Wider Fairways

10/02/2026

Wider Fairways Board Member and PGA Professional at Indian Canyon Golf Course, Karina Davila, is passionate about making golf more inclusive.

She hosted "Clase de Golf en Español," a Spanish-language golf clinic that has become increasingly popular each year.

This time, 13 golfers attended.

Davila's program is what Wider Fairways is all about.

Wider Fairways acts as a connector, a bridge to find youth in underserved communities and facilitate their involvement in golf. That means everything from coaching to equipment and accessories.

We're grateful to those, like Davila, who are working every day to widen access to golf’s fairways, where all youth can experience the outdoors, camaraderie, and the joy of sinking a putt.

Please go to our website to learn more about Wider Fairways: https://www.widerfairways.org.

09/26/2026

Wider Fairways has a problem we're grateful to have—and we're hoping you can help us solve it! ⛳️

We are incredibly grateful for a generous donation of golf equipment, teaching tools, and apparel from Mark Gardner, a longtime golf professional at The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course and its current general manager, along with the Inland Northwest Golf Foundation.

There's just one catch: we need a place to store it.

The donated equipment will help Wider Fairways expand access to golf for underserved youth—connecting young people with the equipment, coaching, and other resources they need to discover and enjoy the game.

Right now, everything is in temporary storage, and we're looking for a safe, dry, reasonably accessible place for permanent or longer-term storage.

Do you have a garage, storage space, small warehouse area, or another space that might work? Or know someone who does?

Please reach out to Wider Fairways or share this post. Your help could make a real difference in giving a young person the opportunity to discover golf.

Thank you to Mark Gardner and the Inland Northwest Golf Foundation for helping us open the fairway a little wider for the next generation!

09/20/2026

Every kid deserves the opportunity to discover what they're capable of. We need your help to break down barriers and make golf more accessible for the next generation. Learn more and donate on the Wider Fairway website: https://www.widerfairways.org.

09/14/2026

Wider Fairways founder Jim CastroLang welcomed the chance to share the nonprofit’s mission with the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Spokane.

CastroLang explained how Wider Fairways acts as a connector, a bridge to find youth in underserved communities and facilitate their involvement in golf. That means everything from coaching to equipment and accessories.

“We have a lot of underserved communities where kids do not even get introduced to golf,” CastoLang said. "We know golf can change young lives and foster a lifelong love of the sport. That’s why we want to bring more kids into the game and make it more financially possible for families to have their kids play golf.”

Thank you, Kiwanis Club of Downtown Spokane, for the opportunity to share our goal of inclusive and supportive fairways where all youth can experience the magic of a smooth golf swing on a bright summer day.

How can you help? Learn more about Wider Fairways on our website: https://www.widerfairways.org.

09/11/2026

Did you lose something golf-related in the Spokane Fires? We want to help. If you are between the ages of 6 and 18 and lost your golf equipment, including clubs, bags, golf accessories, and golf-related apparel, we’d like to help. Fill out the form on our website, and we will follow up to see how we can offer specific support in recovering your losses. 👇👇👇

Get in touch with Wider Fairways for inquiries or support. Contact us today for more information about our services. Located in Spokane, Washington.

09/08/2026

Wider Fairways is grateful for enthusiastic volunteers like Mike Mortlock.

Mike helped us inventory and move golf equipment, tools, and apparel donated to us by a longtime Pro at The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course and current General Manager Mark Gardner, as well as by the Inland Northwest Golf Foundation (INWG).

"To have this kind of jumpstart and hardware is huge for Wider Fairways," said Mike. " There's so much potential."

Mike came to golf later in life thanks to his father-in-law. He loves the sport and can't wait to help others experience what he has.

"Golf teaches you internal self-talk and visualization," he explained. "I think learning that has a younger person would teach self-control. It is an exciting prospect to think more kids can have access to golf."

That's where Wider Fairways. We aim to give more youth, who often have little access to golf, a chance to enjoy the game by connecting them with resources, from coaching to equipment.

"Just like being out in nature and being outside could appeal to a lot of kids on different levels," Mike said. "You don't have to be a Tiger Woods savant at golf to enjoy playing golf. So I think that it's going to be super cool to see more kids have the opportunity to learn and play the game."

Thanks to donors and volunteers like Mike, we are one step closer to making a difference in young lives.

Learn more about Wider Fairways and how you can help on our website: https://www.widerfairways.org.

09/02/2026

Join us as we wish Wider Fairways founder Jim CastroLang Happy Birthday! Jim's 71 years old, and he's figured out the best birthday gift – a $71 donation to Wider Fairways so more children can learn and play golf.

Wider Fairways aims to expand access to golf by serving those in underserved communities and fostering their interest in the sport. After all, golf made a difference in Jim's life, and he wants to share that with young people. Donate on our website: https://www.widerfairways.org/donate.

Happy birthday, Jim!

08/31/2026

We are overwhelmed with an incredibly generous contribution thanks to longtime The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course Pro and current General Manager Mark Gardner, and the Inland Northwest Golf Foundation (INWG).

"The vision of Wider Fairways runs along with ours," Mark said. "We try to get kids who might not be able to afford the sport or don't even know golf is a thing."

Mark will tell you golf's been everything to him. He started caddying at the Spokane Country Club when he was just ten years old. For him, time spent on the greens is time spent as life should be.

"The rules of golf coincide with how people should act: honestly, with etiquette, and sportsmanship," Mark said. "Using those skills daily would be fantastic for all of us."

That's why INWG raised money and donated golf equipment to schools and players. But Mark is retiring, and the Inland Northwest Golf Foundation is closing. Mark figures it's the perfect time to pass the baton to Wider Fairways. After all, our goal is to give more youth, who often have little access to golf, a chance to enjoy the game and connect with resources, coaching, and equipment.

"We want to get the equipment and money into the hands of people who can really use it," Mark explained. "The vision for Wider Fairways seems to be the best hit in town for kids."

We're amazed by the amount of equipment we can now share with area youth, as well as by the $5,000 contribution. Both will make a difference in young people's lives. And that's just what Mark and INWG Board members wanted.

Thank you for believing in Wider Fairways' vision! We will continue to honor your goals and carry on your traditions.

08/23/2026

Spokane nonprofit Wider Fairways congratulates a ten-year-old Washington state boy who shot a hole-in-one on what was scheduled to have been the first day of the Washington Junior Golf Association state tournament.

Roy Choe's dad, Brad, will remember it for a long time. Roy and a golfing buddy had walked ahead to another hole when Brad heard the boys yelling. "I heard them screaming, and I figured they saw like a wild animal or something," Brad said. "But it was actually a hole-in-one they were screaming about."

Smoke from the inferno that tore through Spokane forced officials to cancel the tournament's first day. But Brad, Roy, and Roy's friend decided to play some holes. Brad will tell you Roy is all about golf. He started just three years ago.

"Roy loves golf," Brad explained. "He likes the friends he meets and the community he's part of."

Roy's hole-in-one in Spokane came off the bounce. It's earned him not only bragging rights on the greens but also at home. It turns out his 13-year-old brother shot a hole-in-one at State last year. Roy wanted one since then.

He ended the 2026 WJGA State Tournament in third place. It is another line on a resume filled with successes, including the U.S. Kids World Championship in South Korea. But for Brad, it's about more than victories and holes in one. Golf, he hopes, teaches not only life lessons but also offers a lifetime of healthy activity and community.

"I'm grateful that we're able to put them into this program," Brad said. "The expenses are challenging. But I figured that once they know how to golf, they're going to golf for the rest of their lives. My main focus is to make sure that they learn to enjoy golf more than just being competitive."

That's our commitment, too. Wider Fairways hopes to give more youth, who often have little access to golf, a chance to enjoy the game, connect to resources, coaching, equipment, and maybe get their own hole-in-one.

Learn more about Wider Fairways and how you can donate at our website: https://www.widerfairways.org.

📸: Esmeralda Golf Course

Wider Fairways expands access to golf for youth historically excluded from the sport by providing financial support, inclusive programming, mentorship, support, belonging and community partnerships that remove economic and social barriers to participation in the Pacific Northwest Region.