KANSAS CITY, MO — A local non-profit that's meant to teach kids a love for the game of golf is adding a big new partnership this year.
Legendary golfer, and Kansas City native Tom Watson founded Watson Links in 2021, with a mission of pairing adult mentors with kids to teach them the rules and etiquette of golf, at no cost to the children.
Today, Watson Links is announcing a new partnership with Bank of America, as part of their "Golf With Us" initiative.
It will grow the program to include thousands of kids in more than 50 markets across the country.
Announcing the new partnership, Watson Links issued a press release saying, in part:
Established by Bank of America in collaboration with Youth on Course, Golf with Us introduces more young people to the game through affordable opportunities to play, instructional clinics and continued development, and local partnerships.
In 2026, Watson Links will join the growing Golf with Us ecosystem by adding mentor-led golf experiences that help junior players build confidence, knowledge of the game and life-readiness skills alongside caring, vetted adult golfers.
Through the partnership, Bank of America becomes Watson Links’ Champion Partner, providing critical support that helps expand golf mentoring opportunities, fund new on-course experiences, and increase access to golf for kids and teens of all skill levels nationwide.
“Last year, Golf with Us helped nearly 100,000 young people – including many first-time golfers – experience the transformative power of the sport,” said Michele Barlow, Head of Enterprise Marketing, Bank of America. “Together with Watson Links, we can increase access and opportunity for more young people while mentors integrate the valuable skills that drive success on and off the course.”
In October of 2024, I got the chance to chat with Watson, an 8-time Major Champion, about why he started Watson Links.
"I want to give back, exactly how I learned how to play the game, with my father being my mentor," Watson told me. "He took me on the golf course, and taught me how to play golf. And I learned the love and the passion that he had for the game."
And, having three sons of my own, I asked him for some tips on the best way to introduce them to a game that I love so much too.
"You start them actually around the greens," he told me. "Let's see if you can putt this ball in from three feet or two feet. Now let's go back to eight feet, ten feet, can you make this? Then you start them just off the green, with a ball that they can hit out of the grass and let it roll. You start small."
You can learn more about Watson Links, including learning how to be a volunteer mentor with the program, by clicking here.
