President's Message

SCGA Past President Marc Myers and I were born on the same day and we both went into the lumber business after college. I respect the comments and advice of the Hillcrest Country Club member very much. Marc and I were playing golf recently and I asked him, “What do you like the least about the business?” He said without hesitation, “Collecting money.” Marc just became President of the SCGA Foundation and, for two friends who both hate asking for money — no matter the reason — we have spent many hours discussing the fundraising goals of the Foundation and how we can accomplish our objective of bettering the lives of young people in Southern California.

I will be blunt, as usual. The SCGA Foundation needs your money. I know the holiday season has passed, many people are having trouble putting their melted credit cards back in their wallets and that old adage, “It is better to give than to receive” is not in the forefront of your minds, but hear me out.

The SCGA Foundation Board of Directors and its Managing Director, Kevin Gigax, are working hard to provide programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Southern California that involve teaching life skills and providing educational opportunities using golf as the medium. These programs accomplish two things: they improve the likelihood of the young people in our communities to get good educations and teach them a game they will play in a safe and beautiful environment, perhaps, for the rest of their lives.

Each Boys & Girls Club has different needs based primarily on the geographic location of the club and the socio-economic make-up of its members. For example, SCGA Past President Bill Cunerty, the golf coach at Saddleback College, made arrangements for some of the youngsters from the Capistrano Valley Boys & Girls Club to take golf lessons at the driving range on campus and then move into a classroom and start learning the rules and history of the game as well. He is working on a program that will allow these kids to tour the campus, sit in on certain classes, and generally see what college life is all about. Most of the boys and girls have never seen a college campus before and are very interested in finding out more. We are exploring the community education programs at various schools to see how these young people can fit into the schedules.

Our Foundation does not believe that bringing kids out on a bus, showing them how to hold a golf club, feeding them a hot dog and sending them home does any good. We want to further their educations and well-being. If they latch onto golf as a result of the instruction they receive, wonderful. But our primary goal with these programs is to further the opportunities of these young people and make our communities better as a result. They do grow up, you know.

The program being conducted by the staff at The SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta for the Temecula Valley Boys & Girls Club is also showing excellent results and can only get better.

We need your help. I’m asking all members of the SCGA to send whatever size donation you can. The Foundation will have no administrative costs for another two years (except postage, and the bag tags and gifts you will receive for a donation), so nearly every penny you send will go to the kids.

Donations, made out to the SCGA Foundation, may be sent to the SCGA Office: 3740 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollwood, CA 91604-3502, or call Kevin Gigax at (818) 980-3630. We can take your credit cards as well (what’s left of them). I still hate to ask for money, but your donation will better the opportunities for young people in your own communities. I thank you for caring enough to help.

Ed Holmes
President, Southern California Golf Association