U.S. Kids Golf Foundation buys golf course, to build youth academy

 

SOUTHERN PINES, North Carolina – The U.S. Kids Golf Foundation is buying a local course with plans to establish a national youth golf academy.

The Georgia-based foundation has agreed to buy Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines from Bob Erickson of Tampa, Florida. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

U.S. Kids plays its teenage and children world championships on 13 golf courses in the Pinehurst and Southern Pines area each year. The organization will celebrate its 10th anniversary playing in the area this year.

Longleaf is one of the courses played each year during the championships. About 2,200 golfers from more than 50 countries are expected to play in this year's championships.

U.S. Kids plans to open a national academy at Longleaf to test ideas about how to teach golf to young people, said Dan Van Horn, founder and CEO of U.S. Kids Golf. He said the organization has trained about 1,700 golf professionals how to teach golf to kids over the last three years.

"In the industry, there's not much training for younger kids," he said. "What exists in golf now is mainly for high school golfers and above."

The key for teaching younger golfers is keeping it fun, Van Horn said. The group has developed games that teachers can use to make sure golf stays enjoyable, he said.

"Games-based learning seems to be working really well," he said.

Van Horn said U.S. Kids wants parents to participate.

"We want the parents to be involved with their kids," he said. "We want them to play golf together."

People generally take up golf when they get older, Van Horn said.

"Most of golf is traditionally men and older ladies," he said. "We want to integrate kids and families."

The U.S. Kids' golf academy will attract families to the area, said Peter Dejak, president of Signet Golf, which manages Longleaf. Parents can play golf courses in the area while their children are learning to play, he said.

The academy will help Longleaf expand its membership base, Dejak said. The club's membership is now geared toward middle-aged and senior golfers.

"This will allow us to grow a family-type membership," he said.

The members at Longleaf are excited to volunteer at the academy, Dejak said.

"I think it will bring a lot of opportunity for our membership," he said. "I think it will be a lot of fun for them, as well."

Longleaf's golf course was designed by Dan Maples and opened in 1988. It was built on a former horse training estate and includes white fences, rail posts and hedgerows.

Dejak said the academy is expected to enhance the practice facility at Longleaf. Some additional tee boxes likely will be installed on the course for younger golfers, he said.

Van Horn said young golfers need shorter holes. U.S. Kids officials have learned how long a course should be for kids, he said.

The academy also will likely install some additional putting greens at Longleaf, Van Horn said. U.S. Kids hopes the academy will become a model for similar facilities.

"We'll make it fun," he said. "Hopefully, people will come and enjoy it."

This article was written by Steve DeVane from The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.