Community Involvement
Kelly Gibson and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 1990-Present
TPC Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
PGA TOUR Pro, Kelly Gibson has been hosting the Junior Clinic portion of the professional golf tournament since 1990. In the earlier years, he would host the Junior Clinic during the week and compete in the professional tournament on the following days. This PGA TOUR event has been held in New Orleans since 1938 and has been sponsored by a few different entities before Zurich Insurance Group became the title sponsor in 2005. The 2006 tournament was the first major, nationally televised professional sporting event back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. TPC Louisiana, designed by Pete Dye with help from PGA TOUR players Steve Elkington and Kelly Gibson, has been the chosen venue of the Zurich Classic since 2005.
The Fore!Kids Foundation has organized this PGA TOUR event annually since 1958. The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is their core fundraiser which allows them to donate to several local organizations that provide healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year. Kelly Gibson Foundation and Fore!Kids Foundation have been partners since the inception of the Kelly Gibson Junior Golf Tour in 2010. Additionally, Kelly Gibson is a Full Active Member of Fore!Kids Foundation. The Fore!Kids Foundation sponsors the KGF Annual Scholarship Banquet held each August at the conclusion of the junior tour season.
Zurich Classic Junior Clinic
TPC Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
The Tuesday before the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Kelly Gibson hosts the Junior Clinic near the driving range at TPC Louisiana. There is excitement in the air as
professional practice rounds are going on the same morning. Admission to the event is free this day so all local and visiting junior golfers and parents are invited to learn from PGA TOUR Pro and New Orleans Native, Kelly Gibson. Kelly Gibson Foundation, First Tee of New Orleans and Fore!Kids Foundation each have junior golfers attend. At the clinic, Gibson offers expert advice and basic demonstrations to aspiring and experienced golfers. He also invites kids to practice their swings, so bring your clubs! In 2022, Sam Burns gave some tips to the juniors ahead of his practice round. He went on to place 2nd in the Zurich that year. It is a great day of learning and growing the game of golf in New Orleans. If you haven’t attended a PGA TOUR event, we highly recommend this one!
Zurich Classic Celebrity Shootout
TPC Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
In the Tuesday afternoon following the Junior Clinic, Kelly Gibson emcees the Children’s Hospital Celebrity Shootout on-course at TPC Louisiana. The public is admitted for free this event day to watch the competition. Celebrities come from all over to support the cause and play 4 holes in a
modified scramble format, ending on hole #9. Each celebrity is paired with young caddies from Children’s Hospital, First Tee of New Orleans, and Kelly Gibson Foundation. Fans walk from hole-to-hole as Gibson narrates the competition live. The round ends with a ceremony on the 9th green where the winning team is announced and the charity donation check is presented as media waits to the side for interviews. We look forward to another great group of celebrities this year!
The PIG Invitational Charity Golf Tournament
Beau Chene Country Club, Mandeville, LA
For the last 5 years, the Kelly Gibson Foundation has been the host of the Putting Contest at the annual PIG Invitational Charity Golf Tournament held each November. The Putting Contest is one way the PIG charity raises money during the tournament in order to donate throughout the year. The PIG Invitational Charity raises funds to aid local St. Tammany Parish organizations. They are a sponsor of the Kelly Gibson Foundation Annual Scholarship Banquet.
GNOHLA Tourism Tee Off
Lakewood Golf Club, New Orleans, LA
The Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association holds their Tourism Tee Off at Lakewood Golf Club each November. This golf tournament fundraises for the GNOHLA Hospitality Education Foundation. This non-profit foundation was formed to create awareness of the hospitality career path available to high school students in our community, to provide educational and financial support to the secondary and post-secondary institutions offering hospitality programs, and to sponsor continuing education programs for association members. Kelly Gibson and the Kelly Gibson Foundation has hosted a Beat the Pro Contest on-course for the last decade at this tournament. The money made during the contest goes to GNOHLA's Hospitality Education Foundation. It is also one of the ways that Kelly Gibson Foundation stays in touch with the hospitality industry moguls of New Orleans.
KGF Course Legacy Program
Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington, LA
Beau Chene Country Club, Mandeville, LA
In partnership with RCI, the KGF Course Legacy program was part of Kelly Gibson Foundation's charitable initiatives. We were able to extend our outreach with the Kelly Gibson Junior Golf Tour by creating a sustainable platform that gave back to our partner golf facilities while recognizing individuals who made an impact in our local golf community.
This program consisted of planting substantial trees and making capital improvements to existing structures at partnering courses and naming these enhancements after our top performing junior participants and those who have continuously given back to the game of golf.
Our first initiative planted oak trees at Tchefuncta Country Club in 2017 and the second installment featured 9 trees planted at Beau Chêne Country Club in the fall of 2019.
In March 2019, the Kelly Gibson Foundation underwrote a 3,000 sq. ft. artificial putting green at Christ Episcopal School in Covington, Louisiana. Golf is now incorporated in the schools physical education curriculum. Technique, rules, and etiquette are all taught as a part of the program. This is just another way the Kelly Gibson Foundation has been able to introduce young athletes to the game of golf.
CES Putting Green
Christ Episcopal School, Covington, LA
