly anticipated events on the PGA TOUR, but its underlying purpose is even more special. The tournament has always embraced the mission of giving back, providing a direct impact on hundreds of nonprofit organizations.
One of these is the Connecticut-based Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which serves children and families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses. The program was founded in1988 by the late actor Paul Newman. It provides what the team calls “a different kind of healing” to more than 20,000 seriously ill children and family members annually, all completely free of charge.
Hole in the Wall provides multiple Camp experiences throughout the year. Says Camp CEO Jimmy Canton, “The Travelers Championship has provided Hole in the Wall with a local and national platform to share our story, allowing us to build greater awareness for our year-round programming.
“Thanks to this partnership, we have been able to expand our programming to serve more seriously ill children while also providing deeper levels of care to their families.”
Each summer, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp provides camping experiences that incorporate needed medical care. Campers participate in horseback riding, fishing, archery and other activities, discovering that they are more than just their respective illnesses and forming valuable friendships.
Throughout the rest of the year, the Camp hosts family weekends and sets up hospital outreach visits in more than 40 locations across the northeast. This is the true impact of The Travelers Championship. Since 2023, the tournament has donated more than $3 million to over 180 regional charities with more than $52 million donated since 1952.
Senior Successes
The 2024 USGA Senior Open at Newport Country Club is a jewel in the USGA crown, and what a crown it is. Over 45,000 golfers compete in the USGA’s 15 championships, but the USGA’s higher calling is growing and preserving the game of golf and the environment.
Ten of the fifteen USGA’s events are solely for amateur players, and the USGA Golf Museum and Library contains 80,000 catalogued artifacts, 100,000 library items, 750,000 photographs, and 200,000 hours of footage.
Through tournaments like the Senior Open this summer in Newport, the USGA invests $2 million annually in community golf growth including programs like First Tee, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf and Drive, and Chip and Putt. They also provide a $2 billion annual economic benefit to U.S. golf courses through USGA-funded turfgrass and sustainability research.
The USGA has made a sizeable investment in course consulting and championship agronomy. Its Green Section initiative focuses on rising water costs, water supplies, and the water restrictions that pose a threat to local golf courses.
Proceeds from events such as the Senior Open help golf course operators contend with these crucial community water issues through research and technology. The USGA and its tournament partners champion water conservation measures by tailoring solutions to each specific region.
Over the next decade and a half, the USGA will invest over $30 million working on directives that local golf courses like many in the Newport area can use to effectively conserve water.
Global Good
The LPGA FM Global at TPC Boston Labor Day weekend will showcase the best in women’s golf at one of the northeast’s most beautiful and challenging courses. TPC Boston is located 25 miles south of Boston and 30 minutes north of Providence, putting it in a unique position to make a difference in both inner city and suburban communities.
Tournaments held at TPC Boston support local charitable initiatives including outreach to the Hockomock YMCA with various branches in Massachusetts. TPC Boston sponsors the Hockomock YMCA‘s integration initiative program giving special needs participants an opportunity to interact with peers in programs and activities.
Participants in the program take part in golf clinics getting tips on driving, chipping, and putting with TPC Boston golf pros. The participants then experience TPC Boston itself by playing many of the course’s iconic holes.
TPC Boston has also partnered with Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts and Rhode Island to provide children with the opportunity to visit during the Dell Technologies Championship. Guests receive VIP treatment and are able to watch the tournament from the best viewing points.
Participants also get access to the Clubhouse, views of the NBC Television Towers, up close looks at TOUR Player interviews, and the chance to meet PGA TOUR stars.
There is no doubt that events like The Travelers Championship, The USGA Senior Open, and the LPGA FM Global are about the best in golf, but more crucially, these regional events also bring out the best in philanthropy and dedication to community.
John Molori is an author and columnist for numerous publications. Like him on Facebook at John Molori, Twitter @MoloriMedia. Email molorimedia@gmail.com.
