St Augustine, Florida, United States: The organisation formerly known as ‘We Are Golf’ has rebranded as the American Golf Industry Coalition. Representing a partnership among golf’s leading organisations, the coalition is committed to addressing the collective interests of the industry.

A primary area of focus centres around helping to facilitate the industry’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, known as Make Golf Your Thing.

Through those efforts, the coalition also provides support to the six cross-industry work groups dedicated to making golf accessible to all (education and skill development, talent acquisition, procurement, human resources, youth and adult player development, and marketing/communications).

Additionally, the coalition contributes to advocacy efforts for legislative and regulatory issues of importance to the industry.

“The golf industry is comprised of more than two million people who wake up every day giving their all to a game that is growing and evolving,” said Rhett Evans, Chairman, American Golf Industry Coalition Executive Leadership Committee & CEO, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

“I am proud of the platform and vision the newly-branded coalition provides for addressing golf’s collective issues on behalf of the industry it represents,” added Evans.

Among those on the Executive Leadership Committee are Tim Schantz, President and CEO at Troon, and Henry Smokler, Chieef Legal and Risk Officer at the PGA of America. Troon and the PGA of America are both Executive Members of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

For more than a dozen years since its founding, the American Golf Industry Coalition has become a banner under which golf’s collective priorities can be addressed. The coalition assembles industry representatives annually in Washington, DC, to meet with elected officials and advocate on behalf of golf’s US$84 billion economy, US$4 billion charitable impact and two million jobs throughout the US.

The industry came together virtually for ‘National Golf Day’ in 2021 due to the Coronavirus. Details on 2022 National Golf Day will be made available soon.

The coalition also works to amplify tangible examples of key initiatives at both the grass-roots and industry workforce level and advocate in support of issues that impact the industry at the state and federal level.

The American Golf Industry Coalition is a division of the World Golf Foundation.