Golf Peoria's Youth Movement - youth golf programs

Parks & Recreation, June, 1999 by William P. Woolard, Meridith L. Zucco

Over the past few years, the world of junior golf has made its impression upon nearly everyone in the golf industry. Young people have been coming to the game more enthusiastically than ever, and many organizations have begun to take notice. In Peoria, Ill., the Peoria Park District has always placed great emphasis on developing a variety of junior programs for young golfers ages 3 to 17.

The park district strove to develop a multidimensional golf program to fit a community in which 57 percent of the children in the public-school system live below the poverty level; where two years ago a free bus-pass system, known as the Sun-Fun program, was introduced; where youthful enthusiasm may be captured; and where socioeconomically disadvantaged participants may be introduced to a new game.

Golf is a wholesome lifetime activity that directly benefits the young people of any community. When people are introduced to the game at a young age, they will generally return to the sport as adults, whether or not they continued to play throughout their formative years.

Getting Your Head in the Game

Six years ago, Peoria's Golf Master Plan identified the need for an enhanced golf learning experience, which prompted immediate investigation of existing facilities and budget planning. As planning developed and time passed, several areas that needed to be addressed were identified. The present range and teaching facilities in Peoria had been outgrown. As was the case with most of the rest of the world, the interest in golf had skyrocketed in this north-west-central Illinois community. And finally, junior programming was growing by leaps and bounds. Many of Peoria's junior programs were filled to capacity, and the lack of available time at the existing five golf courses was limiting potential growth.

With these challenges in mind, the Peoria Park District set out to increase the skill level and diversity of its customers and to encourage play from new target groups, which included youth, minorities, those with physical disabilities, and the financially disadvantaged. The community's diverse socioeconomic profile presented an opportunity to introduce golf to these new target audiences and to provide programs to children who face both physical and financial challenges.

The Peoria staff contacted Carl Donner, program administrator for the United States Golf Association Foundation. Donner encouraged them to apply for a grant to assist with the development of their academy, which is dedicated to increasing diversity and programming for the community's socioeconomically disadvantaged youth.

Together, the Peoria Park District and the USGA could build an outstanding and unique facility that would introduce a new dimension of golf learning to the region. The new facility would also serve as a demonstration site for other communities facing similar challenges. Because Peoria is a crossroads of cultural and economic diversity, it serves as an ideal testing ground. Always a good demonstration base for innovative programs, the multidimensional community inspired the phrase, "Will it play in Peoria?"

The park district was awarded a 8100,000 grant for its youth golf programs and project. Representatives from the USGA were extremely helpful throughout the grant process, which reaffirmed the organization's commitment to the growth, preservation, and protection of the game of golf. Peoria Park District junior programs such as Hook A Kid on Golf, First Swing, Detweiller Drivers children's golf club, and lessons, now offered at remote sites, will be implemented at the soon-to-be-completed Golf Peoria Learning Center and Academy. The center will allow for the expansion of these existing programs as well as encourage new program development and enhancement of programs offered at the other five golf course facilities.

Upon its completion, the Golf Peoria Learning Center and Academy will include all-weather indoor and outdoor playing facilities, a large outdoor putting green, practice sand bunkers, a nine-hole pitch and putt course, and much more. A separate area has been constructed on the driving range to permit lessons and general range play. The driving range itself will consist of re-created hole layouts, which will allow players to actually place shots, instead of having to imagine a dogleg. The pitch and putt course will be ideal for junior play, with movable tees and no holes longer than 100 yards. Overall, the academy should be one of the most innovative and exciting facilities in the area, and the junior programming should benefit greatly from its construction.

Peoria Juniors

The Peoria Park District offers a number of different junior programs designed to introduce youth to all phases of the game of golf. Many of the programs have been in place for more than 20 years, while others, introduced only recently, are proving very successful. A number of the program offerings have inspired offshoots, and the district continues to expand by creating new programs based on public suggestions and needs. Descriptions of some of the more successful programs follow.