It’s a little after 8 a.m. and Mike Gunson is preparing for another half day of golf instruction with the under-12 generation.
He has the usual tools of the trade, but the eyes of the boys and girls widen significantly when he walks up with an armful of oversized Frisbees, bowling pins and yes, even a wading pool.
“It’s all about making golf instruction fun for the kids,” said Gunson.
He explains the ‘toys’ are instructional tools he uses as a way of keeping the kids interested in learning.
“It takes some monotony out of the learning process for a game that can be frustrating at the best of times,” said Gunson.
The bowling pins are used to teach the kids about how a golf ball rolls on the green when putting, while the Frisbee mirrors the actually arm and shoulder turns in the golf swing.
“The wading pool is actually more of target when the kids learning about chipping,” he said.
A Barrie resident, Gunson is in the midst of his first summer offering a series of weekly golf camps at the Couchiching Golf and Country Club in Orillia.
“It’s the first camp I have ever run and we have 12 kids enrolled in it, so it is going well,” he said.
In watching the children hit balls, Gunson said their approach to the game is as different as the kids themselves.
“There are the ones who have the nice gentle swings and the ones who take the club six inches into the ground. It’s the same with adults as well I find.”
“Most men think the harder you want to hit it, the harder you have to grip the club and rip it. It is a game of finesse,” said Gunson.
The face of golf is changing, with more young girls and women getting into the game. As well, more left-handed players are hitting the fairways.
“When I started playing, there were very few left-handed players and it was hard to find a left-handed set of golf clubs anywhere,” said Gunson.
The children taking lessons is motivating their parents to take lessons, so they can be good enough to play the game as a family.
“Of the 60 or 70 kids who I have worked with this year, I’ve probably had eight to 10 parents ask for private lessons on the side,” he said.
Monday is Junior Night at Couchiching and Gunson said it is not unusual to see children and their parents hooking up for nine holes after dinner.
Introducing golf to children requires taking baby steps. For that reason putting is the first technique and then they graduate to chipping and hitting longer iron shots. Eventually, they are introduced to hitting fairway woods and drivers.
But much like adults, Gunson has to rein in the kids, many of who want to start off hitting the big clubs (drivers).
“It’s a progression. On the first day they want to hit driver, but I try and steer them away into the shorter clubs,” said Gunson.
With their natural lack of fear, children are eager to learn the game and unlike adults are rarely are worried about what they mark on the scorecard.
“There is no fear in them and they just step up and hit the ball. I think kids learn the game faster than adults. They (kids) seem to process it a lot faster from the brain to the hands,” he said.
Spots are still available for spots in the summer junior golf camps in July and August and further information can obtained by telephoning Mike Gunson at 326-2861.
Today's Weather 
12°C
12°C
This summer, boys and girls are taking the first careful steps in learning the fundamentals of golf, while attending instructional camps at the Couchiching Golf and Country Club. CPGA professional Mike Gunson is working with youths during half-day sessions at the Peter Street club. Mike Dodd photo
User Comments
Most Recent Stories
