The future of golf

The summer is a very exciting time for aspiring golfers in Massachusetts. After suffering through the winter, Junior Golf opportunities are plentiful during school vacation. This past weekend, MGA Links at Mamantapett hosted its annual Club Championship. The event is a 36-hole tournament over two days, and there is also a Kids Division which is a 9-hole event for golfers under age 10.

The tournament was a resounding success - everyone had a great time out on the course. Congratulations to Louis Dion III, winner of the Junior Division, and Kyzar Joshi, Kids Division Champion.

MGA Links is the home of The First Tee of Massachusetts and is a great place for junior golfers to build their skills and learn the game in a stress-free environment. All summer long, we host camps, clinics, and leagues for junior golfers of any ability level. Memberships are reasonably priced - a junior membership is just $150 for the year!

We definitely have Junior Golf on the brain this week, as the 96th Massachusetts Junior Amateur Championship will take place today through Wednesday. This event has been going on for 100 years (we skipped a few years due to World War I and II) and has some pretty impressive past champions - Ray Ouimet, Fred Wright, Eddie Lowery, James Driscoll, just to name a few.

For a state that has an abbreviated golf season, we have a very strong junior golf program - there are countless opportunities all season for young people to get out on the course and hone their skills. The First Tee of Massachusetts now has four program facilities spread out around the state and provides a life skills curriculum that fosters positive youth development through the game of golf. Just think about the values that are inherent to this game - courtesy and etiquette, patience, perseverance, responsibility - it is such a natural fit. Learn more about The First Tee of Massachusetts

And we can't forget about Drive, Chip and Putt as well! This week there will be the final local qualifier of the season at Granite Links on Wednesday. The regional qualifying stage will be next week at Pinehills, and from there, the qualifiers get to go to a little place called Augusta National next spring. Such a neat opportunity for these young golfers.

Enough can't be said for how much of a difference being involved in activities like golf can make in the life of a young person. That message was really brought home by MGA Links Mom Kim Ryan. She won the Ouimet Fund essay contest last year and her submission was a heartfelt expression of how golf has helped her two sons grow into mature young men. Read it here.

And keep track of the action at the MGA Junior Amateur Championship!