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Foundation helping Kansas junior golfers get to college

Even in a down economy the Kansas golf community continues to value a college education. At least that’s the view of Kansas Golf Foundation Executive Director Phil Miller.
“So far…we have weathered the downturn in the economy without a big reduction in

support of the Foundation,” says Miller, who leads the organization that annually gives college scholarships to Kansas junior golfers. “I think the reason is our supporters understand the value of a college education for our kids. Many of them either have kids in college or have had, and they know better than anyone the rising cost of a college education. So, despite what’s going on around us in the economy (our donors) continue to see the value and importance of the Foundation’s programs and continue to support us.”
   For Miller, a Parsons native and former Johnson County attorney who now works as a mediator, the KGF has become an integral part of his life.
   “My personal passion is our Junior Golf Scholarship, which we started in 2005. It’s what motivates me to want to devote my volunteer time to the Foundation,” Miller says. “We’ve now given $71,250 in scholarships since its inception and we will continue to award $24,000 per year.”

Early years
   The Kansas Golf Foundation dates back to 1991 when it was created to operate the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame and provide turfgrass scholarships for prospective golf course superintendents. The Hall’s first class included the late D. W. “Bill” Adams of Topeka, Judy Bell

of Wichita, the late Howard J. “Jake” Carey Jr. of Hutchinson, the late Harold “Jug” McSpaden of Kansas City, the late Dick Metz of Arkansas City, the late Mike Murra of Wichita, Marilynn Smith of Topeka and Tom Watson of Kansas City. For a list of all members of the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame, click here.
   In 1994 the Richard Copple Memorial Scholarship was created with awards going to turfgrass management students. Five years later the Partners Program started with a focus on player development and promoting junior golf at KGA member clubs. The scholarship was named for Dick Copple of Garden City, who served the KGA as a director, secretary and treasurer, in addition to his role with rules administration. The Copple Scholarship was awarded to 22 students until it was discontinued in 2008.

New Approach
   In 2003, Miller was brought on as part-time executive director. “(KGA Executive Director Kim Richey) and I had known each other for years when he was practicing law out in Johnson County and we played some golf together,” Miller recalls. “I quit practicing law fulltime in 1999…a couple years later I got involved doing volunteer work and (Richey) said there is an opportunity here to do some things with the Foundation.”
   That year a new Foundation board was elected -- it included familiar KGA names like Larry Barrett, Gary Conover, Craig Jorgensen, Bill Knox and Jerry Waugh.
   “We developed our Mission statement – Promote the Future and Preserve the History of Golf in Kansas,” Miller says. “We wanted to promote the future through scholarship programs and preserve the history through the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame. When I looked at it, the KGA’s focus really had not included academic scholarships although almost every other state golf association had that… So I said ‘What we really ought to do is figure out a way to use the Foundation to help send kids to school.’”

Focus on scholarships
   The Foundation’s emphasis began to evolve into supporting prospective Kansas college students. In 2005 the Kansas Junior Golf Scholarship was created. It awarded five scholarships ($1,250/year) to students who have participated in junior golf in Kansas.
   “We came up with this idea of giving need-based academic scholarships to kids who played junior golf here in Kansas,” Miller says. “The idea is to find kids who have gone through the KJGA or played high school golf or done anything else (in golf), who are financially deserving, who are good students and good community participants, and help them go to college.”
   The program funded five new students each year and would grow to 20 scholars by the 2008-09 school year. That was made possible by a $20,000 “seed” pledge from one donor to fund $5,000 per year for the first four years, according to Miller.
   “It was then up to us to go out and raise money to expand it,” he adds.
   Additional funds were raised, and the following year the KGF awarded five new Junior Golf Scholarships, bringing the total to 10.
   In 2007, five new Junior Golf Scholarships brought the total to 15, and KGF held its first Kansas Junior Golf Marathon at Milburn Golf & Country Club.
   In 2008, the KGF renewed 14 Junior Golf Scholarships (one Scholar transferred out of state) and gave five new Junior Golf Scholarships, bringing the number of scholars to 19. The second Junior Golf Marathon was conducted, this time at Leawood South Country Club.
   Five more Junior Golf Scholarships were awarded in 2009, raising the total to 24. The Foundation conducted its first online Tee Time Auction for Scholars and the Junior Golf Marathon was held at Braeburn Golf Club in Wichita.
   Also in 2009, the first class of Junior Golf Scholars graduated from college. Scott Bird, Mark Browne and Lee Sewell graduated from the University of Kansas; Andrew Manley from Southwestern University; and Whitney Pollock from Kansas State University.
   “One scholar even graduated a semester early…all five of those kids are working or in graduate school,” Miller boasted.

Fundraising
   Fundraising is a challenge for every non-profit, and the Foundation’s approach is evolving.
   “When I began, we used the Partners Program to develop financial support,” says Miller. “But our scholarship funding required more than the Partners Program could generate, so we looked at other options.”
   In 2005, the first KGF Team Championship was held at Flint Hills National Golf Club to raise money for the KJGS. In 2007, the first Kansas Junior Golf Marathon was held at Milburn Country Club.
   “The Marathon has been a good fundraiser for three years,” according to Miller. “Because it

gives people something they love to do (play golf) and it raises money to help send junior golfers to college.”
   The 2010 Junior Golf Marathon will be on April 26, again at Leawood South.
   In 2009, the Foundation tried something new: an online auction of tee times at premier golf courses around the state.
   “It was very popular,” says Miller. “We got donations of a tee time for four golfers at places like Prairie Dunes, Flint Hills and Shadow Glen. Golfers who bid on them got to play at great golf courses, knowing they helped support our Scholars.”
   The Tee Time Auction for Scholars will be held again in April.
   “We’re working on the 2010 lineup of courses,” Miller says. “It will have all the great courses from last year, plus several new ones and a couple of special packages, like a trip to (Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Neb.) on a private plane.”
   Miller says the Foundation has its sights set on increasing aid to meet rising educational costs.
   “Our next step is to build an endowment for the Foundation so that the funds can be better secured into the future,” he says. “And we would like to increase the amount of each scholarship so students can keep pace with the ever-rising cost of tuition and school.”

2010 and beyond
   This year the 2006 Scholars will graduate from college and five more Junior Golf Scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors. And since 2010 is an even-numbered year another class will inducted to the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame. KGF accepts nominations from the golf community – click here to download the nomination form. Nominations are reviewed by the HOF Selection Committee, a broad group of people familiar to and with Kansas golf (including the Foundation trustees, media members, PGA section members, etc. from all around the state) who choose one or two people from the various categories for induction.
   KGF trustees for 2010 are Brian Boston of Prairie Dunes, Lenexa’s Jorgensen, 2009 KGA Senior Player of the Year and two-time Kansas Amateur champion Bryan Norton, Wichita State Athletics Director Eric Sexton and Jeff Burey, who has served as a PGA professional at top facilities like Pinehurst, Prairie Dunes and Olathe’s Wolf Creek Golf Club, according to Miller.
   Boston is the first KGF trustee to serve by virtue of his position on the KGA Executive Committee, Miller adds.
   “Our Foundation Board now has a place for a person from the KGA Executive Committee to serve as a trustee for that year,” Miller explains. “So while someone is moving up the leadership ladder of the KGA, one of their years going up that officer’s ladder they’ll be slotted to sit on the Foundation board. That will further enhance the connection between the Foundation and the Association so that there is better communication (and) a better understanding by the KGA board and its volunteers of what the Foundation does.
   “We have also created an Advisory Board of Directors. These are community leaders throughout the state who are supporters of the game and the Foundation’s programs.”
   The first group of KGF advisory directors is Milburn Country Club pro Sean Dougherty, Conover, Waugh, Knox and Kansas City’s Bob Burris, who worked promoting the Kansas City Champions Tour event.

Enthusiastic director
   Miller, who is a member of the USGA Junior Championship Committee, serves as a rules Phil Miller

official for KGA championships and is a member of the KGA Executive Committee, says he remains optimistic about the Foundation’s future. He adds he is enthusiastic about its role in supporting junior golfers as they pursue a college degree.
Asked what he would say to someone thinking of getting involved in the KGF, Miller has an easy answer.
“Let me show you the photos and tell you the stories of our Junior Golf Scholars and that will speak for itself,” Miller says. “I’ve seen it the last five years. Whenever anybody meets one of our Junior Golf Scholars, it puts a face with the program and the reaction is always something on the order of ‘Wow, what a neat young person’ or ‘This is a great program.’”
And, says Miller, “That’s what keeps me going.”