Juniors learning all about golfing

When you talk about junior golf in Utah, the first thing many folks think of is the Utah Junior Golf Association, a program founded two decades ago by PGA stars Johnny Miller and Mike Reid and seemingly peppered with dozens of kids named Summerhays.

It's a program that has helped produce dozens of local golfers who have gone on to become collegiate golfers as well as many professionals.

But there's more to junior golf than the UJGA, which has a summer full of tournaments for kids ages 8 to 18 all over the state.

Numerous junior golf programs are in session all summer long, and there's even a new tournament "tour" that has sprouted up this year, geared more to the average or recreational young golfers.

Also, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County golf courses — which have run the two largest junior golf programs in the state for years — have banded together to form one unified program in conjunction with the parks and recreation departments of the city and county.

"We're all uniting together instead of competing," said Mick Riley head pro Todd Meyer, one of the top promoters of junior golf in Utah. "We're trying to grow the game of golf in Utah through our juniors."

The city-county program is based at the Mick Riley (266-8185) and Nibley Park (483-5418) golf courses in the county and city, respectively. Camps are held at the Mick Riley, Mountain View and Jordan River courses every week through Aug. 21, with clinics held weekly at various courses through Sept. 18.

Clinics are run through the city and county recreation programs, so interested parents and kids should call 424-0621 or 486-5867 for more information on the clinics, which are geared toward beginning golfers. Upward of 2,500 kids are expected to be involved in the City-County program this year.

"Obviously junior golf is important for growth in the game," said Utah Golf Association executive director Joe Watts. "It starts with having more juniors and we're especially trying to get more girls involved. We're making a concentrated effort to attract more women and juniors."

Besides the city-county program, several other courses around the area have instituted their own programs.

Murray Parkway has a program that attracts more than 100 young golfers every Monday. Fore Lakes has a Monday junior league with weeklong junior golf camps that cost $150. Golfers who sign up for the camps get to play in a Monday junior league all day for just $12.