JAGA was organized in 1954. JAGA maintains a dual mission to: (1) promote amateur golf ans (2) provide scholarships to worthy students attending college. There are dozens of golf clubs (private, semi-private, public and military) that are currently members of JAGA.

Member golf clubs range in location from Jacksonville to Lake City, Amelia Island, Ponte Vedra, and points in between. Each JAGA member club is allowed to appoint up to three JAGA Directors.  Members of member golf clubs are eligible to participate in all JAGA events, activities and may propose scholarship candidates to their JAGA Director(s).

By 2020, almost three hundred young people have received a total of over $1,800,000 in assistance. What started out with an amount of $250.00 per semester has grown to $1,000.00 per semester for 8 semesters (four years) of undergraduate work. The students have gone on to careers as greens superintendents, club managers, professional golfers and most other occupations you can think of. An interesting result of the program has a JAGA member club, Sawgrass Country Club, employing past JAGA scholarship students in major positions of Golf Professional Ed Tucker and Greens Superintendent Matt Durkee.

The JAGA Charitable Trust was established by the Jacksonville Area Golf Association, under a “Declaration of Trust” dated May 1, 1974. The initial contribution to the Scholarship Fund was $150.00 from the Jacksonville Area Golf Association’s general fund. On September 23, 1974, the Internal Revenue Service approved the organization’s application for designation as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The scholarship fund is administered by Trustees who are selected by the JAGA Executive Committee from the elected officers and the Board of Directors. The Trustees determine the process to be used to apply for a scholarship award.

Since its inception in 1974, the Scholarship Fund has grown through contributions from JAGA member clubs, golf tournaments and private donations. There have been almost 300 scholarships awarded to deserving young people totaling over $1,800,000. The initial award of $250 per term has grown to $1,000 per term for up to eight (8) terms of undergraduate study. JAGA scholarship recipients have gone on to successful careers as golf course superintendents, golf club managers, PGA Tour Players, PGA Golf Professionals and other careers both inside and outside the golf industry. With the continued support and encouragement of our member clubs and contributors to the scholarship fund, JAGA looks forward to continuing the long-standing tradition of providing meaningful scholarship awards to worthy students for their college education.

History approved by: The JAGA Charitable Trust – Trustees June 2020