The Gongaware Junior Golf Academy was built to provide a first class teaching facility for junior golfers throughout Indiana and the Midwest. The goal of the facility is to host week-long camps for aspiring junior golfers, and then point these juniors to PGA Professionals in their communities who can further hone their golf skills.

The Academy offers instruction from PGA and LPGA Professionals, led by Director Roger Lundy, with additional assistance from collegiate golfers and students participating in the PGA's Professional Golf Management Schools. Academy instructors teach according to the skill level of each student while maintaining a 3-1 student to teacher ratio for full swing instruction and a 4-1 ratio for short game instruction. All students are instructed, play and compete within their own level of play.

The Academy, which was completed in June 2001 and was added to our existing facility in Franklin, houses 48 juniors and 8 counselors. The Academy provides campers with an indoor instruction area, a cafeteria/recreation room, access to an 18-hole short course and a 27-hole championship course, a short-game practice area, and a 10-acre practice facility.

Some juniors who attend the Academy are "at-risk" kids on scholarship who would otherwise not have the opportunity to benefit from the game of golf. For more information on our scholarship programs, call the Indiana Golf Foundation at 800.779.7271 ext. 224.

The Indiana Junior Golf Tour began in 1987 with 10 events and 200 kids.  Today, the Junior Program has grown to three separate tours and encompasses 75 events that reach nearly 1500 juniors.  

Prep Tour (8-12 years of age)
Junior Tour (13-18 years of age)
Masters Tour (junior golfers with the lowest stroke averages from the proceeding year)

Before any junior is allowed to participate in an Indiana Golf Foundation tournament, they must first attend a rules and etiquette clinic.  In addition to playing opportunities, scholarship seminars are available to students and parents to learn about scholarship assistance at the collegiate level.  In 2011, there are over 300 Junior Tour alumni playing collegiate golf.

The Indiana Golf Foundation Scholarship program, established in 1996 is to encourage and promote the attainment of higher education goals for high school seniors who have actively participated in the game of golf and have excelled in their academic achievements. 

One recipient will receive the Lynn B. Shonk Memorial Scholarship, which was established in 2009 after the unfortunate passing of Lynn Shonk. Lynn was a great champion of the Indiana Golf Foundation and its programs. This scholarship was established through the generosity of her husband Bill, daughter Sally and son Scott, and the many family and friends who made gifts in Lynn’s memory.

The David E. Simon Scholarship was created in 1999 to encourage Indiana high school seniors who have been employed at a golf facility in any capacity to pursue higher education.

To date, our scholarship program has awarded $297,500 to 91 Indiana high school students to continue their education. For more information on these scholarship opportunities, please contact Matt Brookshire, Development Director, at 800.779.7271 x224.