The PGA of America's spouses have partnered with the PGA TOUR Wives Association (PTWA), marking its 25th anniversary this year, in a philanthropic alliance. Gathering at the 60th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., industry representatives learned of the strategic partnership among other new charitable endeavors.

The alliance was announced at a Jan. 25 reception, where The PGA of America, in collaboration with Reed Exhibitions and KitchenAid, met golf industry stakeholders. Together, they celebrated "Connecting With Her" successes in 2012, and previewed strategic plans for this year, including:

• Implementation of Get Golf Ready as an employee talent-development tool in corporations nationwide.
• Creating and placing women-centric golf content in non-golf media outlets, to help attract the millions of women who are interested in playing golf.

"The Connecting With Her initiative reflects our industry's collective strategy to grow the game of golf by reversing a decline in female participation over recent years," said PGA of America President Ted Bishop. "Millions of women remain interested in golf and represent trillions of dollars in economic spending. It is vital that we do all that we can to make the game more inviting and continue to elevate women's role in building our industry. We are excited about what lies ahead in this alliance between PGA spouses and the PGA TOUR Wives Association."

Bishop said the collaborative efforts kick off with a Habitat for Humanity Build during the week of the 95th PGA Championship, Aug. 5-11, in Rochester, N.Y. A team of volunteers will build a home for a local family. The PGA of America participated in a similar project on Kiawah Island, S.C., prior to the 2012 PGA Championship.

"This is an exciting new chapter in our relationship with the PGA TOUR," said Bishop. "The PGA Merchandise Show was a way for all of us to celebrate and honor 25 years of giving back by PGA TOUR wives. We look forward to strengthening the bond among the players who compete in our major championships."

Following the partnership announcement, Bishop and his wife, Cindy, participated in cooking demonstrations on the KitchenAid stage. Recipes included those featured contributions from 134 Tour families in a 25th Anniversary book, "Beyond the Fairways and Greens." All net proceeds from book sales will support PTWA designated children's charities.

The PTWA has nearly 200 current members.

"The game of golf brings together the most wonderful people. I always say golf fans are the most giving fans," said six-year PTWA President Amy Wilson, wife of Tour professional Mark Wilson. "We have been blessed to have a relationship with The PGA of America and our association. We are thrilled to be working with The PGA of America spouses and to share with them what we have learned over the past 25 years from women all over the world to give back to charity.

"We have been blessed to do several Habitat for Humanity builds before. We met with a lot of the wives and they are excited to put on their tool belt and get going."

PTWA Executive Director Sara Moores of Ponte Vedra, Fla., began 25 years ago at the PGA TOUR as a paralegal for the former TOUR Wives Association. One of her first duties was to incorporate the association.

"When we started, we saw that we could do better to leave a legacy, leave an impact in local communities," said Moores. "That was when we noticed we could make a difference. We went out to do Habitat for Humanity builds, went to the food kitchens, to the soup kitchens and food banks. We only go out to do something that we believe is significant."

About The PGA TOUR Wives Association
In 1988, a small group of wives of PGA TOUR players created a non-profit organization to support charities in communities they visited on the Tour. Twenty-five years later, the PGA TOUR Wives Association (PTWA) has raised more than $5 million and engaged hundreds of charitable projects that have impacted the lives of thousands of children and families in need.

About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.