Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009 - 23

" A few years ago, we tried to make it free
for any kids who would have trouble paying, "
says Goodlow. " But since we started
that raffl e and had the kids sell tickets to
pay their own way, very few have left the
program. In fact, many of the kids who stay
with us for a number of years come back after
they're done and help the younger kids.
This program has really helped a lot of kids,
probably in ways that we don't even see or
hear about. But we do hear from parents
who appreciate what golf and the program
have meant for their children. "
When kids in the Fairway Foundation
are not learning about golf, or out golfi ng
with their fellow participants, they're taking
part in off-season and in-season programs
that touch on such topics as drugs
and other teen issues. Similar to The First
Tee program, the Fairway Foundation has
kids progress through a series golf and life
skills. The Club level is for newcomers,
while the Junior Tigers and Tigers are for
those with more experience.
While there have been many success stories,
Goodlow points to one young man as
an example of what the Fairway Foundation
can do. " Desmond Calloway is one
young man from the north side of Minneapolis
who participated in the Fairway
Foundation in the mid- to late-90s, " says
Goodlow. " Without the Fairway Foundation,
he probably would never have gotten
involved in golf. Well, he went to Kansas
State University and now is in aviation.
In fact, just last spring he was graduating
from aviation school and will move on to
become a pilot. And, he's come back each
summer while in college to help us out. "
While the aforementioned programs emphasize
getting kids involved in playing
golf, the Minnesota Minority Junior Golf
Association (MMJGA) gets kids involved
in caddieing, which, in turn, often gets
them involved in playing the game. Caddieing,
as the program's leaders point out,
is a good way for kids to learn life skills
and earn some good money as well.
" We've really got something exciting
going here, " says founder and executive
director F. Clayton Tyler, a Minneapolis
attorney. " Each year, we take about 50 kids,
mostly from the inner city, and get them
www.mngolf.org
involved in the caddie programs at some
of the private golf clubs here in the Twin
Cities, including Golden Valley Golf and
Country Club, Minikahda Club, Minneapolis
Golf Club and Oak Ridge Country
Club. It's meant so much to so many
kids. It brings them into an environment
in which they are totally unfamiliar and
teaches them to feel comfortable in that
environment, which gives them lots of selfesteem. "
In addition, the teens learn how
to work hard for fi nancial gains-they can
make up to $4,000 per summer. As noted,
they also learn about golf.
" It's interesting that while the idea was
to get the kids involved in caddieing, many
of them have also gone on to play some
golf at a higher level, " says Tyler. " But that
makes sense, because many great golfers
learned about the sport through caddieing.
But most important, they learn about
life and can make some good connections
with some important people. "
The organization is working on forming
a closer partnership with the Evans
Scholars Foundation, which provides full
college scholarships to good caddies with
solid grades and a fi nancial need. Tasha
Phillips, who started caddieing through the
MMJGA at age 12, became the fi rst female
minority caddie to receive an Evans Scholarship,
according to Tyler. She's currently a
junior at the University of Minnesota majoring
in African-American studies.
On the MMJGA's website, Tasha, who
played golf in high school, is quoted as saying:
" At fi rst, I didn't like caddieing; it was a
lot more work than I thought it would be.
But then, I really started liking it. I got paid
to be outside and get exercise, and I started
meeting people my own age who were interested
in the same things I was. "
While the many junior programs here
in Minnesota have produced some fi ne
golfers, that's certainly not their main
goal. Most of the kids involved will improve
their chipping and approach shots,
but more important, their lives. MG
John Mugford is a Minnesota writer and
frequent contributor to Minnesota Golfer.
Turn the page for a list of
Junior Programs slated for
this summer.
April/May 2009 MINNESOTAGOLFER
21
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2009

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