Playing 100 holes of golf isn’t for the weak of heart, but for SCGA Junior member Aidan Grimsley, it was a no-brainer for him to grab the sticks and give back to an organization that has given him so much. Through the annual Golf-A-Thon, Aidan raised more money than any other junior participant and raised the second largest sum of anyone.
“It was really important for me to raise money and give back,” Aidan said. “Because of the Golf Pass I’m able to play everyday and it’s important to give back to the organization that has helped me succeed and get to where I am now.”
When Aidan says play everyday, he isn’t exaggerating. Aidan is a range rat and he uses his Golf Pass to get $1-$5 green and range fees at some of his favorite local courses. The one he frequents the most – Los Verdes GC.
Aidan has checked in using his Golf Pass 68 times this year (so far). He’s played an astounding 50 rounds of golf, the vast majority of them coming at Los Verdes GC.
“The Golf Pass has changed our lives quite a bit from an affordability standpoint,” Aidan’s dad Mike said. “Golf can be inaccessible because it’s so expensive. At Los Verdes thanks to the Golf Pass, it’s only $3. To be able to drop him off every day for $3 instead of the going rate, it’s a huge cost savings year over year. It’s allowed us to allow him to practice the game that he’s so passionate about and work on his game every day.”
Like so many junior golfers, Aidan got his start playing with his dad. Mike said even when Aidan was learning the game, the Golf Pass made it possible for them to get out and practice.
“It would have been hard for me to make that commitment to take him to the course while he was learning, but this price break made it possible.”
Despite Mike’s claims that Aidan is “too good to play with me now,” the pair still tees it up together every Friday night at Los Verdes.
Now, when Mike reflects on the passion that Aidan shows for the game and how he committed himself to giving back to the game, it makes him proud.
“You always want to give back to organizations that you know about and that you are directly benefiting from,” Mike said. “To see him be passionate about it and do well for an organization that we’ve benefited from, it makes me really proud.”
As for Aidan, the spry high school junior who is used to playing every day, the chance to tee it up at Don Knabe GC for 100 holes offered him the chance to have fun on the course in an entirely new way and helped him add an exciting first to his resume – his first hole-in-one.
The SCGA Junior Golf Foundation’s annual fundraising event the Golf-A-Thon raises money for local programming. By collecting pledges per hole played or flat donations, participants strive to play 100 holes to reach their full fundraising potential. If you are interested in playing in the next Golf-A-Thon or supporting the Foundation in another way, please email Jennifer here.