From Hero 100 Golf Marathons to green fee donations, golf communities rally to provide life-changing educational scholarships
FRISCO, Texas – This Memorial Day weekend, PGA of America Golf Professionals and golfers nationwide will unite for Patriot Golf Days, an initiative dedicated to providing educational scholarships for the families of Veterans and First Responders. Golfers around the country are encouraged to round up their green fees at participating locations, play in special golf tournaments or participate in Hero100 Golf Marathons. Golfers who book a tee time in May through GolfNow will have the opportunity to round up their green fee or make an incremental donation.
Founded in 2007 by former F-16 fighter pilot and PGA of America Golf Professional Lt Col Dan Rooney, Patriot Golf Days has recorded more than 200,000 rounds and raised more than $125 million, funding more than 25,000 scholarships. Patriot Golf Days is Folds of Honor’s flagship Memorial Day weekend event.
“As a PGA of America Golf Professional, I’m grateful to my fellow Members for their commitment and unwavering support of Patriot Golf Days,” said Lt Col Dan Rooney, founder and CEO of Folds of Honor. “Folds of Honor is blessed to be working with the leading golf organizations to make a life-changing difference for our recipients. I’m thankful too for the individuals who play golf during the month of May or make an online donation. These funds provide educational scholarships to the families who deserve and need our help and who have sacrificed so much.”
The PGA of America REACH Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, is proud to promote Patriot Golf Days to the more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals and their facilities.
“Golf possesses a unique power to rally people around a common purpose, and Patriot Golf Days is the ultimate reflection of that spirit,” said PGA of America CEO Terry Clark. “Our long-standing partnership with Folds of Honor underscores a shared belief that golf can be a profound force for good. At the PGA of America, we are incredibly proud of our 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who lead this charge in their local communities every year. By partnering with Folds of Honor, we aren’t just playing a game over Memorial Day weekend, we are actively investing in the futures of Military and First Responder families who have given everything for our country.”
“In partnership with the PGA of America and PGA HOPE, the Omni Golf Collection is proud to support Patriot Golf Days and the mission of Folds of Honor,” said Spencer Cody, PGA, Corporate Director of Club & Golf Operations for Omni Hotels & Resorts. “From May 1 through Memorial Day Weekend, our golf resorts will come together to unite exceptional golf and genuine hospitality with a shared commitment to honoring the families who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. This initiative reflects the Omni Golf Collection’s dedication to delivering meaningful, thoughtfully curated resort experiences that extend beyond the course and create lasting impact in the communities we serve.”
Since 2023, the Folds of Honor Foundation has made a significant annual commitment to PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. The program introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military through a six- to eight-week golf instruction curriculum taught by PGA of America Golf Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency.
PGA HOPE, celebrating over a decade of impact, has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which enables direct referrals to the program as a form of therapy. The program has served more than 65,000 Veterans since 2015 and is expected to host 17,000 across all 50 states in 2026.
To support Patriot Golf Days, click here.
Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of US military service members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving our country and communities. Our educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded nearly 73,000 scholarships totaling over $340 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 43 percent are minorities and 57 percent female. A total of 91 percent of expenses fund our mission of providing educational scholarships to the families of our nation’s heroes. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on Candid. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA Professional. He is serving as Commander of Recruiting for the Oklahoma Air Guard. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship visit foldsofhonor.org.
About PGA of America REACH Foundation
The PGA of America REACH Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of the Foundation is to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA of America Golf Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. For more information on the PGA of America REACH Foundation, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Instagram, X and find us on Facebook.
Media Contacts:
Nicole Mayberry, PGA of America, nmayberry@pgahq.com
Glenn Greenspan, Folds of Honor, GGreenspan@foldsofhonor.org
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