On April 14, at Willowick Golf Course in Santa Ana, 70 juniors, their families and friends gathered at the Girls Golf Party. SCGA Junior’s Orange County team, in collaboration with its LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Chapter, hosted the event to honor their ever-evolving initiative to introduce more girls into the game. In 2023, the Orange County team received the Renee Powell Grant, an award for recognizing outstanding effort in increasing diversity, accessibility and equality to golf.
The party was a dynamic event that brought together girls, families, volunteers and supporters for a day of golfing and community engagement. To kick off the fun, the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation hosted a Community Golf Outing at Willowick GC, where 24 juniors, parents, supporters, SCGA and Foundation staff and board members enjoyed the morning.
After the Golf Outing, the 70 juniors and 12 first-time golfers enjoyed a variety of activities, such as a photo booth, chipping station, driving range instruction, an obstacle course bounce house, a DJ, Ryan’s Lemonade stand, pizza and an arts and crafts station. Special guests like Santa Ana Councilmember David Penaloza, Baddies Golf Club and volunteers from Claremont Mckenna Women’s Golf Team came to support and enjoy the day’s festivities.
Santa Ana Councilmember David Penaloza shared encouraging remarks and pledged his continued support for the SCGA Junior. He cited the importance of open space in the Santa Ana community and expressed his excitement for the opportunity for local kids to try sports like golf.
The Girls Golf Party celebrated the success of SCGA Junior’s Orange County Chapter, which began its programming at Willowick Golf Course in 2022. Since its inception, the chapter has made significant strides, reaching over 430 juniors in Orange County and demonstrating a commitment to expanding access to golf programming for young girls in the region.
Photos from the event can be found here.