Summer is a time for learning

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 6, 2007

With summer vacation just around the corner, many parents will be looking for ways to keep their kids occupied and entertained in the coming months.

We suggest giving them a set of golf clubs.

New, used or borrowed, it doesn’t matter. Just get the youngsters some clubs, get them out to a golf course, and then let the game work its magic.

Golf courses around Snohomish County have fine summer programs for kids every year, and this year will be no exception. For very reasonable fees, youngsters can learn a game they can enjoy this summer and then continue to play for the rest of their lives.

“In the Pacific Northwest, golf is a year-round opportunity for anybody,” said Travis Kane, general manager at Everett’s Legion Memorial Golf Course. “But the summertime are the months that children are available to participate in camps and clinics because of their school schedules.

“So this is a good opportunity for them if they are brand new at the game, or even if they’re experienced and they want to get more education and improve. Either way, they can have a good time.”

Everett’s two public courses – Legion Memorial on the city’s north end and Walter E. Hall Memorial Golf Course to the south – offer two programs that are designed for both beginning golfers and for those who have already learned the basics of the game.

First are the junior golf camps, which are scheduled throughout the summer. The camps are for kids ages 8-17 and include three hours of instruction a day for three consecutive days, plus a hat and food.

The camps are June 26-28, July 17-19 and Aug. 7-9 at Legion Memorial; and July 25-27 and Aug. 22-24 at Walter Hall.

The cost for the camps is $70, with signups through the Everett Parks and Recreation Department (425-257-8300).

Everett also offers kids the chance to learn and improve at the game through the Joe Richer Junior Golf Club. The club offers junior golf clinics throughout the summer, with separate classes for kids 8-11 and for those 12 and older.

Classes are on Saturdays (they actually began in April) and begin with an orientation session, followed by two clinics. The cost is $20, and kids can then take additional clinics if they desire.

Those youngsters who have successfully completed the orientation session, two clinics, and then passed a rules test are eligible to participate in Joe Richer Junior Golf Club Tournaments, which continue through the end of September.

To sign up for the club, you can go to the everettgolf.com Web site and print an application, which can then be returned to either of Everett’s two public courses. Applications also are available at the golf courses.

Many courses in the county offer similar programs for kids, so contact any nearby course to find out what programs are available.