Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 19

A stable of Minnesota organizations is succeeding at
introducing young people to golf, which is making the
world a better place one golfer, and caddie, at a time.
By John Mugford
I
t wasn't all that long ago when many kids and teenagers
didn't have access to the game of golf. About the only kids
who had a chance to play were those lucky enough to be
members at a country club, or those who had a parent or adult
to introduce them to the game.
There were always a few, of course, who gained their own access
to the local municipal course without a green fee. During
long, lazy summers, many golf courses were rather barren on
weekdays. Some kids, including this writer, found themselves
playing their rounds in non-numeric sequences as far away
from the clubhouse as possible-dictated by a need to avoid
the green-fee collecting ranger.
During the last couple of decades, however, things have
changed quite dramatically, and there's no longer a need for
would-be junior golfers to sneak onto golf courses. More and
more young people here in Minnesota-especially those who
face barriers of all kinds-are being ushered into golf by a
number of non-profi t organizations.
These organizations have what can be described as a twopronged
goal: to grow the game of golf from the ground up
www.mngolf.org
and to make the kids-and in a small way, the world-better
as a result. The kids get lessons about golf and life, get to play
the game on real golf courses and are often supplied with their
own golf clubs.
The Minnesota groups leading the way in this effort include
the Fairway Foundation, the Minnesota Minority Junior Golf
Association, fi ve chapters of The First Tee (Three Rivers Park
District, St. Paul, St. Cloud, Rochester and Minneapolis, which
has kids involved at numerous city courses) and Victory Links
at the National Youth Golf Center in Blaine. Each summer at
Victory Links, thousands of kids take part in a variety of youth
golf programs, including kids who are and are not associated
with The First Tee.
" Anyone who enjoys and appreciates golf for the lifelong
sport that it is-for being a sport that gets you outdoors on
a beautiful day, and for a sport that, at its very heart, is a social
game that involves interacting with others, paying attention
to some rules of etiquette, and following the rules of the
April/May 2009 MINNESOTAGOLFER
17

http://www.mngolf.org

Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009

Contents
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - Cover1
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - Cover2
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 3
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 4
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 5
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 6
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 7
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 8
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 9
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 10
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 11
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 12
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 13
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 14
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 15
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 16
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 17
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 18
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 19
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 20
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 21
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 22
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 23
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 24
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 25
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 26
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 27
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 28
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 29
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 30
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 31
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 32
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 33
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 34
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 35
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 36
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 37
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 38
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 39
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 40
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 41
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 42
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - Cover3
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/digitalextra2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/travel2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/travel2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/directory2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/fall2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/summer2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/mga/spring2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com