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"Play Golf America" Campaign Offers Free Lessons To Amateur Golfers During The Month Of May Contact Beth Gast PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - Throughout May amateur golfers and newcomers to the game nationwide can receive a free 10-minute golf lesson from a PGA Professional in their area through "Play Golf America," the annual growth-of-the-game initiative created by the PGA of America and Golf Digest to help golfers of all levels play the game better. This year, Golf Digest's sister publication Golf For Women and The Golf Channel have joined the campaign as partners and Nike Golf has signed-on as a sponsor. Now in its sixth year, Play Golf America includes more than 4,200 PGA Professionals from across the country at more than 3,600 facilities. The entire roster of PGA Professionals and their respective facilities is posted on www.pga.com, www.golfdigest.com, www.golfforwomen.com and www.TheGolfChannel.com. Last year, more than 4,000 PGA Professionals provided a record 74,923 lessons at 3,773 facilities nationwide. The total number of lessons given by PGA Professionals has increased 115 percent since the annual program's inception in 1998. "The month of May has become a tradition for PGA Professionals to dedicate their time to providing free lessons to help reach new golfers and improve the skills of those amateurs golfers already playing the game," PGA President M.G. Orender said. "We're delighted that The Golf Channel and Golf For Women will join our longtime partner, Golf Digest, in encouraging everyone to take a friend or family member to the golf course and participate in this wonderful game of golf." "Golf Digest provides instruction and tips from teaching and playing professionals in every issue, and 'Play Golf America' offers readers the opportunity to further their hands-on instruction with a PGA Professional," said Jerry Tarde, chairman and editor-in-chief of The Golf Digest Companies. "We are happy to work closely with The PGA to help golfers improve their play and enjoy the game more." The Golf Channel will include "Play Golf America" on its weekly instructional show, "Golf Academy Live." Airing on April 29, May 6, May 13 and May 27 at 8:00 p.m. EST, "Golf Academy Live" will feature PGA Professionals who will communicate the message of the campaign to over 50 million viewers. As part of the campaign, participating amateurs and PGA Professionals are eligible to win prizes for a sweepstakes, which includes a set of custom-fitted Nike Clubs and $1,000 worth of Nike apparel. In addition, The PGA of America will provide a trip for three nights/four days to its PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The sweepstakes winners will include an amateur golfer and the PGA Professional who conducted the lesson, as well as the PGA Professional who conducted the most lessons overall. Amateur golfers may register for the sweepstakes on www.thegolfchannel.com. To schedule a free lesson, amateurs will need to call their participating PGA Professional and complete their registration card, which will be in the May issue of Golf Digest, the April 18 issue of Golf World and the May/June issue of Golf For Women. PGA Professionals will also have cards available. Play Golf America is one of a number of initiatives of The PGA of America has designed to stimulate interest in golf and participation in the game. Through its more than 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals and with the support of a host of allied golf associations such as the National Golf Course Owners Association and GOLF 20/20, The PGA of America is leading an industry-wide effort designed to grow participation in the game of golf. |