Coaches see benefit of summer golf
"It's absolutely huge because you're not playing with dad, who lets you do two do-overs or mulligans and you're not playing with your buddies where you're totally at ease," said Beck, the boys golf coach at Parkway Central.
"When you have to play by the rules, it's a little different than playing with your dad or your aunt or your buddy," agreed Maulin, the Oakville boys and girls golf coach. "You better be prepared for the rules."The program is gearing up for another summer of action on courses all over the region. Boys and girls ages 6 to 18 can take part in the program every year and more than 600 participants are expected again this summer.
"My entire team plays in it and the incoming freshmen that I know have already been accepted to St. Joe's. It gives them a jumpstart on tryouts," St. Joseph's golf coach Carol Fromuth said. "The kids have said it helps them tremendously and it helps them in summer qualifying for the national tournaments."
Of course, Fromuth is more than just an area coach with an interest in what the Gateway PGA Junior Golf program will do for her golfers. She is also entering her eighth year as director of the program and continues to tout the benefits for all high school golfers in the area.
"The seventh and eighth graders that aspire to play golf in high school need to have this experience because of playing different courses, different situations," Fromuth said. "Good course management skills evolve around that. The experience of tournament golf becomes second-hand to them."
Beck also likes the experience his golfers get in tournament settings.
"You're playing a tournament situation, a lot of pressure and that's what makes you better in situations like (the Webster Cup)," he said. "It teaches them the rules and how to play in tournament pressure, which is invaluable."
Maulin likes the total package the Gateway PGA Junior Golf program gives to members of her squad.
"The competition of it, the atmosphere of it, the experience of it," she said. "Plus, for the girls in the state of Missouri, especially, you go right into the season, which is tremendous.
"Another advantage to this is when you're playing in the summertime, you're gonna hit those courses that you're gonna hit when you're playing competitively on your high school team. And that's really nice because you're not always gonna be on those courses (recreationally), so you get a chance to see that course."
Fromuth has seen many golfers of all different skill levels come through the program, including some top-level players like John Kelly, who recently competed at The Masters, and Scott Langley, the area's most highly-touted prep golfer over the past couple years.
"This is my eighth year, so it's fun to see some of these kids that started when they were real young and they're now playing at the high school level," Fromuth said. "It's really fun to see them progress."
As it has in the past, the program offers clinics and camps and will put on a total of 115 tournaments in June and July. The learning divisions offered include the Mini-nine and Novice-nine, while the competitive program includes the 9-hole, 18-hole and Tour divisions. Two-day Classics tournaments and a variety of one-day National qualifiers are also offered.
Interested golfers can sign up through June 11, which is the date of the final rules and etiquette seminar, something each golfer must attend before teeing it up.
"The big benefit there is to learn the rules, so it helps you to prevent penalties rather than getting them slapped on you," Fromuth said.
After completing the rules seminar, it's on to the links for as much as two months of valuable tournament experience.
"It's the best thing for us. What's really sweet about it is it's almost like the minor leagues, but we don't have to pay for it. There's tons of tournaments at every level, it's really great," Beck said. "I think the biggest plus for the high school coach is, when they go on that first tee, they're not so nervous they're gonna shank it in the woods. It's really valuable that way."
To sign up or get more information about the program call Fromuth at (636) 532-9191 or visit www.gatewaypga.org.
