More than 100 young people from local youth organizations got the chance to hit the links alongside DMV sports figures on May 19, as Bank of America brought its Golf With Us Clinic to the Paint Branch Golf Complex with one goal in mind: making golf more accessible for the next generation.

The clinic highlighted the company’s Youth on Course program, which allows children ages 6 to 18 to access tee times for $5 or less at thousands of golf courses nationwide. Held in College Park, Maryland, the event provided youth the opportunity to play golf for free alongside notable DMV athletes, including Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, former Nationals star and 2019 World Series Champion Ryan Zimmerman, and former Maryland basketball standout Walt Williams.

Youth participants from Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, College Park Academy, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Baltimore, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County attended the event, which aimed not only to introduce younger generations to the sport but also to provide them with an accessible way to continue playing. 

While organizers emphasized golf’s benefits, the sport has historically remained inaccessible to many young people due to high costs. Through their partnership with Bank of America’s initiative, McLaurin and Zimmerman hope to help make the game more accessible to a new generation.

McLaurin emphasized that golf offers lessons that extend far beyond the course, particularly for young athletes learning how to navigate setbacks.

“Golf teaches you to roll with the punches and focus on the current shot and hand,” said McLaurin to LIWKNN’s executive producer and host Kelsey Nicole Nelson. “I’ve learned to really just be present. The competitor in me wants to take it so seriously, but a lot of times golf is a journey,” he continued. 

Despite golf’s reputation as an expensive and exclusive sport, many event sponsors emphasized efforts to lower barriers to entry.

“When you talk about all youth sports nowadays, the biggest thing that everyone talks about is how expensive it is to play,” said Zimmerman. “A lot of kids just need something to do to stay out of trouble and learn life lessons.”

His comments come as conversations around youth engagement and access to recreational opportunities have taken on renewed urgency in the District. In recent weeks, D.C. officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, have implemented juvenile curfew measures, part of a broader debate over how best to support young people in the city. 

Bank of America representatives and community partners highlighted affordability as a central focus of the Youth on Course initiative, which has helped connect thousands of children to the sport through reduced-cost tee times and local programming. McLaurin stressed that exposure is critical, arguing that many young people simply need the opportunity to experience golf for the first time.

McLaurin’s passion for working with young people and giving back to the community made participating in the clinic especially meaningful. Beyond meeting fans, he emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for children who may not otherwise have access to sports like golf.

“That’s why I’m here — sharing the game with young people,” McLaurin said. “They’ve done a great job making it affordable. People who are in golf know how expensive it is, and when you’re a young kid, unfortunately, not everyone always has the same ability to invest in golf, whether that’s financially or with your time.” 

The initiative has already made an impact nationwide. According to event organizers, more than 150,000 young people participated in the Youth on Course program last year, including more than 3,000 children across the DMV region. 

Zimmerman also highlighted the importance of expanding participation in golf across all demographics, particularly among girls and young women. 

“Female sports in general—volleyball, golf, basketball—we always think about sports and men, but some of the female sports are more enjoyable to watch, honestly.” Said Zimmerman. “Anything we can do to get girls involved in sports, because the life lessons obviously carry over for them, too.”

Janet Currie, President of Bank of America Greater Maryland, and Larry Di Rita, President of Bank of America Greater Washington, D.C., also spoke about the broader goals of the clinic and its impact on youth participation in the sport.

“Sports are something that unites people. I might root for a different team than you, but we can all agree that sports are a terrific unifier,” Di Rita said.

The same idea of unity extends into the clinic’s broader mission, where sports are used as a way to connect communities and create shared experiences for young people. 

“It is something for us to be able to plug back into the community and give them access to something that they might not otherwise have. Golf is a sport that is very unreachable for a lot of kids; this kind of democratizes it and makes it something that Bank of America can do through our sports sponsorships to bring them closer to something they might not have been able to access.”

The clinic closed with youth participants continuing to rotate through stations across the course, taking swings alongside athletes and instructors. For many in attendance, it marked a first introduction to golf — and a step toward making sure opportunities are more widely available in the sport. 

All photos by Listen In With KNN and FOX Sports Radio photographer Joy Washington.