Oregon DMV Launches Golf Plate to Fund Junior Golf Programs

For every Golf Oregon specialty license plate a Union County driver orders starting April 28, $35 out of a $40 surcharge will flow directly to the Oregon Junior Golf Fund — a 501(c)(3) that funds youth access programs, girls golf, and tournament opportunities for players as young as eight across the state, including Eastern Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles announced the new plate in late March, and it joins a lineup of more than a dozen Oregon specialty plates that include the Crater Lake, Gray Whale, Salmon, Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, and OSU Beavers options. Unlike a one-time fee, the $40 surcharge applies at first purchase and again at each annual registration renewal, meaning every Golf Oregon plate on Union County roads generates a recurring $35 for junior golf, not just a single contribution.

For La Grande, that math has a direct address: La Grande Country Club on Adams Avenue, the home course for La Grande High School's golf program. The club already runs junior camps open to both member and non-member children and hosts an award-winning nine-hole course built exclusively for junior golfers, one where adults may only enter as a guest of a junior. Equipment costs, travel to away matches, and tournament entry fees are the pressure points where outside funding can have the most visible effect on a rural school program operating on a limited budget.

The Oregon Junior Golf Fund channels plate proceeds into programs including the Jacobsen Youth Initiative, which underwrites Youth on Course memberships and allows young players to access participating courses for $5 or less per round. The Girls Golf Fund is a separate line within the same pool. A $35-per-plate contribution won't transform any single program overnight, but the funding model scales with awareness: the more Union County golfers and families choose the Golf Oregon plate over a standard Oregon plate, the larger the cumulative transfer.

Drivers ordering the plate at the DMV on April 28 or later will pay their standard registration and title fees plus the $40 Golf Oregon surcharge. The plate can also be personalized for an additional $100 DMV charge. Detailed ordering instructions will be available through the DMV's specialty plate portal and through the Oregon Golf Association, which administers the fund and can be reached at licenseplate@oga.org. La Grande High School's coaching staff and junior program coordinators at La Grande Country Club are well-positioned to spread word to families already invested in youth golf before the spring season ends.