Key Takeaways
- First Tee participants and alumni can take $20 off gameplay at participating Topgolf venues nationwide through December 30.
- Topgolf hosts First Tee chapter programming at more than 25 venues and promotes the nonprofit across 28,000 in-venue digital screens.
- First Tee reports reaching more than 3.1 million kids and teens each year through 150 U.S. chapters and 12,000 schools.
- Topgolf says youth golf participation rose 40% over the past five years as it chases 10 million new golfers by 2030.
What the Renewed Youth Golf Partnership Includes
Topgolf renewed its youth golf partnership with First Tee on July 23, 2026, extending a relationship that already covers chapter programming at more than 25 Topgolf venues and adding a $20 gameplay discount for First Tee participants and alumni that runs through December 30. The Dallas-based sports and entertainment company announced the renewal in a press release and tied it to its stated goal of creating 10 million new committed golfers by 2030.
Neither organization disclosed the length of the renewed agreement or its financial terms.
Topgolf has served as a trustee and strategic partner to First Tee for years, supporting chapter programming, alumni engagement and venue activations, according to the release. The Topgolf Media Network, the company’s in-venue media division, promotes First Tee’s golf and life skills programs on more than 28,000 digital screens.
The announcement followed First Tee’s Game Changers Academy, a teen leadership program that concluded in Minneapolis the same week. Topgolf is a partner of the academy, which First Tee said focuses on self-awareness, community building and inclusive leadership.
A $20 Discount Aimed at Repeat Visits
The most concrete new element is the offer itself. First Tee participants and alumni receive $20 off gameplay at participating Topgolf venues nationwide through December 30, which Topgolf said is intended to make golf more accessible and encourage young people to keep playing in a low-pressure setting.
Topgolf operates more than 100 venues globally, all powered by its Toptracer tracking technology, giving First Tee families a distribution network that reaches well beyond traditional course access. The two organizations did not disclose a redemption target or an estimate of how many participants they expect to use the offer.
How Many Kids Does First Tee Reach?
First Tee reaches more than 3.1 million kids and teens annually, according to the organization, through a network of 150 U.S. chapters, roughly 2,000 program locations, and 12,000 schools and youth centers. Programs run in all 50 states and select international locations.
The nonprofit is a 501(c)(3) supported by the PGA TOUR along with other foundations, companies and individual donors, and it is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. It has operated for nearly 30 years, with CBS Sports commentator Jim Nantz serving as honorary chair.
That footprint is the practical value of the partnership for Topgolf: an existing pipeline of golf-curious young people already organized into chapters, schools and youth centers, and a nonprofit brand with three decades of standing among parents.
Ten Million Golfers by 2030, With First Tee Feeding the Front End
Topgolf’s participation target sets the frame for the renewal. The company said youth participation in golf has increased 40% over the past five years, and its 2030 goal calls for 10 million new committed golfers, including 3 million women golfers.
“First Tee is one of the most trusted and influential organizations in youth golf, and our partnership reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to the game and the life skills that come with it,” said David McKillips, CEO of Topgolf. First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin said the venue environment gives young people an engaging introduction to the sport.
Converting First Tee’s 3.1 million annual participants into paying, habitual golfers is the unproven part of the equation, and neither organization published a conversion metric alongside the renewal. The first measurable checkpoint arrives December 30, when the $20 offer expires.
Source: Yahoo Sports, Tiffany Chartier, July 23, 2026, https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/topgolf-renews-partnership-first-tee-203040202.html
Source: Topgolf press release, July 23, 2026, https://press.topgolf.com/2026-07-23-TOPGOLF-AND-FIRST-TEE-STRENGTHEN-COMMITMENT-TO-GROWING-GOLF,-SHAPING-TOMORROWS-LEADERS
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Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
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Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
