The Links Golf Foundation proudly presents
the Upward Bound Golf Program
“Save a life, inspire a scholar…one shot at a time.”
“We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must
make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still
get the best education possible.” ~ President Barack Obama
"The Upward Bound program has a long history of providing key support to those who need it the
most. Continuing to provide these resources for disadvantaged students will help to build a collegeeducated workforce in communities across the nation and ultimately revitalize our country's economy."
Arne Duncan, former Secretary of Education
“Upward Bound saved my life.”
John Quinones, co-host, “Primetime” ABC News and Upward Bound graduate
“I had teachers in my public school system that were fantastic, who I found very invaluable in my life.
The Upward Bound program and preparatory enrollment program saved my life. They kind of picked
up where public school left off because I had such enormous needs as a child of abject poverty.”
Viola Davis, Emmy award - winning actress and Upward Bound graduate
LINKS GOLF FOUNDATION
Mission Statement
A non-profit organization dedicated to exposing minority and underrepresented high school and college scholars to the game
and industry of golf, by providing social and business networking, career paths and inclusive participation opportunities.
Our Past
Links Golf Foundation was developed after numerous years of careful planning, and concurrently watching the
state of golf decline. After three successful seasons of providing the scholars of Michigan State and Oakland
Universities’ Upward Bound programs with golf instruction and each year being sequentially better than the
previous, Butch Rhodes, PGA Golf Professional and Upward Bound scholar (1973-75), thought that he was
onto something that could be replicated at other colleges and universities throughout the country. In tune
with that desire and supported by the director of the Upward Bound program at Michigan State, an inquiry
was made to the Council for Opportunity in Education which administrators the grant application process for
the Upward Bound program nationally. Today, that dream, that
passion, and that creativity is taking shape before our eyes in the
formation of the “Links Golf Foundation.”
Today
Links Golf Foundation is focused upon providing golf instruction
and golf education to the scholars of Upward Bound by growing
our circle of influence throughout the country with a balanced and
calculated plan that ensures that Links Golf Foundation will be an
industry leader for many years to come. The foundation provides
an energetic and educational overview to the scholars of Upward
Bound on the many benefits that are within today’s golf industry.
Links Golf Foundation professionals will spend more than an
average of one hour per week with the scholars. In addition,
through our media partners, we will also provide social media
amplification with social media influencers. The program extends
past just educating scholars on how to play the game, but also
introduces them to career paths within the industry, financial literacy, and business etiquette, as well as the
numerous social/business opportunities that will be gained from being associated with the game. Links Golf
Foundation is the “missing link” in the inclusion of minorities into the game of golf and furthermore believes it
could play an active role in growing golf’s 168 billion dollar footprint in the economy. The goals of Links Golf
Foundation provide a solution to the reported hunger for more minority participation within the game. Links
Golf Foundation feels that in order to catalyze this growth we must focus upon minority groups of youth
whom are education-focused, namely Upward Bound, a 50-year old federally funded program viewed by those
in the nation’s Department of Education as its most successful ancillary program in US history.
Future
The objective of Links Golf Foundation is to grow its program to serve all Upward Bound programs nationwide.
The foundation is proud of its successes to date, and is especially proud that as it has created a program that
can be replicated nationwide with quantitative results. In short, and with the generosity of our sponsors, our
goal of introducing golf to all Upward Bound programs nationwide can become a reality.
PROGRAM GOALS
 To develop an appreciation and knowledge of golf history, origin, and
diversity.
 To perform golf skills with proficiency -- full swing, pitching, chipping, and
putting.
 To enjoy and appreciate golf’s contributions to personal exercise and
pleasure.
 To learn and apply golf terminology, rules, and golf etiquette.
 To play a 9-hole round of golf.
 To use safety precautions on the practice area and golf course.
 To create the desire and skills so our scholars can become avid golfers.
 To craft educational opportunities where scholars are trained in business
etiquette and financial literacy as well as exposed to the arts and culture.
 To create an understanding within the Upward Bound Scholars of the career
paths that reside within the golf industry through campus career days.
 To identify Upward Bound alumni and participating colleges and universities
alumni for speaker’s bureau.
COE: Council for Opportunity in Education
The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is a nonprofit organization whose membership includes
nearly 1000 colleges and community–based organizations with a particular commitment to expanding
college opportunity. COE is the only national organization with affiliates in all 50 states, the Caribbean,
and Pacific Islands focused on assuring that low-income students and first generation students have a
realistic chance to prepare for, enter, and graduate from college. COE provides program and
professional development, advocacy and other services to college access and success programs like
Upward Bound that help students to overcome class, social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher
education.
The Council for Opportunity in Education will administer the grant application process for Upward
Bound programs that meet criteria set by the Links Golf Foundation.
UPWARD BOUND
Upward Bound is a national program that more than doubles the chances of low-income, first-generation
students graduating from college, so they can escape poverty and enter the middle class. It has provided
millions of Americans with academic support and mentoring to achieve the dream of attending college, and
continues to do so in nearly 1,000 rural and urban U.S. communities.
Upward Bound began as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty in 1964. The Office of Economic
Opportunity developed Upward Bound as an experimental
program to help low-income, first-generation students get
a college education. Upward Bound partners colleges with
challenged and under-resourced high schools to expose
students to college and prepare them for the challenge of
higher education. Students receive instruction in college
readiness, coursework, especially math and science, on
college campuses, after school, and during the summer.
Since 1964, more than 2 million students have graduated
through the Upward Bound program. All programs are
funded through a granting cycle, with more than 80,000
students participating annually. The likelihood of Upward
Bound students going to college immediately after high
school graduation increases substantially to 93% based on
three or more years in the program. Lastly, Upward
Bound’s support network is second to none as it follows
their students’ progress up to six years post high school
and beyond through a strong and tenured alumni
association.
Upward Bound graduates go places. You may already
know some of Upward Bound’s most notable names:
Angela Bassett (actress), Patrick Ewing (NBA player), Jose
Hernandez (Astronaut), John Quinones (ABC News), Viola
Davis (Emmy-winning actress), Wil Hawgood (Journalist),
Troy Polamalu (NFL), Hector Balderas (State Auditor), Donna Brazile (Political Strategist and CNN
commentator), Kenny Leon (Broadway actor), Oprah Winfrey (Television), Beatrice Berry (talk show host),
Keith Motley (University Chancellor), Dmitri Stockton (GE - CEO), Stephen Pemberton (Walgreens - Chief
Diversity Officer), Gwendolyn Boyd (University President), and even PGA Golf Professional Butch Rhodes.
Those may be more familiar names, but Upward Bound at every site has helped thousands of students attend
and graduate from colleges and universities.
Reference: Upward Bound Website
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Malcolm ‘Butch’ Rhodes, PGA Professional
MSU Upward Bound Alumni 1973-1975
Links Golf Foundation Co-Founder and Executive Director
Mr. Rhodes is a co-founder and executive director of the Links Golf Foundation and currently the principle of
Next Shot Golf, LLC, a golf services and player development company located here in southeast, Michigan. Mr.
Rhodes began his professional career in 1983 at Rackham Golf Course in Detroit, working under the legendary
PGA Teaching Professional Ben Davis. A Class "A" PGA member since 1994, he is
one of only three African American PGA members out of over 300 PGA
members residing in Michigan. Rhodes has work throughout the country as a
PGA Professional, in golf operations and player development. He has worked
with players of all levels including the PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tours.
Perhaps his biggest reputation has come from his contributions nationally to
youth golf. Rhodes has started junior programs in Detroit MI., West Palm Beach
FL., Washington D.C., and Houston TX., and Davenport, IA. His annual
commitment to local programs such as Midnight Golf, The Next Shot Junior Golf
Program, Detroit Parks and Recreation, Ford Senior Players Championship,
Hollywood Golf Institute, and Schoolcraft College has impacted our youth
immensely. Rhodes has developed PGA "Get Golf Ready” instructional programs at MSU Upward Bound,
Oakland University Upward Bound, and the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology/UMove Rec Sports
respectively.
Since 2005, he has been selected annually to the PGA Presidential Council for his contributions to the growth
of the game. He has worked as a volunteer for the 2006 Ryder Cup, and 2008 PGA Championship as an
instructor for the tournaments "Play Golf America Day" hosted at Oakland University. Rhodes held the only
youth clinic in Detroit (hosted at the Detroit Golf Club) during the championship that featured World Golf Hall
of Fame Member Dr. Charles Sifford, and Detroit native PGA Tour champion Calvin Peete. He currently serves
on the Michigan Section PGA’s “Growth of the Game” Committee. Always willing to share his knowledge and
expertise, Butch Rhodes has become a valuable asset to both the national and the Metro Detroit communities.
Stuart Cavcey
Links Golf Foundation – Chief Operations Officer
Mr. Cavcey is the chief operations officer of Links Golf Foundation and founder of Renaissance Club Advisors, a
golf and country club consultation company. Mr. Cavcey began his club experience at the young age of five
when he accompanied his grandmother to her local country club where she would play bridge. During those
summer trips to the Club, he made his way outdoors to the putting green, and quickly became interested in
the game of golf. After years of playing golf at the local university golf course, he went on to represent his
high school by participating on its golf team, and by his senior year, the team had won the state
championship. At this time, the science of turfgrass and golf course management sparked his interest.
Throughout college he studied Turfgrass Management while working as part of the grounds crew for the
Country Club of Missouri, culminating in a senior year internship at Medinah Country Club - Course 3, the
recent 2012 host of the world recognized Ryder Cup.
Upon graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in Agriculture-Horticulture, Mr.
Cavcey served for 13 years as a Golf Course Superintendent. Including spending three years in Barbados
leading a union based team of grounds staff in the operations for what is frequently referred to as “the finest
hotel and golf club in the Caribbean”: Sandy Lane Hotel and Golf Club. In addition to his role as course
superintendent for the hotel, he frequently served as Manager on Duty and became acutely interested in the
customer experience and what a 5-star Food and Beverage operation could provide. While out of the country
he also worked for El Conquistador Resort and Country Club in Puerto Rico, before returning to the US to
accept a position as Membership Director at a Collegiate Alumni Club.
Additionally, his experience includes serving as operations director, general manager, and regional manager
for the world leader in Club Management – ClubCorp. During those 10 years he carried out all aspects of club
operations including marketing, communications, budgeting, forecasting, inventories, human resources, etc.
Currently, Cavcey is the owner of the consultation company: Renaissance Club Advisors which is leading the
way in all disciplines of exclusive hospitality consulting services for the United States, the Caribbean, and
internationally. The company specializes in helping private clubs, golf clubs, resorts, municipalities and other
hospitality businesses. Renaissance analyzes and consults clubs on their property offerings, operational
procedures, revenue generation, agronomics, key personnel and candidate recruitment and selection, and
staff training.
His experience is deep and far reaching, but most importantly, first hand. Cavcey has personally mowed the
greens at a Ryder Cup hosting course, cared for the customers at the most luxurious hotel and golf club in the
Caribbean, poured the wine, and grown failing memberships. Serving clubs under academic ownership,
corporate ownership, or equity ownership, with memberships ranging from 175 to nearly 1100, located in
different regions of the country, catering to small rural, major metropolitan, and exotic clientele have all
grown the breadth of his experience.
John Graves
Links Golf Foundation Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board
John A. Graves is a co-founder and chairman of the board of the Links Golf Foundation and as founder,
president and chief executive officer of PR Networks, a full service public relations firm. He has more than 25
years’ experience in the areas of public relations, marketing, government relations, advertising, reputation
management, crises/issues communications, marketing research, media training, event production, strategic
planning and target marketing. Since 1989, he has provided leadership for the agency, with a distinct, focused
strategy in the areas of transportation, automotive, hospitality, education, sports and healthcare.
Graves has managed public relations and/or community relations for numerous special events including CocaCola’s 100th Anniversary, 2002 Detroit Football Classic, JL Hudson Building Implosion, Summer & Winter
Olympic Torch Runs, Motown 40th Anniversary, Motor City Casino Grand Opening, Major League Baseball
2005 All-Star FanFest, Motown Street Naming Ceremony, Roots 30th Anniversary and Campus Martius, a fiveblock downtown development. He has managed media relations plans for several events across the country
featuring such guests as President Bill Clinton, Republic of Nigeria First Lady Stella Obasanjo, Rev. Jesse
Jackson Sr., Alan Greenspan, Lailah Ali, Ruben “Hurricane” Carter, Johnnie Cochran, Lee Elder, Aretha Franklin,
Bill Gates, Danny Glover, Greg Gumbel, Tommie Hearns, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Michael Jordon, Judge Greg
Mathis, Tavis Smiley, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and others. He handled media relations for Sean
“P. Diddy” Combs, Mary Blige and Leonardo DiCaprio with the Vote or Die campaign. Some of his clients have
included Coca-Cola, Detroit Medical Center, Ilitch Holdings which includes the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red
Wings, Fox Theater, Little Caesars, etc., Henry Ford Health Systems, Lear Corporation, and Wayne State
University School of Medicine.
Graves has managed sports marketing programs/events in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New
Jersey, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. He has worked with several athletes and agents such as NFL great Barry
Sanders, PGA Hall of Famer Dr. Charles Sifford, and PGA legend Calvin Peete. Graves, has managed public
relations for numerous national organizations including Rainbow Push Coalition, Progressive National Baptist
40th Anniversary and the bicentennial celebration of the AME Zion Church.
He has provided marketing services for successful bond issues including the Detroit Public Schools, Museum of
African American History, and others. His political counsel has yielded successful local, county, state, federal
and judicial campaigns.
Graves managed public relations services for Gardenview Estates and Woodbridge Estates, two of the largest
Hope VI HUD public housing developments in the nation. He was responsible for the creative direction and
market research of the developments’ name and logo. In addition, Graves has provided government relations
counsel for several developers and clients on such issues as tax abatements, tax credits, brown fields, litigation
resolution and zoning. He is currently one of the lead government consultants on the Detroit Red Wings $535
million arena.
Graves is a Vietnam-era Army veteran, where he served honorably as a missile supply sergeant and later, as a
distinguished color guard. He has received numerous awards including the Spirit of Detroit Award; Detroit City
Council Distinguished Service Award; Governor’s Seal of Michigan; Jewish Assisted Retarded Citizen
Appreciation Award; US Marines Toys & Tots Service Award, Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute Volunteer
Award and Alabama State University Arts Appreciation Award.
One of his more cherished accomplishments was serving as community chair of the Detroit Public Schools
Clean, Safe and Healthy Schools Program, which garnered national recognition from President Bill Clinton.
Graves has also served as the general chairperson of Detroit’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., birthday celebration
and Grand Marshal of the Caribbean Festival. He led the fundraising efforts for a sculptured bust of Mayor
Coleman A. Young on the 13th floor of the building that bears his name. As board vice-chair of Health Care
Coalition for Equity, he helped set policy for Detroit’s three major hospital systems. Some of his board seats
have included the International Institute, Rainbow Push Automotive Symposium and Abundant Care Training
Services. Graves was selected as a member of Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm state-wide Urban Commission.
Under his leadership as chairman of the Woodbridge Community Youth Center, he recently dedicated the $1.8
million William Clay Ford Baseball Field diamond for the Detroit organization that has touched more than
25,000 youth since its inception in 2007. The organization provides academic arts & culture, tutoring and
sports to underserved youth. He played football at Alabama A & M University and graduated later as a
marketing major of the University of Detroit.
Kim Davis
Regional Director
KIM&COMPANY Communications is an award-winning communications firm with more than 30 years
experience (based in Montgomery, Alabama) in broadcast communications, public relations, media relations,
governmental relations, digital marketing, website strategy, design and development, social media, marketing
research, event planning and management, focus group management, public affairs management and video
production.
Kim Davis is the founder and president of KCC. She began her career in broadcast communications as a
reporter, anchor, talk show host and producer, a career she successfully transitioned to form KCC. Recently,
KCC managed the historic Selma to Montgomery 50th Anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and received
the coveted Telly Award for Outstanding Historic Productions, a production written and produced by KCC.
KCC and her team managed, organized, raised money and implemented several key and inaugural historic
events for the historic celebration. In addition, KCC created several rarely told stories of unsung heroes that
aired on the national networks. KCC also organized the inaugural 50th Anniversary Commemoration Awards
ceremony honoring together for the first time the families of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Lyndon
Baines Johnson for the 50th anniversary. The historic event also celebrated the commissioned artwork of the
national artist Ted Ellis and the official Bloody Sunday print of this historic day in 1965. The final celebration
planned will include the inaugural Celebration Wall, slated to become one of the largest Civil Rights historic
pictorial monuments from 1965-2015 in Selma, Alabama.
KCC has enjoyed a decade long lobbying career in Alabama political landscape where she worked with clients
in agriculture, energy, forestry, and economic development. The lobbying accomplishments led to several key
legislative initiatives positively impacting farmers in Alabama. KCC is proud to have initiated the first
marketing and branding campaign for the National Black Growers Council (NBGC) a group of stellar African
American farmers in the United States.
KCC produced and hosted a political talk show, Town Hall 76, with 30 minute public affairs program discussing
political issues on local, regional, and national bases. Kim interviewed newsmakers, legislators, and elected
officials from across the region. That talk show experience was the result of a distinguished broadcast career
at an NBC affiliate station where Kim enjoyed more than 10 years as a reporter, anchor, program host, and
producer.
KCC has also begun a new golf marketing division that focuses on LPGA led initiatives. She began the first LPGA
Golf Clinic and Play as a part of the Yokohama LPGA Golf Classic (in Prattville) where female golfers enjoyed
lessons with the Pro’s.
This year, the LPGA event will continue with the clinic and will include a new female only team’s golf
tournament focusing on another passion, breast cancer awareness and research. Kim has organized the first
HERsolutions2 campaign, a new (soon to be) non-profit organization with a mission to encourage women to
be a part of the solution to finding medical breakthroughs in the treatment of breast cancer.
Kim is an avid golfer. She often tells women, as she encourages ladies to learn this great game, that had she
been taught to play at an early age, today, she would be enjoying a Hall of Fame career. She is the president
of an African American golf league, the largest and most diverse women’s league in the south, Driving Force
Women’s Golf. She is a charter member of the league.
Kim is a native of historic Tuskegee, Alabama.
STUDENT DAILY REFLECTIONS
I had a great day today, I had a chance to play more than last year. I did better than I did last year and I’ve
improved a lot. I already knew and remembered some of the things we did last year so it was kind of easy for
me today. We reviewed the parts of the golf club which is the soul, heel, sweet spot, grip, and the toe then we
went golfing and it was a fun day. ~ Dan - 2015
Today was my last day at Aker Forest. I have a love for these people to be able to buy me drinks, give me free
lessons and show me all types of ways you can make it in life. These people are more than instructors; to me
they are role models and example of how success can let you open up new doors in life. And without Upward
Bound I wouldn’t be here, I thank God so much for the opportunity he is giving me. I am looking forward to
next year and the years after that and so on. For their community to be able to open up to teens they never
even met before takes a lot of encouragement, this means a lot to someone who has been through many
problems in life and I choose not to let them down. The technique in golf takes patients, and my favorite club
to use is the driver. Why? Because if fits my personality. ~ Alan - 2015
Every Wednesday is my favorite day of the week for Upward Bound. And I said that because I get to go golfing
in the afternoon. I never thought that I will play golf because I thought golf would be boring. But ever since
day one of golfing, I enjoyed it. It is so cool how much I can learn in one day. I can see that I am making
progress every time I golf. The staff are wonderful to me. They help me get better every time. And every time
they spot me doing something wrong, they let me know and help me out. To me, golfing takes a lot of time to
get the hang of hitting the ball. You have to know how to hold the club correctly and you must have your body
in a certain way. But luckily, there are staff out there that help me to be better at it. Now, I can see that I am
better then I used to be. I’m glad that I know how to golf now. It helps me relax my mind and I got to try out a
new sport. Also, we got to drive on the golf cart, which was pretty cool. But other than that, I enjoy golfing
and I will be glad to golf again. ~ Cuong – 2015
I used to golf with my grandpa and he taught me a lot. I knew a lot of stuff that you guys mentioned. There is
a few things you guys did teach me though like my posture was to straight up and, I needed to bend my knees
more. I switched it up, and improved in my swing instantly. Thank you, I look forward to coming back. ~
Damian – 2014
Today was fun. We learned to hit the full swing, chipping and we learned how to drive the golf carts. They
were really fun, even though I turned way to sharp. An we learned that they have golf cart racing. Next week,
it’s going to be like we are really playing a game of golf. ~ Andrea - 2014
Today in golf we worked on chipping and we also worked on swing. I thought today was a good day. The best
part about the whole thing was the chipping because I am good at chipping and I enjoy trying to get the ball up
in the air. We also got to drive the golf carts around a spot on the course. This was really fun especially
because I already know how to drive. ~ Darrion - 2014
Today I learned how to score in golf. Last week when we were shooting from the tee, I learned how to hit it. I
wasn’t very good. I had a fun time when I went golfing every Monday. I learned a lot, such as chipping, teeing
off, putting, etc. Although I was absent the first day, I caught up with the rest of the group and still learned. ~
Brandon - 2013
Today we learned to keep track of our score, we learned about black, green, handicap, par, and red. About the
difficulties of the hole and playing against the others that are better than you. We also learned about a
negative number is better than a positive number in golf which is referred to the score. ~ Benjamin - 2013
What I learned in golf, you can do many jobs in the golf field. Like pick up balls or working in the pro shop.
Another thing I learned is to position the golf club in line and snare it also you have to also bend your knees
also learned how to score from using black red white and handicap of you hit the ball twice it’s a par 2 and
your score is z. if a golf course there is the green the rough and fairway and bunker.
~ Breonna - 2013
My overall experience of golf was okay
most days we went it was hot and really
was up for golf those days but I did learn
that to play golf you have to have a lot of
patience which I tend not to have lots of
time and learned that some of the golf
games can be all day and others a couple of
hours and other days were better that
others but over all I had a good experience.
~ Alexis - 2013
I enjoyed my time at Forest Akers golf
course. I wouldn’t mind going next year.
Although other’s weren’t as interested I
still made the best of it. I feel like this
experience will help me out throughout my
life. I do see myself my golfing for fun one
day. I caught on to the concepts really well
and acknowledged them also.
~ Marcos -2013
THANK YOU!
Links Golf Foundation
400 Renaissance Center
P.O. Box 43410
Detroit, Michigan 48243
(800) 206-1965
www.linkgolffoundation.org
Facebook: Links Golf Foundation
Council for Opportunity in Education
1025 Vermont Street, Suite 900
Washington D.C. 20005-3516
www.coenet.us