If you want to get better at golf, many experts say you should go back and start at a younger age.
Since that’s not exactly possible, perhaps we can just root for the next generation of golfers, like the over 100 juniors and pee wees that turned out for the program at Paint Creek Country Club this summer.
The annual junior program, whose 89 participants come out to play on Fridays, was joined for the first time by a pee wee program of 13, which played for four weeks on Tuesday mornings.
‘Our junior program starts at age seven, but there are a lot of kids under that age that want to play golf,? said Jason Looman, who ran the program with Louie Patton.
‘We basically start from the ground up,? Looman said, noting the biggest obstacle is dealing with the attention spans of 4-6-year-olds during the hour-long sessions.
In their final session last week, Looman said the pee wees played two holes at the course from 100 yards out.
Meanwhile, the nine-week junior program at Paint Creek continues to thrive, with such graduates as recent state champ Maggie Hughes of Lake Orion High School.
‘It’s about making it fun enough to keep their interest for the two hours they’re here,? said Head Pro Jeremy Lathwell. ‘It only takes one or two good shots to make a kid feel good about the game.?
Lathwell said the focus of his teaching throughout the program is mainly on the short game, as many young players are learning the concept of ‘touch? around the greens.
Last week, the golfers played five, six or nine holes, depending on skill level and experience, with appropriate tee markers set up in the fairways for the younger players.
Of course, with 100 kids invading the course each week, plenty of volunteer support is needed.
‘There’s at least one parent or grandparent with every family,? noted Lathwell of the five- and six-hole groups. ‘Without the parent support, we couldn’t do this.?
And, with the pee wees in the mix, expect more growth in 2008.
‘To keep the program as big as it is, you have to get started at a young age,? Looman said.
For more information on Paint Creek Country Club’s junior golf or pee wee golf programs, call the pro shop at (248)693-9292.