Shortly after joining the staff of the National Club Association, I sent an email to every chief of staff and legislative director on Capitol Hill to let them know I was on staff and to feel free using me as a resource for any club-related issues. This outreach yielded some good meetings and conversations in the weeks that followed with staff on both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle. One meeting was with Lewis Myers, who is the Operations Director for Representative Stacey Plaskett, (D-US Virgin Islands) and also the founder of the Congressional Golf Association.
The Congressional Golf Association (CGA) was conceived in 2018 and launched this year. The mission of the association is to bring staff and members of Congress together through a common interest in golf. In the months since launching, the group has 72 members and includes Democrat and Republican staff, members of Congress and others in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Myers answered a few questions for Club Director; see what the Commissioner of the Congressional Golf Association has to say below.
JT: The CGA website says the association is dedicated to advancing the game of golf through innovative programming and strategic partnerships. Tell me more about it.
Myers: Programming includes, but is not limited to, volunteer work in the golfing community with organizations such as The First Tee and Golf. My Future. My Game. We have regular CGA golf outings to promote bipartisanship and networking. We recently introduced a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) component for our members to better understand the agronomy and science behind the game. We’ve also partnered with City Swing to allow members to have their swings broken down and analyzed by professionals.
JT: Golf can be intimidating for beginners, what does CGA do to help folks who are just starting out?
Myers: We have designed programming for all levels. For our newer members, we offer private range sessions along with a dedicated swing coach that helps ease our beginners into the game. Once members feel comfortable in their growth, they have the ability to sign-up for more of our advanced activities.
JT: Over the past 20 years, it seems Congress has become more tribal with members of Congress and staff interacting less with colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Can golf and sports actually help bridge the divide?
Myers: Without a doubt. I started this with the idea of bringing staff and members together. The beauty of our sport is that the golf ball has no party affiliation or race. It’s a competition between you and the course. Some of my best friends today are on the other side of the aisle and it’s only because we met through the game of golf.
JT: Tell me a little about Lewis Myers and how you got into the game.
Myers: I’m born and raised in Durham, N.C. Baseball was my first love. I picked up basketball and football through high school. I went to Hampton University in Hampton, Va., but we didn’t have a baseball team, so I occupied my time with golf. Being a business major and a natural competitor, I realized how valuable the game of golf could be to one’s career and the rest was history.
JT: Name your foursome. Yourself, one Democrat, one Republican, one PGA/LPGA Tour player.
Myers: Me, President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush and Tiger Woods.
JT: That’s a pretty fantastic lineup! Thank you, Lewis.
Joe Trauger is NCA’s vice president of government relations. He can be reached at [email protected].