SAN FRANCISCO – In partnership with San Francisco Pride, San Francisco Recreation & Parks, the Northern California Professional Golfers Association (NCPGA) and The First Tee of San Francisco, TPC Harding Park will host the Inaugural San Francisco Pride Pro-Am Golf Tournament on Wednesday, June 26. All proceeds from the one-day event will benefit the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, a nonprofit dedicated to education, the commemoration of LGBT heritage and to the celebration of LGBT culture and liberation.
“We are honored to be one of the first golf courses to host an LGBT fundraiser of this caliber,” said Tom Smith, TPC Harding Park general manager. “So far, we have 115 amateur players signed up, plus 23 PGA Professionals from the Bay Area. It’s humbling to be part of something this historic and witness the San Francisco community come together for such an important cause.”
With the goal of bringing the LGBTQ community and its allies together, the tournament will take on a scramble format, upholding the fun and welcoming ambiance of SF Pride. Participants will enjoy an unforgettable round of championship golf on the same fairways slated to host the 2020 PGA Championship and the Presidents Cup 2025. A silent auction and post-round dinner are also included with registration, courtesy of the club’s Cypress Grill.
“We feel that visibility is key to our ongoing progress as a community,” said SF Pride Board President Jacquelene Bishop. “This opportunity is an important first step that we hope will grow into larger strides with a respected sporting institution such as the PGA.”
“We celebrate Pride in parks throughout the city and I am thrilled to expand the celebration to include TPC Harding,” said Recreation and Park Department General Manager, Phil Ginsburg.
The only city-owned public course managed by the PGA TOUR, TPC Harding Park features 27 holes of championship golf designed by Willie Watson, architect of the nearby Olympic Club. Known as Harding Park Golf Club when it opened in 1925, the course was named after avid golfer and former President Warren G. Harding. Over the course of its history, golf legends such as Ken Venturi, Billy Casper and Gary Player all walked its fairways. The course underwent a major renovation project 2002 to restore the fairways to their original glory, concluding just in time to test the skills of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship and later in the 2009 Presidents Cup. TPC Harding Park also hosted PGA TOUR Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
About the TPC Network
Owned, operated, and licensed by the PGA TOUR, the TPC Network is comprised of 32 premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties designed by some of golf’s most elite architects. Twenty of the clubs are operated by affiliates of PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties, Inc. Each TPC has hosted or has been designed to host TOUR-sponsored golf tournaments. Since TPC Sawgrass first opened its world-renowned PLAYERS Stadium Course in the fall of 1980, TPCs have provided the PGA TOUR with rent-free venues for tournaments, helping to boost championship golf purses and increasing charitable donations to grass roots non-profit organizations. At the same time, TPCs have provided recreational golfers with the unique opportunity to test their skills on the same layouts where the world’s best golfers compete.
TPCs are known for their history of hosting PGA TOUR-sponsored golf tournaments, their outstanding conditioning and amenities, as well as a commitment to environmental excellence. The TPC Network is also distinguished by its unwavering commitment to further the PGA TOUR’s giving back mission through support of charitable and community-based programs. For more information, please visit www.tpc.com. For the most up-to-date news, follow the TPC Network on Twitter (@PlayTPC), Instagram (@PlayTPC) or Facebook.com/TPCNetwork.
About San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded to produce the SF Pride Celebration and Parade. The mission of the organization is to educate the world on LGBTQ issues, as well as commemorate the heritage, celebrate the culture, and liberate the people of all LGBTQ communities. A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997 SF Pride has granted over $3 million in proceeds to local nonprofit LGBTQIA organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights, and animal welfare. For more information visit sfpride.org.