New Nonprofit Program Offers Free Golf Lessons for NYCHA Youth 

Several young NYCHA residents are enjoying morning breaks from city life this fall by stepping onto the golf links. 

A new free program, offered through a nonprofit partnership between the Fund for Public Housing and City Parks Foundation, is giving NYCHA youth ages 10 to 16 the chance to take golf lessons. The classes are held Saturday mornings through October 22 at City Parks’ Junior Golf Center in Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights neighborhood, where the young players are learning golf fundamentals such as swinging, chipping, and putting.  

In addition to some basics about the game, instructors teach the youth about golf etiquette, including respect and courtesy. The Junior Golf Center features a six-hole, par 3 course, putting greens, and driving range, with all equipment, including clubs, provided free for participants.  

Seeking to expand programming and opportunities for NYCHA youth across the city, the Fund for Public Housing was excited to collaborate with the City Parks Foundation to introduce residents to a new form of recreation. 

“We think that sports not only offer the fun of learning new activities, but they teach you discipline, focus, and goal setting, and there are a lot of leadership skills to develop in taking on a new sport,” explained Carrie Torres, Strategic Projects Manager for the Fund. 

Offering residents a range of sports activities, including golf, tennis, soccer, and track and field, the City Parks Foundation reached out to the Fund to help ensure that NYCHA youth have an opportunity to participate in its free programming. The two organizations held an introductory clinic at the Brooklyn center in August to gauge the interest level for golf, and they found that there was strong enthusiasm from the participants and their families.   

“It was fun and nice to see the parents be able to spend the day with their children in a healthy environment,” Ms. Torres recalled. 

Ms. Torres said the Fund was encouraged by the golf pilot program because the sport has a number of benefits that are aligned with the goals of the Fund’s Youth Pathways initiative, including leadership development and community health.   

“The sport of golf fits under those pillars in terms of supporting youth potential and building life skills,” she noted, adding that golf is enjoyed by a wide range of age groups. “We also want to incorporate more intergenerational programming in the Fund’s portfolio and give youth opportunities to participate in activities with adults, seniors, and parents.”  

The Fund plans to introduce more sports programs for NYCHA residents as it seeks to build on its partnership with the City Parks Foundation.