THUNDER BAY — For some, the sport of golf might seem a bit out of reach to take part in.
For the last three years, a partnership between Golf Canada and RBC has helped to introduce the youth of Thunder Bay to the game during weekly lessons at Whitewater Golf Club.
The First Tee Canada and Youth on Course initiative has seen new golfers between the ages of six through 13 learn the basics of the sport, free of charge, for the course of an hour during the course of eight weeks.
“Basically, it’s introducing the game at a grassroots level and an introductory level to anybody and everybody that may not get the opportunity to ever touch a golf club,” said Chris Gardner, the Class A PGA of Canada teaching professional at Whitewater Golf Club.
“It’s pretty exciting that way.”
While some of the participants might be swinging a club for the very first time, Gardner says that experience from other sports can prove to come in handy.
“Obviously, here in Thunder Bay, we have a lot of kids that are involved with hockey, but whether it be soccer, basketball or any type of athletic sport that they might play, it does kind of branch into golf and makes things a little bit easier,” Gardner added.
“Even if they aren’t in athletics, myself and (First Tee head coach) Susan (Wright Cassan) are able to help the new golfers in a way where they are learning but also having fun at the same time. We really enjoy seeing the outcomes.”
Wright Cassan, who is a PGA pro and also serves as the president of Golf Manitoba, has been involved with the program since Whitewater was chosen as one of the first courses to hold First Tee lessons in 2022.
“It’s sort of like giving back in a way, especially as I started to get involved in golf later in life,” Wright Cassan said.
“The kids here may not take to it right away as they are busy with a variety of other sports, but once they learn the basics, they can come back to it when they are in their 20s or their 30s.”
Wright Cassan said that the feedback from the participants and their parents has been positive since First Tee got underway in Thunder Bay two years ago.
“We have a lot of the parents out here watching each week and then they can go out on the course with their child and really enjoy the game as a family,” Wright Cassan added.
The summer session for First Tee wraps up in a couple of weeks, but the fall lessons are expected to get underway in the middle of September.
The sign-up process, which is free of charge, will be posted on Whitewater’s social media pages in the coming days.
“It’s been a bit of a slow process as we explained a bit about what First Tee is all about, but we’ve definitely gained some momentum and now we have organizations and associations in Thunder Bay that know what we do and the word of mouth is getting out,” Gardner said.
“That’s making things a little bit easier for us to connect with other communities and groups in the area who may be interested in trying golf.”
