Washington, D.C., has made headlines over the past several months for upticks in crime within the city limits. The nations capital has emerged as one of the countrys hot spots for carjackings , even as violent crime has waned somewhat across the U.S. What has been unique about much of the crime in the Washington area is that a disproportionate amount appears to be attributable to teenagers and young adults .

Experts say that the rise in youth crime can be chalked up to a variety of causes desperate circumstances, a desire to make some quick cash, or the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic . Washington also holds the worst Black-white unemployment ratio in the entire country, according to the Economic Policy Institute think tank with vastly disproportionate unemployment rates in wards 7 and 8, underserved and predominantly Black areas in the district.

The National Links Trust a nonprofit whose mission is to make the largely white male sport of golf more accessible and affordable wants to provide Washingtons youths with another option: finding themselves on the links.

Golf is a [$101.7 billion] industry, said David Daniels, the director of community engagement for the National Links Trust. And there have always been barriers to entry for Black and brown people. We want to introduce minorities to the game, but also show them how they can have careers in this space.

Examples might include golf architects, landscaping, club manufacturing, he said, adding that the nonprofit seeks to ask students, How do you see yourself in golf?

Daniels recruits for the Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program , an internship that provides Washington youths with lifelong practical skills, job training, a source of income and scholarships. Over the summer, students meet at Langston Golf Course on Benning Road in northeastern Washington, and are taught different aspects of the sports business from how to operate a golf course to merchandising and even agronomy. The National Links Trust also sent one lucky student to a golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, and he was able to play with the iconic athlete.

Theres a caddie program as well, which is run with the Western Golf Association. Daniels knows a little something about the impact that caddying can have on young people; he caddied for comedian Steve Harvey while he was still a student at Mississippi State University.

Im kind of a living testament to what NLT strives to be, which is like: Hey, golf can really be a lifelong sport and game. And you could meet some people through the sport that can change your life, he said, referring to the National Links Trust.