Junior golf activity is thriving at Myrtle Point Golf Club. On Wednesday, June 1, the club will hold a Junior Skills Challenge qualifier, a new event for CN Future Links, Canada’s junior golf program.
“It’s based on a drive, an iron shot, a chip shot and a put; three shots in each category with different criteria,” said Myrtle Point’s general manager and Canadian Professional Golf Association member Steve Phillips.
The club is hoping 25 of its junior members will compete.
“All scores across Canada will be posted on the Future Links website,” said Phillips. “The best scores across Canada will get an invite to participate in the national final held in conjunction with the Canadian Open in July.”
According to Phillips, points are awarded based on the length and action of the tee shot and the iron shot. Chipping is scored by how close the shot is to the hole and putting is scored the same way.
“We have some good young players starting to develop,” said Phillips. “You have to have a pretty high score to qualify, but what an opportunity to try.”
A national event, Junior Skills Challenge will be held in partnership with the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club on July 16, the Saturday before the professional tournament begins.
A second junior-golf program now on at Myrtle Point is a camp for players ages nine to 14 who want to learn the game.
“We didn’t have this planned originally, but due to demand and requests for it, we brought it back,” said Phillips.
The camp opened Friday, May 27, with about 10 young golfers and will run for four consecutive Fridays.
Players are receiving instruction, an on-course introduction to the game and having lots of fun, according to Phillips. On the last day, students will be out on the course, he said.
For more details about the Junior Skills Challenge, contact Myrtle Point Golf Club at 604.487.4653. More information on the CN Future Links Junior Skills National is at cnfuturelinks.com.
