Got the Golf Bug?

If so, you’re not alone. Minnesota juniors are learning the game and competing in ever greater numbers.

By John Mugford
Photos by Mark Brettingen

Taking up golf as a youngster isn’t what it used to be. A couple of generations ago, many children had limited access to the basics necessary to learn the game, such as tee times at regulation golf courses, clubs that fit properly and helpful instructors. Back then, many juniors learned the game from parents who took them to the golf course only occasionally, or from cut-off-wearing buddies who hacked the ball around the local muni. Many others were self-taught, learning the game by watching adults or by trying to emulate Jack Nicklaus. Goodness, how things have changed—for the better, of course.

Today, parents of any kid who shows an interest in learning the game have myriad options for golf instruction. While paying for private lessons is one choice, it is not always the most economical or practical. A better option, according to many teaching professionals, is to enroll the youngster in a junior golf program, which run the gamut from group lessons, golf camps and junior leagues to junior tournaments for those kids who show some promise and competitive zeal. Most of these options are economical, giving your young player a set of basic skills, a taste of competition and a chance for fun without costing you a fortune. In addition, most junior programs teach young players golf etiquette and rules of the game, which can provide aspiring pros with valuable life lessons.

Picking a Program

Minnesota golf courses provide a wide variety of options for young golfers. For example, throughout much of the summer, Braemar Golf Course in Edina is packed with junior golfers, both beginners and relatively more-experienced players. Braemar’s massive practice range has an area designated for junior group lessons, and its 36 holes include an Executive Nine as well as three nine-hole regulation courses. This setup ensures that the juniors don’t interfere with adults playing a round.

Kids as young as 8 years old can take part in Braemar’s junior programs, which offer tracks for beginners, intermediates and tournament players. Programs include group lessons with a Braemar instructor, and the course supplies junior golf clubs for those new to the game. Those juniors beginning to play at a higher level advance to Braemar’s Junior Golf Development Program, in which they are paired with an instructor who provides lessons, videotaping and on-course training that includes course-management skills.

“We’ve had [so much] success that we have kids who take part [in the program] for three or four years in a row,” says Braemar’s head pro Joe Greupner. “We have a big enough junior program to take a kid from just learning the game all the way to competing on a high school golf team or trying to play golf in college.” Many of Braemar’s best junior players also take individual lessons from the course’s teaching pros. They also play in a variety of summer tournaments sponsored by the Minnesota Golf Association and the Minnesota Section of the PGA (MNPGA).

At Victory Links at the National Youth Golf Center in Blaine, 8,000 to 10,000 youngsters take part in some type of junior golf program each summer. Some come with their YMCA or community center. Others take part in the center’s many group lessons and junior leagues. Even with its diversity of programs and high participation rates, the center still maintains a ratio of at least one instructor per six golf students. “We start our young beginners, those who are 5 and 6, with the big, oversized SNAG [Starting New At Golf] clubs and tennis balls,” says head pro Scott Roth. “We teach them not only how to hit the golf ball but about the etiquette of the game as well.”

As part of The First Tee program, the center provides program scholarships for kids who cannot afford to take up the game. Beginners in The First Tee program advance through various levels of instruction and life skills. Along the way, instructors teach kids how to transfer what they learn about golf into their daily lives. "We hear from many parents who say their child had no real passions in life, certainly not for golf,” Roth says. “But then they say their kids come away from our First Tee program with a real passion for golf. They can see a difference in their behavior, and manners, as well.”

Other well-known local programs include those at Hillcrest Golf Club in St. Paul, Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids, Chaska Town Course and Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Oak Marsh Golf Club in Oakdale and numerous other public and private clubs.

Eat, Sleep, Golf

In addition to junior golf programs that take place over the course of several weeks, a number of Minnesota golf facilities offer day camps that involve three to four days of instruction and activities.
One well-known junior camp is located in the Brainerd Lakes area at Madden’s on Gull Lake, where head golf pro Chris Foley and his staff offer a variety of program options.

The camps at Madden’s are geared toward junior players of all skill levels. At most of the camps, players spend time learning the various aspects of the game before heading out onto the golf course with instructors, Foley says.

In 2008, Foley and company will add yet another option: Madden’s Total Game Improvement Program, a camp for advanced junior players of 12 years and older that includes 10 lessons over the course of the summer. “It’s aimed at junior players who would like to keep improving in order to play in top-level junior tournaments, perhaps even play golf at the college level,” says Foley, the MNPGA Teacher of the Year in 2002. “It’s an individualized program that begins with an assessment of the player’s game, mental golf profile and a look at their physical shape. We zero in on what the player needs to do to improve both physically and mentally, and we hold the players accountable for taking what we tell them and improving in those areas.”

Tournament Time

Junior golfers showing promise have plenty of options to help them improve. Many teaching pros recommend that top-flight junior players get individualized lessons from a PGA teaching pro, and take part in tournaments.

Both the MGA and the MNPGA offer tournaments throughout the summer. The MGA’s junior events employ a team concept: A group of players represent their home golf course, and prizes are awarded in both team and individual categories. The experience is akin to playing on a high school or college team. The MNPGA, for its part, sponsors a series of tournaments for individuals, starting with events for kids as young as 7 years old. There are tournaments for all skill levels, too.

Beginner Tour events are held on par-3 courses, while the MNPGA’s Transition Tour events often are held on nine-hole executive courses. The highest MNPGA tournament level, the Players Tour, holds summer events for competitive golfers at various regulation 18-hole courses throughout the state. In all, the MNPGA conducts about 170 junior tournaments each year.

“We provide competitive tournament experiences for competitors just getting into the game to players who might want to play on high school, or even college, teams,” says Bob Bush, director of junior tournaments for the MNPGA. “Some of the very best players in our section play in national tournaments, and some players would rather stay close to home while still playing in top-level tournaments.”

The MNPGA tournaments are quite economical: A summer membership costs $75, with individual tournaments typically costing no more than $20. “Golf is a great game, and we want to pass it on to juniors and get them started the right way,” says Brent Heit, head pro at Hillcrest GC. “It really is a sport they can play and compete in for the rest of their lives. There are so many good programs and camps and instructors out there to choose from. The key is to just get them started and let them determine if they want to play at a high level or not. Even if they don’t want to play in tournaments, they’re still going to have a lifetime of fun playing the game.” -MG

John Mugford is a freelance writer from Excelsior and a regular MGA contributor.

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