Is Golf In Schools Reaching All The Kids Possible? (Part 1 of 2)

Golf in Schools

EDMONTON, Alberta (Gord Montgomery/iG) — If there is a problem with the national Golf In Schools (GIS) program in certain parts of the country, it would seem to be one of delivering the program in a sustainable way.

That simple fact in introducing the game to youngsters has become an issue in some locales including parts of Alberta and Ontario. The largest problem seems to be having the professionals involved in the sport buying into the school program, generally taught in the off-season or in the early spring. It’s a sort of Catch-22 for many young golf pros who need full-time work in the off-season and thus don’t have the time, or don’t want to use an off-day during the season, for no monetary return. Yet by not offering this learn-to-do program, their business may be affected in the years to come.

The latest stats from Golf Canada say 234 new schools were introduced to the GIS program in 2016 with an average of 120 kids per school. Their numbers also say that since its inception in 2006, over 3,200 schools with more than 380,000 participants nationwide have taken part in the Golf in Schools program. Some of those numbers are derived from Alberta, where 340 schools have signed up to participate but, by looking at the same stats it appears many more schools could become involved.

So, what’s the solution to the problem of spreading the love for this game in making sure more schools are involved? Off the top it appears that a large reason for some schools not buying into the idea would be a lack of trained professional golf staff and/or program-trained school teachers who want to provide the necessary introductory instruction.

However, it seems there may be a sustainable way to put this school gymnasium-based learn-to-play program in front of school kids without having professional golfers, or even school staff involved. All it takes is someone who has the motivation, and a lot of enthusiasm, for passing on the love of this game.


A Shot Showing a Fenwick, Ontario Youngster Getting Into The Swing Of Things Thanks To The Golf In Schools Program Being Introduced By Carrie Julie, A Trained Volunteer Instructor.

The best case is how Carrie Julie, from the Sawmill Golf Course in Fenwick, Ont., has taken this particular challenge on. While she works as Sawmill’s general manager, she is not a golfer. Yet under her leadership around 1,000 youngsters from Grades 2 through 5 at six different schools in her community have swung into action using the Golf Canada program — without any professional assistance.

Hearing that it’s been tough in Alberta to get professional golfers into schools on a wholesale basis to teach this course, Julie said, “We are finding the exact same thing. What I did was, honest-to-goodness, found out the principal’s name at each school and sent emails,” enquiring about interest in such a program run by volunteer help. “I got six ‘Yes’ responses back and they all asked how soon I could get there,” Julie, who was trained by a CPGA professional in the GIS program, explained.

One of the school principals Carrie reached out to was Jennifer DeCoss from St. Anne Catholic Elementary School. In a phone interview, DeCoss was effusive in her praise of the program.

“I honestly thought it was a fantastic opportunity for our community; it suited our community perfectly. It fit in beautifully with our community.”

As to not having a golf professional head up the program in her school, relying instead on the enthusiasm of volunteers, DeCoss again said that wasn’t a negative at all.

“It’s more than OK. The program is amazing! I’ll tell you right now, it’s a fantastic program! The students are learning about the skills of golf, but more importantly, they’re learning how to love golf. The enthusiasm of Carrie and her volunteers is unbelievable. They're instilling that love of golf and our students are enthusiastic because of the enthusiasm they feel from Carrie and her volunteers.”

That shows the interest in this program is there, whether led by a golf pro or not, if it is presented to non-active schools in the right way.

A case in point of under-serviced areas is in the city of Spruce Grove (population 36,000, 15 minutes west of Edmonton, Alta.) where only three of its 11 schools are listed as taking part. And one of those three has seen the actual GIS program go dormant, although an off-shoot is alive.

Woodhaven Middle School (Grades 5 through 9), joined GIS in 2010 but have since let the program fade into the background. While they do have a so-called “golf club” for students in Grades 6 to 9, it is an extra-curricular activity and as such there is no real introduction to the sport to those not involved in this program.

Rob Luck, who heads their golf club up, said the teacher that originally launched the GIS program is on maternity leave and not available for comment.

“I can’t say (why the program doesn’t exist anymore) because when I got here this was the way it was done, the way it is now,” Luck commented, meaning there’s a huge hole in the kids’ learning years about the lifetime sport. He added that up to 20 kids participate in the golf club that’s been set up, but with hundreds more students available to simply be introduced to the game, a huge segment of the school population is being left out.

Another example of a school being counted into the official Golf Canada number, but isn’t actively involved, is Muir Lake School in Parkland County, west of Edmonton. They originally bought in but the teacher that signed on left, and no one picked the course up so there is no telling how many possible new players have been missed there over the years.


Carrie Julie And Her Husband, Jeremy, Have Taken The Bull By The Horns In Delivering The Golf In Schools Program To Local Students. As A Volunteer, Carrie Undertook Professional Training To Learn The Program And Has Now Introduced The Game To Over 1,000 Kids In Her Region Of Ontario.

As to how Carrie, along with her husband Jeremy, began chasing down this dream of getting more kids exposed to GIS, it was a matter of enlisting the Sawmill’s members’ help in raising funds for a Golf in Schools’ kit, which are priced at $475 for elementary school kids; $635 for junior high students; and $795 for high school gear. Through a club function they raised enough money to buy one elementary school kit that is toted from school to school by Carrie, who heads up each session.

Before this was done though, Carrie made sure the schools were committed to the program by having them agree to run it for a minimum of three years to ensure the time and effort she invested was returned.

“I think they saw how committed we were (to bringing this program) to them,” she said about sealing the deal with the schools. “I think that’s what it was.”

Once into the schools, the success grew astronomically. In six weeks, Carrie worked with over 1,000 kids, who took to the game in a big way.

“The excitement about the sport of golf has been created. It’s unbelievable! By the end, I’ve got kids coming up to me, hugging me, and saying ‘ Can you tell my parents I want to play golf this summer?’”

And that, simply put, is what the Golf in Schools program is all about — putting the sport into the hands of youngsters who will pick up a love for the game and help to continue growing the sport no matter who delivers the program.

NEXT: Some feel that while growing the game in this way is a good thing the instruction provided in Golf in Schools should be led by trained professional golf/school staff and not by community-based volunteers. Others feel it doesn’t matter who leads, as long as the word gets out there.