Columbus, OH – On a humid August afternoon in Licking County, the girls’ golf team at Utica High School stood in a semi-circle around a row of gleaming new golf bags. Eleven of them, each filled with a full set of clubs, waiting to be claimed. Coach Pam Vickers called it a “magical day,” and she wasn’t exaggerating. For several of her players, it was the first time they’d ever owned their own equipment.

One of those players, freshman Chloe, could hardly wait to try hers. Her mother, Bonnie, admitted she cried reading the email announcing the donation.

“She is so thankful and loving the game,” Bonnie said. “She’s out there every night now, hitting balls until dark.”

Another player, Emmie, a senior and team leader, had always borrowed clubs — hand-me-downs that were too short and mismatched. When she took her first swing with her new driver, it sailed 150 yards. “She could hardly contain herself,” her mom said. “We are absolutely blown away.”

Moments like those are what the Southern Ohio PGA’s Clubs Fore Kids program was created for. Launched in early 2025 under the umbrella of PGA REACH Southern Ohio, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the Southern Ohio PGA Section, the initiative aims to make golf accessible by removing one of its biggest barriers, equipment. In less than a year, Clubs Fore Kids has already placed more than 80 full sets of clubs into the hands of high school players across the region, including those in Columbus City Schools and small-town programs like Utica’s.

In Columbus, the story unfolds differently but with the same heartbeat. PGA Professionals Mark Williams, Ryne Kitchen, Scott Pealer and Gerry Hammond hosted clinics at their various facilities, bringing the game to schools that once had no golf programs at all. At Champions Golf Club, Mark and Ryne taught kids who had yet to step foot on a golf course. Scott’s clinics fostered the love of golf that can turn into a lifetime of enjoyment of the game. Gerry used The Golf Depot as a central hub for the entire district’s kids to get together and see the game up close rather than on television or in passing.

With the support of Clubs Fore Kids and guidance from city recreation specialist Al Sallee, those barriers are fading fast. This fall, 12 of the 16 Columbus City high schools fielded golf teams, double the number from a year ago. In neighborhoods where football and basketball long dominated the after-school landscape, kids are now learning to chip, putt and compete on courses across the city.

“They just needed a chance,” Williams said. “We started with a handful of students and now we have more than 100 who want to play.”

That “chance” is what Clubs Fore Kids delivers. Bags of clubs, yes, but also belief. The belief that golf isn’t reserved for private clubs or well-funded programs, that it can belong to anyone willing to pick up a 7-iron and try.

For PGA REACH Southern Ohio, the mission is only beginning. We are expanding Clubs Fore Kids throughout Central and Southern Ohio, reaching new communities and building relationships with schools that want to start or grown their golf programs.

We are accepting applications now! Click here to learn more.

From the rolling hills of Utica to the fairways of Columbus, these stories share the same truth: when you give a young person the tools to play, you give them something far greater than a game. You give them confidence, belonging and a new place to call their own.

And sometimes, it all starts with a single swing.