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This year is a special one for the Youth on Course 100 Hole Hike series.
It's a milestone season - the 10th anniversary - of raising money for a good cause. That's a decade of helping to grow the game.
Youth on Course, a nonprofit based in Pebble Beach, Calif., uses the money raised at its 100 Hole Hikes to subsidize $5 rounds of golf, college scholarships, internships and career-building programs that empower its members ranging in age from 6 to 18.
By fundraising and participating, you are having a direct impact upon growing the game. There will be six national hikes in 2025:
- Sept. 19 - The Lakes at El Segundo - Topgolf - El Segundo, Calif.
- Sept. 29 - Bobby Jones Golf Course - Atlanta
- Oct. 27 - Golden Gate Park - San Francisco
- Nov. 7 - Butler Pitch & Putt Par 3 - Austin
- Nov. 17 - The Hay at Pebble Beach - Pebble Beach, Calif.
- Dec. 12 - Palm Beach Par 3 - Palm Beach, Fla.
New this year, multiple hikes will be hosted by golf content creators such as Tisha Alyn, Roger Steele, Bradford Wilson, Good Good Golf’s Malosi Togisala and Nick Dimengo, Founder & CEO of Rainmakers Golf Club and former instruction editor at GOLF Magazine. Additional creators will be announced throughout the season.
Another 20+ regional hikes will be hosted by Allied Golf Association partners. Golfers can also create their own hike individually or with a team of friends.
Some hikes don't even require a course. For the second consecutive year, Youth on Course has partnered with GOLF+, the leading VR golf platform available exclusively on Meta Quest, allowing players to complete their hike virtually from courses like Butler Pitch & Putt and The Hay. New for 2025, Youth on Course is teaming up with Five Iron Golf, an urban indoor golf experience in 15 states. Details on both formats will be announced at a later date.
Know a junior golfer who would benefit from joining Youth on Course? The Bank of America has stepped up this spring to offer free membership to young golfers around the country. The 50,000 goal was reached so quickly that BofA has decided to extend the offer by another 25,000 (75,000 total) as long as the golfer signs up by May 24. To get your young golfer on board, join the "Golf With Us" program by clicking here.
What it's like playing 100 holes in a single day
Playing 100 holes for charitable causes used to be for only the most die-hard, fit and talented players. These golf warriors would play 100 holes (often walking) on regulation golf courses as a form of suffering for their dedication to the game.
The Youth on Course 100 Hole Hikes have shifted to a more inclusive and fun approach: playing 100 holes on a par-3 course. These shorter courses create a friendlier, more social and less physically demanding day. I participated in a hike at The Hay several years ago, and it was the most enjoyable experience I had playing golf all year.
NBC Sports Next started hosting a hike at the Winter Park 9 outside Orlando several years ago, and it's turned into a great camaraderie booster for employees in that office.
This year's roster of venues features some of the best short courses in the country. The Hay, designed by Tiger Woods, is highlighted by an exact replica of the 107-yard seventh hole on Pebble Beach Golf Links. I describe Golden Gate Park - a nine-hole par 3 redesigned by Architect Jay Blasi - as America's first destination short course. Translation: It's so good that it should be included on every buddies trip to the Bay Area and/or Monterey Peninsula.
I've played the Lakes at El Segundo in SoCal, the first golf course adjacent to a Topgolf facility, during the day and at night. It's fun either way. The Palm Beach Par 3 is the only short course right on the ocean, so it's a special place, too.
Fundraising - asking family, friends and strangers for donations - is never easy, but it's always a simpler sell when the cause makes as much sense as Youth on Course does. Fundraising minimums to participate in a national hike will begin at $1,500.
To learn more about the Youth on Course 100 Hole Hike, click here.
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