How does Generation Next Project make an impact?

Generation Next Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening youth mental health through the game of golf. Founded by Robert Jones Black, great-grandson of legendary golfer and Augusta National founder Bobby Jones, the organization blends golf’s lessons of discipline, resilience, and focus with evidence-based mental wellness practices to prepare young people for challenges on and off the course.

The centerpiece of the initiative is Change Your Course, an experiential program that mirrors real-life pressures through golf scenarios such as first tee jitters, pressure putts, and risk versus reward decisions. These on-course challenges are paired with lessons in intentional thinking, emotional regulation, and self-assessment—skills that improve both performance and overall well-being.

Delivered through one-day programs, immersive retreats, and licensed partnerships with golf clubs, schools, and junior organizations, Change Your Course provides participants with hands-on training, guided group discussions, and individualized support. Tools such as the Green Book workbook, the 9-Hole Challenge, and one-on-one sessions with clinical psychologist Dr. Karla Steingraber extend the program’s impact. A digital community platform further connects participants, families, and coaches, ensuring ongoing access to resources and peer support.

Generation Next’s vision is not to elevate golf itself, but to use golf as a powerful vehicle for teaching mental strategies and life skills. Through partnerships with corporations, schools, community groups, and families, the organization expands access to experiential programs that build confidence, resilience, and emotional awareness in young people. Support from these partners enables scholarships, retreats, and curriculum development, ensuring that lessons once learned on the course extend into everyday life.

At its heart, Generation Next Project lives by its guiding belief: teach the mental game, through the game of golf, for the game of life. Golf is the classroom, the lesson is resilience, and the outcome is a generation of young people better equipped to perform under pressure, manage emotions, and thrive both on the course and in life.