FAITH GOUGE, 9, works with Carl Compton in the chipping area at The Dalles Country Club. For eight weeks, nearly 100 youths from across the gorge assemble to work on the finer points of their golf games from chipping, putting and driving.
FAITH GOUGE, 9, works with Carl Compton in the chipping area at The Dalles Country Club. For eight weeks, nearly 100 youths from across the gorge assemble to work on the finer points of their golf games from chipping, putting and driving.
The name of the game is golf, and The Dalles Country Club Professional Amy Wilson is using her platform to give youths from ages 5-17 an opportunity to learn the intricacies of the game through an eight-week camp.
Under the direction of Wilson, The Dalles Junior Golf Program includes 110 youths, who practice and hone their skills in groups of various skill levels every Tuesday morning from 7 a.m. to noon at the club.
“This is a very good program in which we can help kids develop into good golfers,” said Wilson, who is running the camp on her own for the first time this year. “We try to teach them what we can, but our main goal is to try to get them interested in the sport by introducing them to golf. It’s up to them how far they want to go, but I see a lot of potential out here.”
Whether it is chipping, putting, driving or course and player etiquette, Wilson and her camp instructors Bailey Ortega, Megan Kendall, Carl Compton, Tyler Vassar and Thomas Richardson, to name a few, have been working diligently in preparing youngsters at the ground floor to develop a love of the sport.
“It is amazing that the club offers this for the kids,” said Haley Currie, mother of Colton, from Vancouver, Wash. “You see them learn all about the game and how to get better. My son cannot wait until Tuesdays to come out here. He just loves the sport and I think the staff here gives him a chance to have a love of the sport, so he will want to play as he gets older.”
While in the chipping area, Pauline Tamblyn, out of Issaquah, Wash. and aunt to Mosier residents and seven-year old triplets Amira, Anneliese and Reid, talked about seeing the smiles on the faces of these young golf mavens.
Building confidence is the most important thing she sees from the camp and its instrcutors.
“There is nothing better than to see their eyes light up when they figure out a shot or they see all the teaching lead to good results,” Tamblyn said. “It is great to have these programs available for kids during the summer. You want to see them active when school is out, and golf is just one of those outlets.”
Two more weeks of regular camps remain, and then athletes will compete in a club championship on Aug. 11.
The Junior Golf Program concludes Aug. 18 with an awards banquet at the club consisting of a pizza dinner, swimming, games and all the kids will receive a trophy.
One game features a larger-than-life blowup Golfzilla monster that the golfers try to hit targets to win prizes.
Parents can sign their kids up for the eight-week camp program in May 2016.
“The feedback we have been getting is great. Everyone, the parents, the kids and instructors are enthusiastic about golf,” Wilson said. “That’s what the biggest joy of all of this is.”
Call the pro shop at 541-296-5252 for information on upcoming events or to schedule a tee time.
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