First Tee junior golfers graduate to what?

[PEZGolf]

The First Tee program is a great idea to help develop future golfers, but there is one critical question: After they complete their lessons in the program, will they be able to apply the knowledge and the interest they have by actually playing and practicing golf frequently?

As we all know, if a child does not have the transportation to the nearest golf course or driving range, does not have the support of the immediate family, and does not have the money to pay for green fees, he or she will not become a regular golfer. Instead, the youngster will then turn to other interests that are available and affordable.

So that is the problem. What, if any, is the solution(s)? Here is what I propose:

1. The nearest public courses should help the First Tee graduates. They should be allowed to play at reduced green fees and practice for free or for a low charge per bucket of balls. Also, one or more members should "adopt" each First Tee graduate, and then play with the boy or girl, and encourage them and become his or her "golfing mentor". Perhaps, even transportation to the course can be arranged.


2. As was pointed out in the January 19th issue of "Golf World", one possible project as part of the government stimulus program is the building of par 3 golf courses or Himalaya type putting courses. The WPA during the Roosevelt Admininstration built or renovated over 300 golf courses, and perhaps as many as 600! Robert Trent Jones, a Cornell University grad, was paid by the WPA to design and supervise the construction of the Green Lakes golf course near Syracuse (owned by the State of New York), Valley View (owned to this day by the City of Utica, NY), and the Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course (actually named the Arthur Carter Memorial Golf Course). When the Amsterdam Muni was opened, the Grand Opening included Jones' friends, Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen! The Amsterdam course receives heavy play in a small community in upstate New York. The last stats I saw from the NGF stated the course had over 40,000 rounds a year, which easily surpassed the Leatherstocking in Cooperstown (28,000 rounds).

The game of golf in America has been stagnant for the last five years, based on the number of golfers and rounds played according to the National Golf Foundation and the USGA. This recession is going to lower those figures. If golf is to "rebound", the First Tee graduates must find a way to play. Many of these youngsters have been attracted to golf by the play of Tiger. What a shame if this opportunity to develop future golfers, both boys and girls, is not fully maximized.

[Three Putt]

Great post.

I would be all in favor of using gov'ment money to build modest practice facilities and maybe a 3 or 4 hole practice course, practice green, chipping/pitching green, driving range.....free for disadvantaged youths and their parent or guardian only, open to the public to bring in some revenue towards overhead expenses.

Lord knows how much $$$$$$ this country absolutely, positively.... PISSES AWAY.....each year on pork projects and other bullcrap.

I say we take all the money that goes for the National Endowment for The Arts and roll it into this new program for starters. Also they can take the money they spend on tearing up perfectly fine roads for repaving or widening every year around my area...and put this towards this program.

[Fourputt]

I love the "Adopt a Junior Golfer" ideal. As a retired guy, I'd love to be able to take a youngster out on the course once a week or so to play, work with him, and try to instill in him the ethics of golf and hope he carries that over into his sometimes difficult home life. My home course has an executive 9 and a par three 9 as well as the 18 hole par 72 course, and would be a great place to help a kid advance from the First Tee experience. And since it's a public course he wouldn't feel as out of place as he might at a private club.

[PEZGolf]

I love the "Adopt a Junior Golfer" ideal. As a retired guy, I'd love to be able to take a youngster out on the course once a week or so to play, work with him, and try to instill in him the ethics of golf and hope he carries that over into his sometimes difficult home life. My home course has an executive 9 and a par three 9 as well as the 18 hole par 72 course, and would be a great place to help a kid advance from the First Tee experience. And since it's a public course he wouldn't feel as out of place as he might at a private club.

Thanks for the post. My granddaughter, Ryleigh, is 4 years old and I have taken her to various public golf courses and practice areas for the last two years. Two stories will tell you how much fun she and I have together: 1. Two years ago, after practicing inside with our putting during the winter, I took her to a public course and we went to the practice putting green. I had my camcorder and told her to "put the ball in the hole". She picked her golf ball up, walked to the hole and dropped it in! She raised her arms in celebration for doing what I had said. Then, I told her to "putt the ball in the hole" as she had done inside. She then assumed a normal putting stance and putted the ball. You must be careful what you tell youngsters. They follow your exact instructions! 2. Last year, we went to the practice putting green at the Valley View Golf Course in Utica, NY (owned by the City of Utica). Her little pink golf bag was propped up on its tripod. A senior citizen walked over, asked Ryleigh if it was hers, and if he could borrow it. "No, go buy your own," was her reply. The fellow and his partner cracked up over her blunt response. She loves going to the various golf courses with her Granpa, and really has a good time. She will be a real golfer someday since she has developed a real interest and love of the game.

[Fourputt]

Thanks for the post. My granddaughter, Ryleigh, is 4 years old and I have taken her to various public golf courses and practice areas for the last two years. Two stories will tell you how much fun she and I have together:

Nice story. You're a lucky man.

[PEZGolf]

Nice story. You're a lucky man.

Thanks, and you are right. If children are exposed to a sport when they are young, and encouraged,they will grow up loving that sport. As we all know, two great things about golf is that it is a lifetime sport so an old man like me can play the game with my children or granddaughter, and it can be a reall family sport. Some of my greatest memories are rounds of golf with my son, my daughter, or both of them. It was not only a shared experience, but we discussed family issues while playing and it gave us a chance to do what we otherwise would not have done. Even though my daughter does not play golf anymore because of time constraints, she is happy that I have the time and desire to take Ryleigh to different golf courses and work with her. She knows that her daughter really enjoys it since she talks constantly about i"golf, golf, golf".

[starchuk]

That's an unfortunate situation. I'm not aware of the components of the First Tee system but is the program not simply an introductory course? Maybe the Second Tee isn't really their game plan.

I was fortunate in my junior golf development with 4 memberships to the best courses in the city and access to international tournaments however I remember there were only 3 tournaments per year in my city. If you qualified for the provincial championship and then the Canadian Junior, you could play 5. We now have more tours than ever before both locally and internationally. A junior player can now play 3 tournaments per month, year round if he or she chooses. I know this an opportunity for a Canadian in the US, so is this not a next step for the First Tee?

The most recognized junior program in Canada is the Future Links program. They have 3 levels of instruction which introduces the junior to the swing, the game, and the golf course. At this point, if the player wants to continue with golf, junior memberships, public clinics and camps, and even competition for kids as young as 6.

You're exactly right something has to be done given the economy and even to compete with the hundreds of other options for kids these days. Since the local golf associations are federally funded, maybe the New York Golf Association should start a trend by hiring a Junior Golf Development Manager who's sole purpose is to find more access to junior players, which includes memberships, clinics, camps, tournaments, and golf programs in elementary and high schools.

[PEZGolf]

The idea of a Junior Golf Manager is a good one for the NY State Golf Association. In Central New York, we have the Mohawk Valley Junior Tour, with 9 great tournaments from the end of June until the first week of August. It culminates with an Invitational Championship (the top 10 point earners in each age group and gender get invitations). The junior tournament that we run in memory of my brother Steve has been held since 1979 and has been part of the Tour since 1989 or so. In the Syracuse area, the Central New York PGA District also has a Tour, very similar to ours. Both of these tours provide competitive opportunites for junior boys and girls, and many of its past participants have gone on to do well on college golf teams, and Moira Dunn still plays on the LPGA Tour, and she is a graduate of the Mohawk Valley Junior Tour. My son played on it as well, and then became the #1 player at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, and was an All-American in his junior year for Division 3. Now, he is the Head Pro at that University's golf course, and the Asst. Golf Coach for both men and women. Our Junior Tour helped him to develop his game.

[Guest]

Great Post, just joined this forum. maybe you should check out this new program www.usgll.org