One of the goals in the game of golf: to grow the game through increased youth participation…
Across the nation, a new league designed specifically to do that is taking shape…
(nat sound of putt going in…)
This is just a normal thursday afternoon for 10 year old Luke Baudoin of Lafayette, Louisiana….
sinking putts…
( nat sound of swing)
hitting golf balls…
and, getting instruction from his coach Wetlands Golf Pro David Gary.
Gary, (nat sound “you dont want your hands to work independently from the rest of your body! , yes sir! “)
Luke puts in the work, because just around the corner: another tournament looms for his team in the PGA Junior League.
Luke says “At a time you play two people in a scramble against the other two in a scramble or you can play match play.”
David says, “The whole environment is relaxing, loose, and fun, and that’s how i think it should be. “
The Wetlands Coach and Head Golf Professional David Gary, with the help of his staff, created the Louisiana PGA Junior League, three years ago.
Junior golfers, like Luke, join teams of 10-15 golfers and compete against other golf club teams…
“We played the Le’triomphe, we played against Oakbourne. And you get to play with your friends and other people.”
Luke, is one of growing number of junior golfers playing in this nationwide organization.
At the start of the Louisiana program, just 5-thousand players joined… last season, that number grew to 50-thousand.
Gary says opening the sport of golf up to as many juniors as possible is part of the reason this league exists.
David explains “We try to encourage all players to come out, but we want the kids that have some experience playing 9 holes with a parent or relative to come out, but we don’t discourage kids from coming out.. one of my main jobs here at the wetlands is to promote golf. and that’s what i do. and i like working with the junior golfers, so we try to encourage players that may not be quite ready for the league, to come out and i help with with get ready for golf.”
As for Luke, he stays ready, and looks forward to the 2019 season of the PGA Junior League, saying “I like it because you learn from your mistakes, you learn etiquette, you learn how to treat others…and you come out to the golf course and it’s just beautiful!”
David says it teaches the players a lot, “It’s a character building sport, i think, it promotes honesty, and it promotes friendship and commrodery with friends and family. i see it all the time, and i’ve been in the business 25 years.”
The young man we met in this story, Luke, finished 6th in the Masters Drive, Chip and Putt contest in Louisiana…
His sister, finished 2nd and just missed out on a trip to Augusta National.
For more on the PGA Junior League visit their website, pgajrleague.com
