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good for little ones, because there is
the imitation thing, and they are out
there having fun with their buddies."
All of the pros emphasize that par-
ents need to stay involved with their
children's new sport. "First thing par-
ents should commit to is time, like
with any other sport," says Richards.
"There are not a ton of organized
programs for kids. Parents need to be
a part of it, and work with them."
Dice feels that regardless of age,
"the best thing a parent should do is
go over rules and etiquette, like ball -
marks, replacing divots," and the like.
"The more you take them out, the
more they are out there watching and
imitating, the better," says Dice.
Lots of local kids who are now
playing strong rounds began by
watching their parents. Joel Fenkell,
14, of Bloomfield Hills, got interested
"just by watching it on TV and see-
ing my dad go golfing every Sunday
morning when I had nothing to do.
It made me want to play."
Joel was around 10 at the time,
and he started by hitting balls on the
range at Knollwood Country Club,
where his family is a member. Seeing
consistent play and improvement, his
parents gave him private lessons.
"I started playing a lot, and I went
to a golf camp, Pinehurst in North
Carolina," recalls Joel. "They gave
me a lot of instruction. They video-
analyzed your swing, told you what
you were doing wrong and right,
which really helped."
Now Joel plays six out of seven
days in warmer weather, either with
his dad, with friends on public cours-
es in the area, or on his own.
"Mostly I play by myself, walking the
18 holes at Knollwood," he says.
Emily Korotkin, 15, of Bloomfield
Village, started playing with her
mother when she was about 7. The
youngest of three girls, "she wanted
one of us to play, and I was the only
one who stayed interested in it," she
says. She began taking lessons around
the age of 10, and currently is on the
varsity girls golf team at Seaholm
High School in Birmingham.
"I like golf because you can enjoy
the scenery around you, you can
always learn to better yourself, and
you can play for life," Emily says.
"You can't always expect to be the
best, just play to the best of your abil-

ities. If you've done that, you should
be proud of yourself." Emily doesn't
believe it matters what age kids begin
to golf, as long as they have fun with
it. "My tip is to stick with it because
it's worth it," she says.
"My dad and mom, and my
mom's parents are avid golfers, and
they had me involved with them,"
says Brian Schwartz, a Bloomfield
Hills 17-year-old state champion on
Cranbrook Kingswood boys varsity
golf team. "They exposed me to the
game on TV and in person, and I
liked it." He began playing around
age 10, and joined the junior golf
program at Franklin Hills Country
Club. Around age 13 or 14, he
began to play competitively in
Michigan tournaments, such as the
Michigan PGA Junior
Championship and the Powerbilt
Tour, which are tours kids can join
by trying out, and they play in
numerous tournaments around the
state in different age divisions.
Joel Fenkell currently competes on
the Powerbilt Tour, playing approxi-
mately six tournaments out of a pos-
sible 28 events a year. The Michigan
PGA Junior Championship is open
to golfers age 8 -17.
"If a child starts to get good, and
he gets serious about it and is willing
to practice on his own, practicing
putting and chipping, not just on
the driving range, you should get
him a PGA golf professional for pri-
vate lessons," advises Richards. PGA
professionals are usually available at
private clubs, many public courses,
and even with some city programs.
Carl's Golfland offers group lessons
for kids, with a maximum of 10 stu-
dents, as well as private lessons, all
taught by PGA golf professionals.
In the months of June, July and
August, Carl's sets aside one day
each month for free PGA clinics put
on by the Michigan PGA. For two
hours, up to 120 students learn tips,
play games, receive prizes, and enjoy
pizza and pop.
"The great thing about golf is, as
you get older, you appreciate the
game and the courses more, and you
keep wanting to improve," enthuses
Brian Schwartz. "Every time you go
out, you challenge yourself. It's a
great sport. And it's a lifelong
game."

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