Michigan Golf Journal October 2018

Youth on Course ŽƵƌƐĞ ƉŝĐŬƐ ƵƉ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞƌĞ͕ ŐŝǀŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂLJĞƌƐ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ĂīŽƌĚĂďůĞ ŐŽůĨ͘ “We teach life skills, ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͕ ĐŽƌĞ values, a healthy lifestyle, and at the end, we’d like the kids to become golfers,” says Lisa tŽŽĚĐŽdž͕ ĞdžĞĐƵƟǀĞ ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ of The First Tee of Detroit. However, she notes, the cost ŽĨ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ĨĞĞƐ ĐĂŶ ďĞ Ă ůŝŵŝƟŶŐ factor. ͞tĞ ĐĂŶŶŽƚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŽŶͲ course access for all of our ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ͕͟ ƐŚĞ ƐĂLJƐ͘ ͞zŽƵƚŚ ŽŶ ŽƵƌƐĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ĂŶ ĂīŽƌĚĂďůĞ ĂǀĞŶƵĞ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ŽƵƚ on the golf course and actually ĞŶũŽLJ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ Ă ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞ͘͟ >ĂƐƚ LJĞĂƌ͕ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ ƚŽŽŬ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ϯ͕ϬϬϬ rounds of discounted golf. The rounds have doubled this season. And it’s making a ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂƚĞ͘ ͞tĞ͛ƌĞ ǀĞƌLJ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶĂƚĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ũƵŶŝŽƌ ŐŽůĨ ŚĞƌĞ ŝŶ <ĂůĂŵĂnjŽŽ͕ and Youth on Course was a ŐƌĞĂƚ Įƚ ĨŽƌ ŽƵƌ ĨĂĐŝůŝƚLJ͕͟ ƐĂLJƐ Dean Marks, a PGA of America Professional. “We’ve seen an increase in sales for sure. ͞'ĞƫŶŐ ƚŚŽƐĞ ŬŝĚƐ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJ extra rounds outside of our ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ǀĞƌLJ ďĞŶĞĮĐŝĂů ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ĨŽƌ ƵƐ ďƵƚ / think all the area courses.” dŚĞ ' D &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͛Ɛ zŽƵƚŚ ŽŶ ŽƵƌƐĞ ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ ŝƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ŝŶ ůĞĂƉƐ ĂŶĚ ďŽƵŶĚƐ͘ EĂƟŽŶĂůůLJ͕ ƐƚĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŐŝŽŶĂů ŐŽůĨ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉƐ ŚĂǀĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ϭϮϬ