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LEARNING THE BASICS

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By CLIFF GILL

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 31, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - For the last five weeks, more than two dozen beginner and intermediate golfers ages 7 through 16 have attended a junior golf camp at Magnolia Valley Golf Club. The four-hour daily sessions were taught by Gulf High's Pam Scott and supervised by PGA teaching professional Jim Schemehorn.

On Friday, the course hosted a tournament and allowed the players to participate in a simulated competition.

As in sanctioned tournaments, when the golfers met at the first tee, they shook hands, exchanged scorecards and showed their opponents the markings on their golf balls.

"Each player was given a rule book and taught course etiquette," Schemehorn said. "They learned the basics, including stance, posture, making solid contact and developing a tempo."

With parents and grandparents cheering from the sidelines, most players seemed oblivious to carrying their golf bags and walking the hilly course. Tanner Picerno, 9, who has been playing for two years, consistently split the fairway with his drives.

"Golf allows me to play alongside my father and grandfather," he said.

Marcus Girard, 9, was a bit more philosophical: "Golf is a great game because it teaches you about life. If you cheat, you're only cheating yourself."

One of the stars of the tournament was 13-year-old Amanda Zygarowski. The Chasco Middle School eighth-grader has older brothers who play golf. For her, the camp was an opportunity to learn the rules of the game and to play on an actual course.

"I've wanted to compete in a sport with them. I think I've found one," she said.

On the first tee, Zygarowski's drive went more than 100 yards. On her second shot, she made solid contact with her 3-wood and landed the ball on the right side of the fairway. With her mother cheering her on, Zygarowski's confidence grew with each stroke.

After completing their rounds, the golfers gathered at the clubhouse for lunch. Instead of trophies, each participant received a certificate for a complimentary round of golf. Many of the players and parents approached Scott to inquire about next summer's camp.

Scott, the former athletic director and golf coach at Bishop Larkin Catholic Elementary, has a successful record of developing young golfers. In the mid-1990s, one of her students was Seminole's Brittany Lincicome. The three-time Pinellas County Player of the Year is currently an LPGA Tour professional. Scott has had numerous students star at the high-school and collegiate levels.

"The emphasis was on having fun, learning to play golf and making new friends," Scott said. "The children have had a wonderful experience and looked forward coming to class every day. Isn't that exciting, when kids look forward to coming to class?"

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