We are the Breaking Par Initiative, and we are working to disrupt the world of junior golf by making available resources of every kind to juniors of great character, values, promise and talent (in that order). In tandem, we will both seek these future leaders out, as well as seek out the resource they most need in order to continue on and progress in their journey to the echelons of golf.

From our observations as well as studies continuously conducted, it is clear that golf is one of the fastest elevators of social mobility, but at the same time it is one of the most guarded sports to break into, due to its perceived exclusivity as well as the high barrier of entry that is the cost.

We seek to remove those obstacles by bringing golf to schools in underprivileged areas, as well as make gear (clubs, balls, shoes, apparel, etc) accessible through partnerships with brands as well as a Give-It-Forward Program consisting of donations of preloved gear & apparel as well as mentoring in form of Big Sister/Brother relationships to teach subtle things like how to dress and behave on and around the golf. We refer to this as The Code, and it is one of the things any golfer must learn and embrace in order to feel like they « fit in » and get embraced by the community and sponsors alike.

Golf, though promising improvements have taken place, is still one of the most unequal sports in terms of the gender pay gap. But not just pay, also treatment and visibility. This is the most visible on the pro tours, but also still glaringly obvious on junior circuits. On pro tours we see a fraction of the purse on women’s events, and we struggle to find channels showing women’s golf at a decent hour. On junior events it could be more nuanced things like the federations offering sponsored sandwiches at boys events, but not at girls. Equipment reps being available and scouting at boys events but failing to show at important girls events. Boys events being awarded more prestigious/well-kept courses or accessible courses (for transport) or even dates, over girls events. These things still happen because we allow it to. Girls have been, and still are being taught to be grateful that they are allowed to play and to be polite. Mental coaches are still predominantly teaching girls mindfulness and how to control and do away with their emotions, whereas boys are taught to dominate and subjugate their surroundings, be it the competitors or the course.

Why not teach both? Why not teach girls to take up space and politely, but firmly, demand the treatment they have earned as well? Why not teach boys to better handle their emotions for their own mental well-being? Why not teach girls that they, too, can overpower a course and dominate a field?

Our long term mission is gender equality in a supersized world of golf, and to get there, we aim at supporting girls golf at an unprecedented level in terms of everything from privileged access to equipment, world class instruction, healthcare, physical coaching, nutrition, mentoring, media training and travel opportunities to important events. We aim to treat them the way we believe any worthy athlete deserves to be treated, so that their expectations align with the effort they put into their golf.

Lastly, studies shows that we lose a tremendous amount of junior golfers, in particular girls, as they enter into puberty, with a sharp fall-off for girls at around 14-16 and boys at 15-17. As we dig into the reasons why, we found the following factors to play the biggest part:

Cost

Parents simply cannot keep up with the cost of everything that comes with a competitive junior golfer. Travel to tournaments, equipment, nutrition and coaching are all huge expenses which a middle class family isn’t equipped to support without help. We want to be that help for as many juniors as possible.

Bullying

As golf is a competitive sport, it is only natural that you start looking at everyone as competition instead of as support and inspiration. The danger is when you take that too far, and as a parent, teach the kids to take pleasure in another’s failure. That easily descends into bullying and is what pushes many kids out of the game. That is why we only support juniors  and families of outstanding character and upright morals and values. We want to reward both greatness and goodness.

Burnout and Pressure: The Impact of Dejection

Many junior athletes quit because they feel dejected after years of trying without achieving the desired success. When they see peers surpassing them in results or skill, they may start to view themselves as « losers, » believing they aren’t good enough to continue. The intense demands of elite sports—both physical and mental—exacerbate this feeling. High expectations from coaches, parents, and themselves create overwhelming pressure. The relentless need to perform at a high level, combined with rigorous training schedules, often leads to exhaustion and a loss of passion, making it difficult for them to find joy in the sport. We address this by giving our juniors access to insight gleaned from inspiring players, offering them insight into the challenges they all have faced and how they overcame them; Offering them hope that their dream is not impossible and that it is worth following.

Injuries

Often, injury prevention is inadequate, and access to world-class diagnostic expertise is limited, leading to misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments. Recovery protocols may not be tailored to young athletes, resulting in incomplete healing and increased risk of re-injury. The psychological fear of re-injury can cause anxiety and reduced performance, while extended absences from competition can make it difficult to regain form and confidence. These combined challenges can lead athletes to question their future in elite sports and consider stepping away. The Breaking Par Initiative is setting up Centers of Excellence strategically, to give our juniors access to the best experts available in order to set them up for success and a faster road to both injury prevention and recovery.