(Washington, D.C., April 14, 2015) – The National Club Association (NCA), as part of WE ARE GOLF–a coalition of the game’s leading associations and industry partners including golf legend Jack Nicklaus–will meet with members of Congress on National Golf Day, Wednesday, April 15, to share stories and data about golf’s diverse businesses, employees, tax revenue creation, tourism and charitable benefits, and environmental leadership.
Golf is a vital part of the American economy, sustaining more than 2 million jobs and providing workers with a combined income of more than $55 billion. More than 28 million Americans engage in the sport of golf, making golf a $70 billion industry with an overall impact measured at $176.8 billion. On National Golf Day, the National Club Association, together with prominent leaders from allied organizations, participated in National Golf Day events alongside members of Congress.
National Golf Day is an opportunity to celebrate golf’s social, economic, environmental, health and charitable contributions to America.
“The golf industry is vital to the nation’s small business landscape-employing millions of workers and bolstering the economy on both a local and national scale,” said Susanne R. Wegrzyn, NCA President & CEO. “The game also gives back to the communities that support it, raising more than $4 billion in charitable contributions at more than 12,000 facilities at more than 143,000 events nationwide. NCA and our allies in WE ARE GOLF work with Congress every year to highlight the important ways the golf industry serves our nation’s economy and the vital part that it plays in environmental stewardship.
NCA will be represented by NCA President and CEO Susanne R. Wegrzyn; Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel Brad D. Steele; NCA Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Government Relations Committee Kevin Vitale of Baltusrol Golf Club; NCA Chairman Kirk Reese; and Government Relations Committee Member Mark Bado of the Kansas City Country Club. This year, NCA will be joined by the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) Sr. Director of Communications and Government Relations Melissa Low and CMAA Vice President Jill Philmon of Ballantyne Country Club, at the following meetings with congressional staff members:
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) deputy chief of staff, John Stipicevic
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn’s (R- Texas) policy advisor, Jonathan Slemrod
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) chief of staff, Lynnel Ruckert
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune’s (R-S.D.) chief of staff, Brendon Plack
Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s (R-N.H) chief of staff, Rick Murphy
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C) chief of staff, Richard Perry
Sen. Jerry Moran’s (R-Kan.) chief of staff, Todd Novascone
For more information, visit National Golf Day 2015, or follow the Twitter hashtag #NGD15.
###
For more than 50 years, the National Club Association (NCA), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association, has served as the primary advocate for private clubs, representing their interests on Capitol Hill, in the regulatory agencies, in the statehouses and in the courthouses. In addition, NCA serves as an invaluable resource for professional and volunteer club leaders, providing resources on industry trends, legislative and regulatory issues, governance best practices, operational issues, and ways to strengthen club leadership through its publications and educational programs. For more information on NCA, visit www.nationalclub.org.
