ALMOSTGOLF AND THE CGA JOIN FORCES TO GROW THE GAME OF GOLF ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES: During the recent USC Open, we had a chance to sit down with Mike Munson, the recreation director at USC and the president of the CGA about how having on campus tournaments and events are helping build campus golf clubs within his network of nearly 300 participating schools.
To start, I met Mike four years ago at a Roger Dunn Demo day in Santa Ana, Ca. Our meeting seemed to be destiny. We had set up 30 yard hole in one contest right in front of the store. (Something most people had never seen before) We had people hitting away, laughing, trying to win prizes, but no one was able to make a hole in one. Then this tall, tan fellow sautered up holding the Titleist Volkey wedge he had just won from another contest. Without even taking off the wrapper, he set up and sunk his first shot. As I stood in amazement, he turned to me, shook my hand and said, "My name is Mike Munson, I run a golf club at USC...What did I win?"...from that point on almostGOLF became a sponsor of Mike's growing organization and we are now partners in growing golf within the hundreds of college golf clubs associated with the CGA.
Learn more about the almostGOLF College Golf Tour>
PROVING THAT OFF-COURSE GOLF IS SAFE: The key issue is that golf has had a hard time getting any attention on college campuses because generally, you have to leave campus to and go to a course to play or even practice. With our 'golf ball' and the CGA network, we are able to bring golf front and center on college campuses. This is no small task because most administrators instantly think 'golf=danger'. But that's not the case anymore. In fact, during the last few years, USC has had Thursday afternoon campus almostGolf events where they would play a course through campus and it's really helped build their program.
HOW ON-CAMPUS EVENTS ARE HELPING COLLEGE GOLF CLUBS GROW: During the fall, the CGA puts on a series of campus golf demo events at aproximately 50 schools. Ten of these schools are considered 'super sites' to attract new members to each schools clubs and to draw attention to the on course qualifying tournaments that lead up the the CGA Collegiate National Championships for recreational golf. In the past these demos were relatively modest with putting contests and maybe some chipping. Today, with almostGOLF they are developing into attention grabbing events with sponsors like Function and Puma. We are now able to create courses and skills competitions that get people jazzed. The results so far are that the students are coming out to compete and the clubs are getting members.
BRINGING GOLF EDUCATION TO STUDENTS ON CAMPUS: When it comes to growing the game of golf, it's become very clear that bringing golf to the students on campus is a whole lot easier and cost effective than dragging them off campus to a golf course. Simply put, conveneince is everything. As a result these CGA events are getting traction with new golfers because students can now go from checking out our campus demos and tournaments to signing up for the clubs and classes. Now golf is something that is approachable and accessible to the normal college student. That was previously unimaginable with the old golf ball, but a reality today.
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Off-Course Blog 
