Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues to Launch in 2013

The Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues are expected to launch in 2013 at local parks and recreation facilities in Columbus, Ohio, as well as in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The purpose of the leagues will be to provide a golf experience as a team sport for children, ages 5–12. Each league will have a set number of children per team and incorporate a specialized, age-appropriate format and learning curriculum.

“Kids start playing athletics when they are as young as 4 or 5 years old, and by the time they are just 7, 8 or 9 years old, many of them have picked the two or three sports that they might want to play in the different seasons,” said Nicklaus. “If golf is not part of the sports introduced and available to them at their local parks and recreation facilities, they will play other sports and not golf.  So we need to get golf in their local parks and have them play our sport, and I think the team concept is the way to do it.”

About 100 Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues are planned for 2013 and an estimated 300 are expected to launch in 2014.