On April 25th, Innisfil Creek Golf Club and Golf Ontario visited Cookstown Central Public School to teach their students about golf. In celebration of the ‘Adopt a School’ program, every time this year Innisfil Creek brings in a pro alongside Golf Ontario to get the youth in their area more comfortable with the sport.The day consists of teaching the students proper golf stance, how to putt, chip, drive, and even what to do when someone yells ‘fore’.
“What do you do when you hear someone yelling that there’s a golf ball coming at you?” asked one of the instructors.
“Try and catch it?” responded one of the students. It was safe to say that this was quickly corrected.
With five different classes coming in at different time slots, the day was packed with fun. Skills were quickly developed and excitement grew more and more with every class.
“It’s such a treat to be around the children, and seeing them have a good time,” said Nick Torkos, owner of Innisfil Creek Golf Club. “It’s a beautiful thing to see such a great response.”
The ‘Adopt a School’ program was made to partner golf clubs with schools, so that they can introduce the sport to younger demographics and build interest from a young age. Clubs pay a $500 fee and Golf Ontario matches the club with a nearby school. Golf Ontario and the partnered club then host events on a yearly basis to introduce and promote the sport to the students. Not to mention, the school gets to keep a set of practice clubs and balls to use during recess.
“We’ve been a part of this initiative for five years, and when we first heard about the program, we were really excited,” said Torkos. “We felt that the golf industry had not done enough to promote golf at these younger levels.” Torkos explained that most camps at golf courses don’t start until the ages of eleven, so it’s hard to get the younger ages invested in the sport.
Children develop interests much earlier than the age of eleven, so when they become old enough to join the camps, they have already developed other hobbies that take up their time. Therefore, visiting them at an earlier age at their schools will develop an interest at an earlier age, and promote the sport for years to come.
The program relies on courses like Innisfil Creek to deliver the program. Innisfil has developed deep connections with their sponsored schools, visiting them twice a year and providing them opportunities throughout the summer, which is what the program is all about.
Photos from the day can be found here.
Ryan MacKenzie
rmackenzie@gao.ca
