My name is Diyaan Mehta, and I'm exploring minority engagement with the game of golf post-pandemic. Riding off the coattails of a pandemic boom that saw a significant bump in Hispanic and African-American golfers, my goal is to discover why that boom is permanent and what is attracting historically excluded demographics to the sport. Part of my hypothesis is the rise of inclusive youth groups that provide an affordable gateway into the game, which is why I am interning with the leading golf education group in the United States, The First Tee, to further analyze their effect on minority engagement.

Using a methodology that primarily consists of audio-based interviews with minority parents, coaches, junior volunteers, board members, and participants (if given permission and consent), I hope to discover what the personal reasons for getting involved in the sport are, what role the First Tee or other organizations played in that attraction, and what can be improved in the golf education community to bring more students in the community.

Working between First Tee HQ and Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course to conduct interviews for the Hispanic demographic, I also hope to expand the scope of this project to the African-American community, going outside of the Bay Area to get those perspectives. As a final product, I plan on producing a research paper that provides a robust explanation on the main attraction factors of minority students to these programs, and why this boom isn't simply because of the pandemic's circumstances.