August 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 57

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SNAG Some New Players
access for everyone and to reduce bias. " Golf carts
cost $25 a year, and tee times are open for anyone-
including visitors and travelers.
LA's municipal courses also offer a wide variety
of player development programs, which are promoted at the 135 park and recreation centers distributed
across the city. One particular area of focus is introducing golf to children, and LA municipal courses offer a variety of programs to establish interest in the
game. If a young player shows particular interest,
there are affordable after-school classes offered at
municipal courses year-round. According to Ward,
the Junior Golf Program picks up inner-city children
from all levels and backgrounds, and teaches both
the rules and etiquette of the game while allowing
valuable practice time. At the Tregnan Golf Facility, a state-of-the-art training and practice facility designed primarily for youth, students can " learn the
game of golf, have fun, and be safe. "
LA municipal courses are also an example of effective use of the PGA's and United States Golf Association's " Tee It Forward " program. Tee It Forward,
as described by the PGA, " encourages all golfers to
play the course at a length that is aligned with their
average driving distance. " PGA of America President Allen Wronowski anticipates that " by moving
up to another set of tees, golfers will experience an
exciting, new approach to the game that will produce
more enjoyment and elevate their desire to come
back and play even more golf. "
Currently, all LA municipal nine-hole courses
and three of the 18-hole facilities incorporate the forward tees, though Ward says the program will soon
be featured at each of the seven 18-hole municipal
golf courses. Ward hopes that Tee it Forward will
help " keep things fresh " while encouraging people
to play to the caliber of their games without the stigma of traditional tees. The markers themselves have
been in place in some LA facilities for about a year
and a half, though the full program pushing the forward tees has been promoted for about four months.
Ward has already noted a difference: " More people
are using the forward tees. It encourages shorter,
faster family game play. "
From programs like Tee it Forward to increased
programming for children, Golf 2.0 goes beyond
mere marketing: The campaign seeks ultimately to
change the public face of golf. This change reflects
a radical change in the ethos of the sport itself-one
that focuses on golf as a fun, dynamic activity accessible to families, teenagers, and golfers of all levels
and backgrounds.
Haley Adams is a freelance writer from Northern

Virginia.

Starting New at Golf focuses on " having fun while
learning golf " for children and adults, and allows learners to
play in nearly any open space-beaches, fields, and gyms
are all examples of venues suggested by SNAG. While a full
set of clubs consists of fourteen clubs, SNAG uses only two,
and a ball approximately the size of a tennis ball. Learners,
then, can grasp the basic mechanics of a golf swing without
having to acclimate to a full club set. Basically, SNAG
streamlines the learning process and eases the new learner
into game play by eliminating the frustration of having to
absorb the full complexities of golf all at once.
Beginner programs like SNAG complement Golf 20/20's
mission statement-and, by extension, the aims of Golf 2.0
in general: The new face of golf is about having fun. It's
okay, Golf 20/20 argues, " to play golf just for fun, " whether that's by hitting the same club most of the round, talking and joking with family and friends, using team play
and scrambles, or simply picking up and enjoying the outdoors. By making the learning process easy, SNAG helps
to make golf fun even for the rawest beginners.
-Haley Adams

Golf 2.0
goes beyond
mere marketing:
The campaign seeks
ultimately to change
the public face of golf.
Wilson Municipal Golf Course, Los Angeles
www.NRPA .ORG

AUGUST 2011

Parks & Recreation 55

August 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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