Drive Fore The Future was conceptualized in 2021, when Ryan French and Chris Gallagher were brainstorming ideas on how to help young, aspiring athletes have access to the game of golf, despite economic disadvantages.
Gallagher and French met when Ryan was working at the Fire Pit Collective, a website and podcast that features interviews with golfers, architects, historians, and other experts on the history, design, and culture of golf courses. Ryan created a Twitter account @acaseofthegolf1, also known as Monday Q Info, along with a Monday Q website. Ryan tells the stories of players chasing the top tours in the world, and the dedication and sacrifice it takes to get there. Gallagher began following French’s journey, and the two became fast friends.
Chris was introduced to the game by his father, although he lost both his parents when he was a young man. Ryan also bonded with his father over their love of golf, as the two of them took summer caddie trips to mini-tour events. Chris and Ryan wanted to give back to a game that had given them so much. Chris and Ryan often discussed what the game had taught them; it was on a golf course where both learned to shake hands and talk to people they had just met. They learned about honesty, etiquette, commitment, sportsmanship and dedication. They believed these were lifelong skills learned at a young age that they were able to carry on throughout their lives. In thinking through ways to make the game accessible to underprivileged and impressionable kids they discovered that:
- 63 percent of public school sports budgets are stagnant or decreasing*
- High-poverty schools offer one-third fewer sports than low-poverty schools*
- There is a 25 percent participation gap between children of lower and higher income families*
- Parents in lowest-income families spend approximately four times less on their child's sport than the wealthiest households**
And so Drive Fore The Future was born.
Drive Fore The Future is a nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting accessibility to the game of golf, specifically for individuals and schools from lesser socioeconomic backgrounds. Through strategic collaborations with industry leaders including Callaway, Dunning and GolfTEC, along with generous donations and initiatives, the foundation endeavors to provide resources, assistance and opportunities for individuals to engage in the game and reap its associated benefits. By harnessing these partnerships, Drive Fore The Future continues to broaden its impact, nurturing inclusivity and empowerment within the golf community.
