Although
I had worked for several country clubs and found the work enjoyable, I still found
myself looking for something more fulfilling.In 2006, I made one of the
most career rewarding decisions I have ever made, to focus all my efforts on
teaching golf to children ages 4 and older.
The
challenge we face today is making golf one of a child’s top five choices.Currently, children are choosing other
activities to fill their free time, with team sports, karate, dance, music, and
video games being their top five.How
did I overcome this challenge?I believe
in order for a child to try a new activity and stick with it there has to be
certain elements that exist.First, the
choice must be fun.Secondly, they can
participate with their friends.Finally,
they have to experience some level of improvement.A child will play with a stick for 30 minutes
if it is fun.This is my approach to the
challenge, which starts in the schools where future junior golfers are waiting
to be discovered.Two programs that I
have implemented locally are the following:
In-school Programs:By conducting a modified Golf-Baseball game
during students physical education classes at no cost.To date I have reached over 1642 students.Each student then receives a flyer to take
home and share with his or her parents.As
a result, my summer camps are filled every year.
After-School and in-school
enrichment programs:These are one-hour
sessions over a four-week period and the cost is $40 for the entire program.This program fills a need for children while
not interfering with their other activities during the school year.
StarkCounty
has long been known as the golf capital of Ohio and yet there were only a few,
scattered opportunities for juniors and even fewer opportunities for those
under the age of 12, to compete and showcase their skills.This led me to organize the first Canton Local U.S. Kids Tour.Numerous such attempts had been made
elsewhere but StarkCounty was not on
anyone’s radar.I applied to become a
Tournament Director and was advised to prepare a presentation and present it for
consideration.It took 3 months of
preparation and a 30 page PowerPoint presentation plus a whole lot of
persistence, but proved all worthwhile when it was announced that the Tour was
coming to Canton in 2009.The Tour had a
very positive impact on the community
51 players in the first event
and 82 players at the Tour Championshipaveraging 61 players per event
Created a fall Tour first event
70 players and finished with an average of 64
Participants traveled from as
far as Canada and New York to participate.
In 2010, I have once again been
entrusted with a spring, summer, and fall Tour with 22 events scheduled.This is the only tour in Ohio with a three-tour schedule.
The
successful completion of this event has proven to be one of my most successful
and rewarding challenges I have faced as a PGA professional and I thank U.S.
Kids Golf for giving me this opportunity.
There
is an old adage that says, “No man stands so tall as he who stoops to help a
child”.What a wonderful philosophy and
one to which I am totally committed.I
am not a doctor, lawyer, or brilliant scientist.I am a golfer.As such, this is the best way that I can help
a child.Although I enjoy the title of
Professional Golfer, I must never let this become an obstacle between me and
the child with whom I am working.I have
found that building a relationship with a child is easy if only you are willing
to recognize and respect them for who they are.There are many times when the teacher must become the student.There are times when throwing a water balloon
is far more fun then swinging a golf club.There are times when a shoulder
to cry on is far more important than the art of gripping a club.Above all else, there is always a time to
encourage – never a time to criticize.
It
is an honor to be recognized for such a prestigious award.There is not a child I can turn my back
to.There is not a child I can walk by
without the temptation to talk to them about golf.My love for the game and the children are
undisputed and I will continue teaching the life skills and values that golf
has taught me.
Sincerely,
Doug Lemons, PGA
Mission Statement
“To introduce juniors to golf so
that they may learn to love
the game and experience the
educational and social values
