04/17/2006

Program introduces kids to golf

TCJGA sponsors the sessions

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe
From left to right, fifth graders Megan Poteet, 11, Bridget Bussell, 10, and Daniel Wilson, 11, practice their chip shot at Immaculate Conception Elementary in Traverse City.

TRAVERSE CITY — Like most 10-year-olds, Jack Puetz likes to watch TV.

But his idea of entertaining programming might vary from his classmates.

Puetz likes to sit down with his father and watch golf. The Masters? That really got him excited.

The fourth-grader at Immaculate Conception enjoys it because he likes playing the game, too.

'I love golf," he said. "It's a great sport."

Puetz was in his element recently when Traverse City Junior Golf Association (TCJGA) instructors arrived at school to introduce students to the game.

Students spent their physical education class putting and chipping with specially-designed equipment, and listening to instructors stress the importance of honesty, integrity, respect, sportsmanship and playing by the rules.

Although he knows the basics of the game, Puetz found the session enlightening.

"I learned how to get the ball up instead of letting it roll when I'm chipping," he said.

For more than three months, a handful of TCJGA instructors have been traveling around the area to 26 elementary schools introducing about 2,500 third, fourth and fifth graders to one of the most popular sports in the Grand Traverse region.

"It's the neatest program," Bob Lober, TCJGA executive director, said. "It's gone over very well."

The In-School Golf Program took off when the association received a grant from the 2 percent fund of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Area students will each receive about two of hours of instruction — four 30-minute classes — when it's all said and done.

"We start off each session talking about the skills of golf that transfer into skills of life — honesty, integrity, respect, sportsmanship, playing by the rules," Dave Dye, a former athletic director and current instructor, said. "We try to connect the two. That's it's more than swinging a golf club."

Once they start swinging, students use clubs designed for gym settings to practice putting and chipping. Instructors offer advice on stance, stroke and follow through.

"It's a unique program," Dye said. "The balls are a size between golf and tennis balls. They're fuzzy and the targets (the students aim at) are Velcro so the ball will stick if they hit it. The kids totally enjoy it."

Joe LeMieux, who also instructs, said it's been an "unbelievable" experience.

"If I could have had this in third or fourth grade back in 1957-58, I would have played a lot more golf," he said. "I think this is just the start because the response has been phenomenal. I see some of these kids when I'm out at Menards or Home Depot and they say, 'I know you. You taught me how to putt. You taught me how to chip.' That's so cool."

The program might be expanded next year to include "more kids at more schools."

The intent, of course, is to build interest in the sport.

"We hope, truthfully, there will be a carryover to our junior golf program," Dye said, "which ultimately will mean schools like Traverse City Christian, St. Francis, Traverse City Central, Traverse City West, Suttons Bay, Leland and Glen Lake will have even better golf teams (in the future). If we can get them interested early, it's going to pay dividends down the road.":

Puetz is among those who's already interested. In fact, he's going to play in the junior program this summer.

A budding golfer of the future?

"I want to be," he said. "But I want to be a lot of things when I grow up."