Growing Up A Junior Golfer In The Canadian Rockies

Growing Up a Junior Golfer in the Canadian Rockies Being born and raised in Canmore I was presented with many fabulous opportunities to get outside and enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains and all that they have to offer. Part of why I was so lucky was that my parents were both very active people and believed in the importance of getting outside, so thanks Mom and Dad! One of my favorite activities was something I looked forward to every spring, Junior Golf. The Canmore Golf and Curling Club offers a Junior Golf program every spring for kids starting at the age of 4, the junior juniors, all the way to 12 plus. The program starts around the same time that the golf course opens, around the beginning of May and runs for 5 weeks. Every Monday night I’d sit down with my family, have a good dinner and then Dad would take me over to the golf course for my golf lessons. First we’d get into our groups, go grab a set of teeny-tiny clubs and head to the driving range or the chipping/putting range. I will always remember the fabulous golf-pros of the club staff that showed us techniques from proper grip of the club to stance and the steps of a proper swing. Sometimes it was frustrating, like the game can be, and the number of balls I sliced was countless, but the most important thing was that I was out there learning and having fun. After our lessons we’d be able to head out on to the course with our parents to put our freshly learned skills into play. Having a night that the club recognized as junior night on the course was great because it allowed us kids to go at our own pace. I never felt rushed by a group behind me, which always made me nervous. It gave me a chance to focus on my technique from the tee box to the putting green and show my Dad what I had learned that night. Monday junior nights were always special because it was the time I got to spend with my Dad playing the game that we both love. To this day I am grateful for junior night golf because it taught me the skills and set the foundation for the game of golf that I still play today!]]>