Tyler Hansbrough hosts free Raleigh golf clinic for local youth

Sixty young golfers from the YMCA of the Triangle and several area Boys & Girls Clubs spent time at TriGolf in Raleigh with Tyler Hansbrough, a former UNC star and retired NBA player whose name still carries weight across North Carolina. The free clinic, called Golf With Us, put a familiar sports figure in front of local youth, but the bigger story was access: a structured effort to make golf feel less distant, less expensive and more connected to neighborhood programs.

At the Raleigh facility, the children worked on putting, chipping and their swings with Hansbrough and Triangle golf pros. Bank of America organized the clinic with local youth programs, turning the event into more than a meet-and-greet. For kids who may not otherwise get time on a course or instruction from working golf pros, the setting offered a direct introduction to the game in a place built for learning.

The event also tied into a broader push by Bank of America to bring more children into golf. The company launched Golf with Us in April 2025, offering youth ages 6 to 18 a free one-year membership to Youth on Course. That membership gives young golfers access to tee times for $5 or less at thousands of courses across 97 markets. Bank of America said the program drew nearly 100,000 youth participants in its first year, including more than 22,000 girls, and later expanded after more than 50,000 young golfers signed up.

Hansbrough’s appearance gave the Raleigh clinic an added local pull. He remains one of the most recognizable basketball names in North Carolina, and his inclusion among the 2026 inductees into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame reinforced that standing. In a setting like TriGolf, that recognition matters. It can help draw attention to a clinic that is really about lowering barriers, building confidence and making sure children in Wake County see golf as a sport they can enter, not just watch from a distance.

For Raleigh families and the youth organizations that brought children to the clinic, the value was practical as much as symbolic. It was a free session, backed by a national bank and delivered through local partners, with a clear path to continued play through Youth on Course. In a county where access to sports often depends on cost, transportation and connections, that combination of a well-known North Carolina athlete and a low-cost entry point may matter well beyond one afternoon on the range.