Rory McIlroy is putting $500,000 behind youth golf access, funding 70,000 rounds through Youth on Course as Bank of America's Golf with Us program enters its second year with expanded ambitions.
The timing matters for municipal golf's brand positioning. While private club culture dominates golf media, this initiative specifically targets municipal course expansion, with Bank of America funding the addition of over 100 public facilities to the Youth on Course network. The program drew nearly 100,000 participants in year one, with 22,000 girls among them. Municipal sits at #76 on the DORMIED Index with a modest score of 2, but March showed a 22% month-over-month gain. Programs like this, which put affordable public golf at the center of the conversation rather than the periphery, could accelerate that momentum.
The 2026 benefits now include $5 simulator rentals at Golf Galaxy and Dick's House of Sport, plus free PGA Pro lessons. That hybrid approach, blending on-course access with indoor technology, reflects where youth golf development is heading. Whether this translates to sustained brand lift for municipal golf as a category remains the real test.
