Young golfers get a free feel of the game

LIHU‘E — Mary Bea Porter King said perhaps one of the future college golf players were among the crowd Saturday at the free Hawai‘i State Junior Golf Day event at Puakea Golf Course.

Nearly three dozen young golfers turned out at the Puakea Golf Course, one of two sites where the event was being held on Kaua‘i, with a lot of the golfers showing up Saturday morning.

“There are more golfers at the Princeville Makai Golf Club,” Porter-King said. “They registered online and according to those numbers, there are more at Princeville.”

Porter-King said the free Golf Day was being held at 13 select golf courses throughout the state.

“We have about 600 young golfers taking part in this introductory event to the game of golf,” Porter-King said. “This is the future of the game.”

Youngsters between the ages of 5 through 17 years old were introduced to the game of golf through four stages, including the Starting New at Golf, the putting course, long game and short game, where golf professionals from Kaua‘i’s golf programs converged to help the aspiring golfers.

“We never had anything like this when I started,” said Craig Sasada, the golf professional from the Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course. “I wonder where I would be today if there was this kind of program.”

During the event, golfers were given an opportunity to sign up for the Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association program and parents were offered a “Roadmap to Junior Golf,” an informative flier where children can register for the junior golf program.

The goal of the Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association is to provide an environment where its junior members can enjoy the game of golf, progressing at his or her own rate while promoting and preserving the traditions and integrity of the game of golf.

Visit www.kjga.org for registration or information on the Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association.

• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.