Interested in attending 2016 National Golf Day?

Have you heard of National Golf Day? It’s a pretty cool initiative. It’s a day where golf’s leading associations come together as a coalition (known as WE ARE GOLF), to celebrate our industry’s storied lifetime. It’s golf’s chance to shine on Capitol Hill, where our elected representatives are undoubtedly courted by countless industries all looking out for number one. What makes this day pretty cool for our industry is that we have great information to share with our legislators.

Information like our $70 billion economy, our $4 billion annual charitable impact, and numerous environmental and fitness benefits. Industry leaders will meet with members of Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies on Capitol Hill to discuss golf’s 15,000-plus diverse businesses, two million employees, tax revenue creation and tourism value. And this year, National Golf Day is set for May 18.

Having experienced this day first hand, I must say it is an energizing, educational opportunity to not only share what we love about our game, but also valuable time getting further acquainted with our colleagues and the nuances of how our federal government operates. And as the primaries rapidly approach, I understand that many of us may be frustrated with some of the happenings leading up to the election of our new president.

But as Steve Mona, CEO of World Golf Foundation states, it may be more important now than ever to make sure our voices are heard. “With 2016 being an election year, it’s even more important for political leaders to understand the impact our industry has on local communities and millions of Americans,” said Mona. Further stating, “Since our first event in 2008, National Golf Day has educated our nation's lawmakers about the countless benefits of the game and we look forward to continuing this agenda in May.”

National Golf Day has been growing ever since its inception, and this year GCSAA would like to extend an invitation for its Class A, SM, or C members to attend the event and be part of meeting with congressmen and senators to share information about your particular businesses, and what those businesses mean to your employees, customers and community.

As we are still working out the logistics of signing up to attend the event, please be on the lookout for further details that will be communicated through various GCSAA channels. And if you can’t attend in person, you can still get in on the action by participating in the tweet rally by using #NGD16 and @wearegolf to show your support for the golf industry. So let’s gear up for another successful year, and make this the best National Golf Day thus far.