By Brian Freiberger
With birds chirping during a cool summer morning in early July, the Indian Run Golf Club hosted its annual Junior Golf Clinic for all ages. The four-day camp taught safety and proper technique. It also taught the children to have fun, according to Ruben Rosalin, Indian Run junior golf director.
Instead of hitting golf balls right away, Rosalin had them hitting tennis balls with their clubs to one another to teach hand-eye coordination. Once participants were learning how to hit, it was time to teach them the proper stance and swing: balanced with bent knees, a straight back and naturally dangling arms that allows proper space between the ball and the player.
“I like teaching. I’ve always enjoyed it and when they asked me, I said why not,” said Rosalin, who has been teaching the program for four years.
Each day participants learned how to use irons, drivers, and putters leading up to a three-hole round of golf on the course to finish the clinic. “They liked it a lot. For some kids, it’s a good experience to get them on the actual golf course and teach them the rules and prepare them for a league,” said Rosalin.
Every Monday in July there was a junior golf league. “Kids who do the league remember more of the basics, and they refer back to the lessons,” said Rosalin.
The clinic also focused on consistency, accuracy and power.
First was tic-tac-toe, where the player hits the ball into squares on a patterned blanket. Following that was a target 30 yards away, requiring players to stay within a 10-foot-wide fairway while approaching the target. Last was a station from which participants chipped balls onto a designated spot on the green.
Kyle O’Brien, a senior at Vicksburg High, assisted Rosalin. For him, teaching the game is a passion. “Now that I have enough experience, I want to help out the younger kids and teach them a game that I love.”
Indian Run Golf Course is located at 6359 RS Ave East, Scotts. A second session of the clinic will be held August 14-18 starting at 10 a.m. For registration contact (269) 327-1327.