April 2023 Ohio Golf Journal

Most junior golfers originally become involved in the game via the influence of a parent, or grandparent. Many young golfers have seen professionals, like Tiger Woods, succeed at the highest levels and are motivated to practice and compete. Whatever reason draws kids to the game the golf industry has done an excellent job of creating multiple outlets for young people. It would be impossible to list every opportunity for juniors in golf, but the following list includes several of the more popular programs for juniors. To keep the game viable in the future, serious golfers understand the need to create avenues and opportunities for younger people to learn the game the right way. Several programs are available to juniors to do just that. The First Tee The First Tee was the vision of former PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem. It was founded in 1997 as a joint effort by golf’s leading bodies, Augusta National Golf Club, the LPGA Tour, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR and the USGA. The curriculum of the First Tee program stresses the development of character and is built around nine core values found within the game of golf. The First Tee has grown to a network of 150 chapters with programs delivered at 1,400 golf courses, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers in all 50 states and select international locations. Youth on Course Youth on Course (YOC) is a relatively new organization that assures every child, no matter their economic status, has access to golf. Local golf courses join with YOC to allow junior golfers to play golf for $5.00 at their courses. They began in Northern California in 2006 and quickly spread to now include more than 140,000 There Are A Multitude of Golf Opportunities For Juniors By Fred Altvater Ohio Golf Journal

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2Nzk4