To make golf appealing to young people, it needs to be fun, said Darryl Muldoon, Golf Operations manager for the POA. Teams make it fun, he said.
This year Bella Vista has a brand new summer golf program for young people. PGA Junior League Golf gives kids from 8 to 13 the golf experience.
Although the program is new to Bella Vista, it's been established for several years in other golf clubs in the area. That means the Bella Vista team can play teams from Shadow Valley Country Club or Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers or the First Tee team in Lowell. At the end of the season, they may move to a regional tournament and play teams from Springdale and Fayetteville. There's also a national tournament.
It's a coed team with 12 members, Muldoon said. The kids play a "best ball" format in pairs and when they are playing, they don't get help from coaches or parents. That means, he said, they have to help each other.
"The scramble (format) promotes teamwork," Angela Robinson said. She was a volunteer scorekeeper while her grandson played.
"It's about unity and working together," she said, but it can be difficult to keep the parents from trying to help their child on the course.
Julie Diehl said her 12-year-old daughter Rachel has been playing about two years. Because both her parents play golf, it was natural that she would have an interest.
"You learn honesty and discipline and you meet great people," Diehl said about golf.
The youngest member of the team, Marlies Dolan, just turned 8, her mother, Wieske Dolan, said. About a quarter of the team is girls, she said. She believes they will find golf a valuable skill if they go into business. Golf provides a lot of networking opportunities, she said.
She's also happy to teach her daughter about the etiquette of golf.
"It's good for them to learn," she said.
"It's good sportsmanship. It's teamwork," Gary Barnett said as he watched his 10-year-old son, Griffin, take practice swings. They are still new to the area, so he's happy his son will have a chance to make friends.
While many adults play golf as individuals, it's a team sport in high school, college and in the Olympics, Burnett pointed out.
On Saturday, Bella Vista played Pinnacle at the Highlands course. Their team of 16 has been playing for about five years, coach Daily Young said. Pinnacle was the victor, 1o to 2.
"We're the youngest team out of the four," Coach Gavin Smith said about the Bella Vista team's record. "The kids are really having fun and that's what it's all about."
General News on 06/21/2017