Junior Golfers Learning From On-Course Mentors in Farmington Hills

Participants in the Farmington Hills Junior Golf League are getting more than just playing experience on the course with the help of volunteer golfing mentors.

The league has 68 junior golfers registered, ages 10-16, with 67 boys and one girl. The program will meet for seven sessions at over the remainder of the summer.

Assisting with the program is a group of volunteer golf mentors that accompany the juniors around the course during the rounds. The mentors are local, senior men who play golf recreationally.

The mentoring program is in its second year as a part of the league. Dave Miller, the Farmington Hills recreation programmer who organizes the league, said the idea came from a desire to improve the supervision and education of younger golfers.

“It makes it easier to keep an eye on all of the kids, because they obviously get spread out on the course when they are playing,” Miller said. “The big thing I wanted them to learn about from the mentors was golf etiquette.”

The mentors are given a golf cart to follow a group of juniors for nine holes of play. They do not play, but they do help the players look for lost balls, repair ball marks on the greens, replace divots, make sure they are playing at an appropriate pace, and provide encouragement.

Doug Williams of Farmington Hills, 13, said he’s learned about different aspects of golf in his three years in the league.

“We’ve learned about the different ways that you can swing,” Williams said. “We’ve also learned about how you take care of the course. We’ll be out here playing, and we’ve got people out here to help us.”

Larry Drozan of Farmington Hills is a recent addition to the team of mentors, having started in the past month. He learned about the program through his golf league.

Drozan said that he does not try to teach the kids about golfing technique, but the intricacies of golf etiquette and simply enjoying the game.

“I’m not a pro ... and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want me to teach golf to anybody,” Drozan joked. “But I do try and teach the kids about the etiquette of the game; things such as keeping pace, honors, and the basic rules.”

Drozan added that what makes golf different from other sports, and what makes it a great learning experience for children, is that you have to officiate yourself while playing.  

“In golf you have to be self-policing,” Drozan said. “You don’t have a referee, you’ve got to have good judgment and be honest.”

Despite its slower pace compared to other sports, golf can be maddeningly frustrating for players of all ages after a series of bad shots. However, when Drozan watches the juniors end a rough stretch with a good shot, he sees what makes the game so special.

“The kids will hit some bad shots, and they’ll be down,” Drozan said. “Then they’ll hit a good one, smile, and everything will be great. That’s what keeps all of us coming back to play, I guess.”

The league is not taking any more entrants for the remainder of the season, but Farmington Hills Golf Club does offer special rates for junior golfers, as well as clinics and private lessons. For more information, call 248-476-5910.