NAWILIWILI — Scott Ashworth, Director of Golf for the Kaua‘i Lagoons, said if it wasn’t for this program, these children would not be exposed to the game of golf. Ashworth was on hand with three other Kaua‘i Lagoons professionals —
NAWILIWILI — Scott Ashworth, Director of Golf for the Kaua‘i Lagoons, said if it wasn’t for this program, these children would not be exposed to the game of golf.
Ashworth was on hand with three other Kaua‘i Lagoons professionals — Kendrick Kimizuka, Marvin Terade and Kenneth Kimura as they each accompanied a student group from the Kaua‘i Economic Opportunity golf program that has been meeting weekly for the past several months.
“When we started, there were 25 kids,” Ashworth said. “After working with them for six weeks, we broke them down into groups of six to eight golfers for more individualized instruction.”
The program was launched through the combined efforts of Mary Bea Porter King, the Hawai‘i State Junior Golf Association and a grant which allowed clients of KEO to learn the game of golf.
Each of the players was provided with a set of clubs through the program.
“We’ve just finished with the 2009 Hawai‘i Callaway Junior World Qualifier and there were a lot of good golfers coming through here,” Ashworth said. “This kind of KEO program allows young people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to become acquainted with golf.”
During the initial meetings, Ashworth said he and his staff walked the course with the students, teaching them proper golf etiquette, protocol as well as identifying the different terms used in the game.
That was followed by “more serious” instruction where students were taught how to hold their clubs, perform various swings and address the different golf course situations.
In the more individualized segment, each Kaua‘i Lagoons pro accompanied a group in actually playing a hole, putting into practice the various techniques and skills they learned in the basic phase.
“We’re lucky that we have a hole we don’t use as part of the normal course that we can use at the practice facility,” Ashworth said. “This gives the kids the feeling of real golf.”
During the ongoing construction at Kaua‘i Lagoons, the practice facility and driving range have been relocated from its familiar location to an area closer to the Ninini Point access road.
Kimura said the program will be wrapping up next week and involves students from both Chiefess Kamakahelei and Kapa‘a middle schools.
“When these kids started the program, there were a lot of them who had never been on a golf course in their life,” Ashworth said. “They’ve come a long way since then. After working with them, it’s been a lot of fun for us.”
