Page 15 - 2018 Golf Guide

13 and under wear team jerseys and compete against each other in a nine-hole scramble format designed to hone skills and familiarize players with everything from course etiquette to scoring protocols. “It introduces kids to the game in a fun, social atmosphere,” Mackie says. “The format takes the pressure off them and allows them to play with friends.”
Competitive opportunities have also been growing steadily for several years. The Philadelphia Junior Tour offers about 90 events throughout a six-month season for all levels. There are 18- and nine-hole competitions over one day, along with more intense 36-hole events over two days. These give golfers a chance to improve their regional and national rankings.
The Philadelphia PGA offers four major tournaments each year: the Junior PGA Championship; the Harry Hammond Invitational, for golfers who are heading to college; the Jon M. Pritsch Cup, against golfers from the New Jersey PGA Section; and the Junior Tour Championship, an invitation-only event for the area’s top golfers. In Delaware, the marquee event
is the Junior Championships, held last
year at Deerfield Golf Club in Newark. Competition can be fierce—and with that comes a problem other youth sports face. “There are some crazy parents out there,” says Nye. “A lot of times, the rules keep parents a certain amount of yards away from their kids. But when they get crazy, it can be brutal. But it’s important to know that most are great and keep their distance.”
High-level competition is great
for established golfers, but if the golf community wants to groom future players—and let’s face it, club members— it must create grassroots programs, too. One such endeavor is the GAP-sponsored Pre-Junior Event, open to kids 11 and under whose families are members of GAP-affiliated clubs. The day includes a presentation of game rules and a sample hole of golf designed to introduce different
shots, caddying specifics and more. The youngsters play six holes, and the day ends with a barbecue.
Then there’s the First Tee, a youth development organization that introduces the sport to young people in Greater Philadelphia and Delaware, teaching the game through its “Nine Core Values,” among them honesty, integrity, perseverance and courtesy.
Delaware State Golf Association executive director Bill Barrow says the DSGA is working toward introducing
a program called Youth on Course, administered by the Golf Association
of Philadelphia. Based in Northern California, Youth on Course allows juniors to play at a variety of courses for only $5, with the Northern California Golf Association picking up the difference. After 18 months, the onus would be on the local PGA chapter to provide the necessary funding. The NCGA also offers internships and scholarships.
The PGA’s Golf in Schools initiative is introducing the game throughout the region by providing a curriculum for physical education teachers. “They use
The PGA's Golf in Schools program.
equipment made for indoor purposes,” says the PGA’s Mackie. “There are plastic clubs and tennis balls. The goal is to teach them the basics.”
Since 2013, the Drive, Chip and Putt competition—founded by the PGA, the United States Golf Association and the Masters Tournament—has afforded boys and girls ages 7-15 the opportunity to test their skills in the game’s three primary disciplines. The free program produces local age-group qualifiers, who have
the chance to move on to regional and national levels. “We get more people every year,” Mackie says.
Though golf associations don’t have direct authority over high school play, they do help promote it by working with local clubs to allow teams to compete on their courses. Merion alone is home to seven teams, including those at the Agnes Irwin School, the Baldwin School, the Episcopal Academy (boys and girls), Friends’ Central School (boys), Haverford High School (boys), and the Haverford School. “Access is a challenge for a lot of schools, especially since more of them have girls’ teams than before,” Nye says.
And if all of that organized golf activity isn’t enough, private and public clubs throughout the region offer clinics, special rates, lessons and tournaments designed for young players. One example is Delaware’s Newark Country Club, which has a new program open to all currently enrolled high school and college students, offering fees of just $200 per semester or $500 for the year.
“It can be confounding, and the network can be overwhelming,” admits Mark Peterson, executive director of the Golf Association of Philadelphia. “But when you find the best situation for your child, it becomes easier and rewarding.”
And a great way to get kids outside for a few hours.
Jim Finnegan contributed to this story.
(Opposite page and above) Young players in the PGA Jr. League
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