In the News
News and stories highlighting our members
SCGA Junior Scholar Knows the Benefits of Giving Back
Matthew Carungay will proudly walk across the stage at La Mirada High School’s graduation ceremony next month. He will be finishing one chapter of his life and entering a new one – as a college student and golfer at Loyola Marymount University. Carungay has been a...
Securing a Bright Future for Bell Gardens Varsity Golf
With a vastly under-resourced program and lack of connections with local courses, the Bell Gardens High School golf team spent the last several years practicing in a classroom, diminishing their ability to compete at the same level as other teams in the Almont League,...
The Reluctant Dreamer
Some are afforded once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Others earn them. A few years back, Phillip Ortiz was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the forecast was not bright. That’s when Make-A-Wish Foundation reached out to the Ortiz family in hopes of bringing some...
On A Mission To Serve
Some of you may remember one of our junior scholars with a big dream. Featured as an SCGA Hero in the Jul./Aug. 2012 issue of FORE magazine, we are thrilled to say Kenny Punyasavatsut is the same go-getter he’s always been, working diligently to achieve his dreams and...
A Familiar Smile Continues to Shine
If you’re involved with SCGA Junior, you’ve seen Shani Waite’s smiling face. You’ve either seen it on scgajunior.org, on a poster, on a brochure or in person at a golf course, where the Mira Costa High School freshmen spends much of her time. For more than five years...
Ol’ Reliable
“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr. If we had the ability to clone an ideal volunteer, Giovanni Sandoval’s DNA would be requested for study. His willingness to lend a hand separates himself from...
Challenge Accepted!
One day while practicing, SCGA Junior member Sal Hinojosa was closely watched by an influential member of his community – the Mayor of Pico Rivera. After a minute of observation, Mayor David Armenta become enamored by 15-year-old Sal and his skills on the course, who...
A Coach Who’s Worn A Few Different Hats
Civil Rights activist, ground-breaking speed skater, Olympics-worthy track star, Vietnam Veteran and Wall Street trader are just a few of the bullet points on this man’s resume. Trevor Banton, SCGA Junior’s newest coach in its instruction program, has been around the...
Family Tradition
For the second year in a row, a member of the Chien family will be headed to the mecca of golf for the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship. Following in his sister Leigh’s footsteps, Evan will be striding around Augusta National this April after qualifying for the...
SoCal Juniors Shine on the World Stage
This past August, two outstanding SCGA Junior players made the long trek across country to play at the legendary Pinehurst GC in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships. Andrew Rodriguez, 9, and Taylor Reser, 7, both earned their way into this competitive international...
Alyaa Abdulghany: SoCal’s Rising Talent
SCGA Junior donors were first introduced to Alyaa Abdulghany earlier this year, when she appeared in this article in the SCGA’s FORE magazine. The Corona del Mar High School junior had just won the girls’ individual state championship, elevating her presence in the...
Bairon Gomez: Coaching His Community to Build Fulfilling Futures
The SCGA Junior coaching staff continues to grow as it snatches up young and capable leaders to mold a new generation of Southern California golfers. In partnership with Up2Us Sports – the nation’s leader in sports based youth development – SCGA Junior would like to...
Jamie Harada: A Shooting Star
SCGA Junior Scholar Jamie Harada of Costa Mesa, Calif., placed second in this year’s L.A. City Women’s Championship at Rancho Park GC. With its highly competitive field, the tournament proved to be an impressive feat for the young player, proving college golf has...
Parks After Dark: Bringing Communities Together
Golf can change a child’s future in a community where the sound of fireworks can be mistaken for gunfire. Bringing communities together by introducing the game of golf and providing a safe haven for area youth has a way of keeping them striving and believing that they...
SCGA Junior Fields Three Summer League Teams
SCGA Junior is supporting three teams participating in the San Gabriel Valley Junior Golf summer league. The Pico Rivera team is in its 4th year as a member of the league and for the first time, teams from Bell Gardens GC and Maggie Hathaway GC are also taking part....
Students and Athletes
According to the NCAA, nearly 8 million students currently participate in high school sports in the United States. Of the nearly 8 million, only 480,000 of them will compete at NCAA schools. And though 480,000 will compete at NCAA schools, not all of them will receive...
Golf Pong, Kickball, and Lots of Golf
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Building A Community Through Golf
More than 100 juniors, their families, and community members attended the Spring Instruction Kickoff at Bell Gardens GC last Saturday, April 23rd. Juniors and their families from the Bell Gardens, Pico Rivera, and Maggie Hathaway instruction sites enjoyed the...