The Motor City and its large metropolitan area is a place where the game of golf is growing thanks in part to TGA Premier Golf (TGA).
Southeast Michigan is one of over 60 markets across the country where thousands of youth are in full swing with TGA golf programs through its introductory after-school and community-based golf curriculum.
Dave Robinson, a former sports editor and deputy managing editor with the Detroit Free Press, is the director of TGA of Southeast Michigan. His local TGA program is doing an impressive job planting the seed for the future and growing the game at more than 90 schools in the metro Detroit area. 
During the 2017-2018 school year more than 2,300 kids participated in after-school golf enrichment programs. This summer more than 850 youngsters attended summer camps. Since 2008, Robinson has had more than 23,000 kids go through the program. In addition to the enrichment programs and camps, Robinson also transitions kids into TGA golf leagues and summer individual tournaments.
“Once the students go through the enrichment programs and camps, the next progression for kids who want to take their game to the next level are fall and spring leagues, plus individual tournaments. We provide a low-stress introduction to competitive golf,” Robinson said, also noting that 70% of TGA students have never played the game before.
In addition to its own TGA golf leagues, TGA is also feeding new golfers to Drive, Chip and Putt, LPGA/USGA Girls Golf, PGA Junior League, as well as moving into high school golf, and becoming TGA coaches and life-long golfers. The past two years more than 100 area TGA students participated the local Drive, Chip and Putt competition, with 25 kids advancing to the next stage.
One of Robinson’s early students was Danielle Staskowski, who started with TGA when she was 7 years old. She attended the first Detroit area TGA summer camp at Sycamore Hills in Macomb County in 2009 and was hooked ever since. Now a senior at Notre Dame Prep in Pontiac, Danielle won the Division 2 State Championship in 2016 and ‘17. She is also coaching TGA classes now and already has accepted a scholarship to Central Michigan University.
For more information about TGA in the Detroit area, visit http://playtga.com/semichigan/
