By Leonard Finkel
TGA Premier Sports (TGA) is a leading introductory and recreational youth sports programming company specializing in Golf, Tennis and now Team Sports. Through an innovative franchise business model recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a “Top 10 Franchise Value,” they impact the lives of youth and families by bringing youth sports enrichment programs into individual communities.
The fastest growing junior golf program in America, TGA Premier Golf continues to expand and impact the Pacific Northwest. Adding another golf franchise in Portland, OR, two more are on the way in Seattle, WA and Central, OR. In all, there will be eight franchises in the Pacific Northwest serving over 350 schools.
Kendall Moore has only been operating his TGA Premier Golf franchise since January, but has already recognized the success and impact on youth possible by expanding his reach in the region.
Moore, a former Naval EMT, surgical tech and clinic manager for nine years, and current student at Portland State, acquired his second golf franchise with partner Casey Kreis. The new franchise will serve the South Portland areas of Lake Oswego, West Linn/Wilsonville and Oregon City School Districts.
“We realized early on that with TGA’s innovative curriculum and program structure, schools and families have been quick to sign on and participate so expanding to other areas of Portland was only natural,” Moore said. “The Portland area is a great market for TGA and with the addition of Casey Kreis to our organization we can now offer our programs to more children throughout the metro area.”
TGA’s (Teach, Grow, Achieve) youth sports golf model has introduced over 650,000 youth (ages 5-13) to golf to date in more than 3,300 schools. Moore has witnessed similar growth in the Portland market.
“We are already seeing significant growth with our registrations both in our after-school enrichment programs and our upcoming golf camps,” he said. “We also anticipate being in over 40 schools next fall and look to continue that growth over the next three to five years, which we plan to impact 10,000 youth a year.”
TGA’s innovative program solves the primary barriers to entry into golf by delivering introductory programs directly at schools and community centers, via before- or after-school enrichment programs. The self-sustaining, no funding needed business model puts golf on a level playing field with other mainstream sports and creates a healthier and safer environment for students to be introduced to and learn golf. The program can also be utilized anywhere on school campuses regardless of weather, including gymnasiums, hallways, cafeterias, fields and blacktops.
What differentiates TGA is the station-based curriculum that includes golf skill progression, education subjects and STEAM Labs as well as physical fitness and health components.
TGA has also created its Player Pathway, the first program of its kind in the industry, which is having a major economic impact on its more than 250 golf course partners nationwide. Once the students go through the introductory programs, TGA transitions them and their families from the school to partner golf courses through recreational programs such as summer camps (over 2,000 nationwide), leagues and parent-child events, which results in revenue from TGA as well as increased traffic and incremental revenues through green fees, food/beverage and merchandise sales.
Finally, through its own line of youth golf equipment, TGA provides age and height customized equipment for all students at no cost, as well as an affordable option for parents to get them into the game.
“With kid’s today being less active and always on their phones or playing video games, TGA has unlocked the secret to bringing youth sports programs like golf into schools and getting kids more active and learning education subjects along the way,” Moore said. “Golf is truly a sport that can be played for a lifetime and we want to create a new generation of golfers and active youth and change lives through sports.” playtga.com
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.