Michael McDermott and Cole Berman, both past Philadelphia Amateur champions, had been individually pondering the idea of bridging the older and younger generations in golf.
The pair, who played an epic match in the round of 16 at the 2016 Philly Am, fondly remember being fortified for life with advice when they were on the course with older players. A post-COVID conversation on the practice range at Merion Golf Club ushered the idea into reality.
In 2021, propelled by what McDermott calls "the doer" in Berman, the duo founded the GolfBridge Society, a nonprofit mentoring program for junior players in the Philadelphia area.
"How could we create an organization for today's generation of junior golfers that took the luck and circumstance out of it?" said Berman, a two-time All-Big East player at Georgetown who won the Philly Amateur in 2015.
The program, free of charge to any junior golfer who completes an application, is held at Philadelphia-area courses on a summer/fall afternoon for golf, food and a bit of wisdom from the mentors. Three juniors play with one mentor at each event. After golf, while the kids eat and listen, the mentors talk.
"That 30-minute mentor session of 'if I knew then what I know now' is very powerful," said McDermott, the CEO at Kathmere Capital Management. He emphasized the impact of the messages on not just the kids but the parents and mentors as well.
Through his network, GolfBridge Society members have been treated to videos on leadership and life from the likes of Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Gary Player and Andy Roddick, ESPN's Scott Van Pelt and decorated amateur Stewart Hagestad.
Starting with 24 players in 2021, the GolfBridge Society now has 70 players and 75 mentors, who basically subsidize the program with their donations. "The biggest driver is word of mouth," said Berman. "The kids talk and so do the parents."
"Golf is almost like a superpower for a young kid," said McDermott, a five-time Golf Association of Philadelphia Player of the Year with three Philly Amateur titles to his credit. "It puts a 16-year-old kid in front of so many different types of people."
"We are teaching all the soft skills that you don't learn in school, and you may not want to hear from your parents. If it comes from an accomplished golfer who is in the business world, it might sound like a better idea."
The program is maturing as its first members are reaching college graduation. McDermott, an inveterate thank-you card writer ("It's like a magic trick," he says) said the first class is sending letters to thank the society for well-learned lessons that have been applied for personal success.
The GolfBridge Society is running nicely in the black thanks to mentor contributions, and the golf world is taking notice as the program has received inquiries from a handful of other regions.
"We have tried to make this as broad a reach as possible with First Tee, private and public-school kids and use it like a melting pot," McDermott said. "All these kids from different circumstances can become friends through this program."
