Number 111
Image source: First Tee
Arthur Blank’s Strategic Investment
in Youth Golf's Growth
Featured Focus:
Youth Development, Funding & Legacy,
Access / Inclusion / Equality
Scope of Impact: Global
Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank's latest $10 million grant to First Tee solidifies a strategic vision for golf's future, moving beyond traditional philanthropy to a vertically integrated youth sports model. Here’s the play:
Market Expansion: This investment cultivates the next generation of golf consumers. It actively reduces access barriers, expanding the sport's reach to diverse youth globally. First Tee acts as a critical customer acquisition pipeline, ensuring long-term market vitality.
Teen Retention: The grant directly combats high youth sports dropout rates. It strengthens teen curriculum and engagement through leadership programs, fostering sustained participation and lifetime spending in golf. Keeping young talent in the game is paramount.
Strategic Integration: Blank's model seamlessly links grassroots development with retail. It leverages PGA Tour Superstore to convert youth participation into equipment sales and deep brand loyalty.
Arthur Blank's second investment in First Tee represents a shift in corporate sponsorship. It’s a savvy business move that finds a solution for the retention crisis sports in general see with teenagers. It allows Blank to build a customer pipeline to earn loyalty and trust, turning young golfers into customers to Blank’s PGA Tour Superstore.
No wonder golf is the only youth sport that bucks the drop out trend. Blank’s strategic participation allows golf to expand to new markets via First Tee. Today, they operate at 2,700 locations worldwide and impact over 3 million people, creating the largest youth golf development network in the world.
This model proves that genuine social responsibility can be a competitive advantage. It fosters authentic connections with families, cultivating deep brand loyalty. Blank's commitment to inclusivity, making golf accessible to diverse youth, broadens the sport's appeal and ensures its long-term vitality. It’s the definition of a WIN | WIN. We absolutely love it!
There’s not much we would do differently. Some people are playing checkers, while Blank is playing three dimensional chess. The only avenue we see is more partnership with the PGA Tour, with Tiger Wood’s TGL to help young golfers meet their favorite players and potentially create a new type of youth competition.
This investment inspires us to be more strategic, to peal the many layers of a partnership or of an initiative. We should all ask ourselves: Is there more we can do? Should I take a better look at the bigger picture? What am I missing? How can I link social impact with a business outcome?
