GCSAA members visiting Capitol Hill during National Golf Day 2023. Golf industry professionals will meet with their representatives this year to discuss a number of issues related to the golf industry, including the PHIT Act. Photo by Scott Ramsay
Editor's note: National Golf Day is April 30-May 2, 2025. GCM is covering GCSAA's involvement in the event with stories all week long, and looking back at issue-specific stories from our 2024 coverage, with updated information. To keep up with our complete coverage, click here.
Greg Brandriet, CGCS, wants others to see his viewpoint about an acronym he touts for the golf industry. Those four letters? PHIT (Personal Health Investment Today).
The PHIT Act is among the topics superintendents and other golf industry proponents plan to address at National Golf Day (NGD) in Washington, D.C., scheduled May 8-10. In fact, those few days in May might be pivotal for this piece of legislation. In late
April two additional members of the House Ways and Means Committee were added as bill co-sponsors. “We are pushing to add others. We need only one more to have a majority of HWM members as co-sponsors and think we will have that by NGD,”
says Bill Sells, senior vice president-government and public affairs for the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and a leading force behind the bill.
The tax writing committees on Capitol Hill have diligently worked on the PHIT Act as bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would encourage physical activity and incentivize healthier living by allowing Americans to use a portion of the money saved on
their pre-tax health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) toward qualified sports and fitness purchases, such as gym memberships, fitness equipment and youth sports league fees, and pay-to-play sports fees. The legislation currently has bipartisan support from 21 members of Congress.
And yes, the PHIT act would include golf lessons, clinics, tournaments and greens fees. According to the American Golf Industry Coalition (AGIC), approval of the PHIT act would mean golfers participating in its benefits would receive discounts of 25% to 45% on greens and range fees, lessons, equipment and footwear that can be worn off the course, but not cover apparel.
Brandriet is passionate about the PHIT Act’s merit. “I worked on the PHIT Act a little bit with (U.S. Sen. R-SD) John Thune’s office. He was a big supporter, as were we, mainly because this bill addresses the economic barrier that prevents
some people from taking up the game,” says Brandriet, a GCSAA Ambassador who was a superintendent in South Dakota priort to his current job as superintendent at JW Marriott Camelback Golf Club in Paradise Valley, Ariz. “That, along with
improving the overall health of society with more participation in a lifelong sport, makes the PHIT Act a no-brainer for the golf industry to get behind.”
According to AGIC, the PHIT Act’s stance is to promote healthy lifestyles by lowering the cost of activity participation. Physical activity is preventive medicine for chronic disease, mental health and substance abuse.
The idea is to use pre-tax dollars in HSAs, FSAs, and other medical accounts to pay for preventing these health issues, not just treating them.
The PHIT Act helps Americans to use a portion of their health savings account and flexible spending account funds toward sports and fitness purchases, including golf lessons and greens fees. Photo by Darren Carroll
The PHIT Act almost made it through the House of Representatives six years ago, passing through the House, but not in its entirety. At the time Golf was excluded from the act. The bill attracted some heavy hitters in 2022, when it was endorsed by major
professional sports organizations — National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League. The PHIT Act was reintroduced in 2023 by U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jimmy Panetta
(D-Calif.) along with members of the House Committee on Ways and Means and U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Thune. National Golf Day attendees in 2025 are asking for the inclusion of the PHIT Act in tax legislation moving through Congress this year.
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Sells, who got the whole process started, continues to swing for the fences because he believes in it. The PHIT acronym was his idea, partly due to his birthplace. “I’m from Philly (Philadelphia).
Born and raised. I was trying to come up with something clever. Then I thought, ‘Wait a minute … personal health (thus, the PH part of the acronym he sought), to capture what the bill stands for,” says Sells.
Sells adds that golf adds an accessible activity to the bill’s list of benefts “We think golf is not only a physical activity; it’s an activity a grandparent can do with a grandchild. There are very few activities that are multigenerational,
but golf is one. And it is good for your health.”
Sells’ optimism about the PHIT Act’s future grows by the day, partly because of GCSAA’s support. “They bring in more people to speak to Congress, maybe more than anybody involved. We appreciate superintendents, appreciate them
talking about PHIT. They’re good ambassadors about growing the game, lowering the cost barrier.”
Michael Lee, GCSAA’s senior manager, government affairs, says, “The PHIT Act is just good policy, which is why it consistently has bipartisan support. Golf is a lifelong game with great mental and physical health benefits. Anything we can
do to encourage more physical activity that helps prevent chronic diseases and improves cardiovascular health is worth pursuing.”
Howard Richman is GCM's associate editor.