Rolling Loud Is Hosting A Charity Golf Event To Benefit LA Fire Victims
In case you haven’t heard, golf is cool now. Once a sport for stuffy old guys and shady businessmen (what’s the difference, really?), golf has seen an overall change in its public image thanks to companies like Topgolf, new professional promotions like TGL, and endorsements from hip-hop stars like Schoolboy Q.
You can add Rolling Loud to that list. Widely considered the premiere hip-hop festival, Rolling Loud has announced a charity golf invitational ahead of Rolling Loud California this weekend. It’ll be held on March 13 (Friday) at Angeles National Golf Club, with proceeds going to Black Music Action Coalition’s (BMAC) Restore & Rebuild LA initiative. The program’s aim is to provide direct relief to Altadena residents and small businesses affected by the recent fires in Los Angeles County. The tournament will be a two-man scramble format.
Angeles National Golf Club is the perfect venue for the event thanks to its proximity to Altadena, the historically Black neighborhood most devastated by the recent wildfires. With the support of Rolling Loud and community golf club, Swang, Restore & Rebuild LA aspires to help Altadena families remain in their homes and restore some of what was lost.
Swang founder Modi Oyewole said in a statement: “swang was started to create space for those who were never invited but always belonged; to reframe the game through culture for the ones who needed a different entry point to understand that the sport is for them, too. Teaming up with the biggest hip-hop festival in the world, right here in Los Angeles, makes a statement: golf’s next era is here, and it looks like us. With proceeds benefiting Altadena’s fire recovery efforts, this collaboration isn’t just about the future of golf—it’s about giving back to the communities that make it possible.”
Rolling Loud’s Golf invitationals are just one of the ways the festival is pursuing its founders’ goal to bring hip-hop back to its activist roots. Festival co-founder Tariq Cherif talks more about this goal here.
LPGA’s JM Eagle event sponsors donating $6.5 million to LA fire relief organizations
The LPGA’s return to Los Angeles is going to be marked by a big initiative of giving back.
El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles is the host venue in 2025. It sits about 20 miles north of Pacific Palisades, an area of Los Angeles that was devastated by wildfires in January.
At the 2025 JM Eagle LA Championship Presented by Plastpro, set for April 17-20, the two tournament sponsors are donating $6.5 million to Los Angeles relief organizations. Further, according to a release sent by the LPGA: “Those affected by the Eaton and Palisades Fires will receive complimentary grounds tickets during tournament competition rounds Thursday-Sunday.”
All first responders (fire, police and emergency medical technicians) as well as all members of the military (active, reserved, retired and veterans) and their families can all each get up to four free tickets.
There’s a perk for players, too: everyone in the 144-woman field will get free accomodations for the week.
Soon after the fires, JM Eagle donated $1.5 million to support relief efforts of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, the Los Angeles Police Foundation and the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association.
JM Eagle is committing to donate “another $5 million towards rebuilding communities affected by the fires.”
“The LPGA Tour has a rich history in Los Angeles, and we are committed to giving back to our city in a variety of ways through the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro. We want to put on a splendid event showcasing world-class players and inspiring a love for this great game of golf in more communities across generations,” Walter and Shirley Wang, CEOs of JM Eagle and Plastpro, said in the news release. “We look forward to working with the tournament team at Outlyr, the LPGA Tour and the staff at El Caballero Country Club in providing a respite and a beacon of hope for our tremendous fans in Los Angeles as we continue to rebuild our great city.”
Hannah Green won the 2024 event at Wilshire Country Club.
