HOOK A KID ON GOLF

The summer is winding down but there is plenty of action at Hudson's Evergreen Golf Course. Golfers young and old alike are playing the fine course here in Hudson but it is the young golfers that catch the attention of one of the courses owners. Marty Marken has seen an increase in the number of young golfers playing at the course that is owned by her husband, Richard, and her. She knows the reason for the rise in young golfers playing her course and others. Back in late June the Markens hosted the third annual "Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf" event and what a great event it was. This program has been an overwhelming success at Evergreen Golf Course and the popularity has outgrown the number of young golfers who can participate. "We had 30 kids this summer but we could have had twice that many," said M. Marken. "The program is free to the kids but we had to turn away young golfers and I dislike doing that. The problem is not so much money as it is having enough qualified instructors to work with the kids." The Hook-A-Kid-On Golf program took place June 19-23 at Evergreen and it is a unique program not offered at other local courses around this part of the state. For five days 30 kids got to learn much about the game of golf from the rules to the proper etiquette to how to hold a club. The program lasted each morning from 9:00 until 11:30 and a lot of teaching about the game of golf took place. The four instructors were Richard Marken, his brother, Ted Marken, and the Markens grandson Jordan along with Andrea Ames. "These four did a wonderful job and it is all volunteer," said M. Marten, who along with her husband has owned Evergreen for the past five summers. "I just love this program and the hardest part for me was turning kids away and sending them the rejection letters. However, I know the ones that participated had a great time and just seeing the look in their eyes is something special." The 30 aspiring golfers that participated were not all Hudson kids as several youngsters from surrounding communities took part. There were young golfers from Adrian, Hillsdale, Blissfield, Manchester and Grass Lake to name a few places that the participants came from.

The program works like this as in May just after Mother's Day the registration took place and then the Markens had to make a decision on which kids to take. Of the 30 slots available there were 15 already taken as parents and grandparents paid $100 for a spot for their child. Then the Markens had to sort through over 50 applications for the final 15 spots. Those chosen were overjoyed and those not selected were left with disappointment. Mrs. Marken wants to develop dedicated golfers who will make golf a life-long venture. "We want to promote a family atmosphere about the game of golf and we encourage the kids to come back and play golf at Evergreen with their parents or grand parents," said Marken, who is thrilled whenever she sees a member of the program bring a parent to play a round of golf.

The golfers in the "Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf" event participate for free but they bring home plenty of goodies as the sponsors take care of the cost of the program. Each Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf participant gets a hat, golfing shirt with a collar, golf bag, a sleeve of balls and a new golf bag from the Wilson athletic company. To top this off each golfer received five free clubs. They got a driver, putter, seven-iron, five-iron and a pitching wedge and they also were given an official golf rules book. "I like to see golf teach them about things like honesty, fairness and playing by the rules," said M. Marken, who can't say enough good things about this golfing program for the youngsters aged 8-15. Some of the participants have real nice things to say as well. Take Dean Bonifas and his son, Ben, 12, who was a "Hooked on Golf" 2006 graduate of this fine program. Someone asked me one afternoon recently where Ben was this summer and I replied, "He's at Evergreen playing golf as that boy is hooked on golf and can't get enough of it," said father Dean about his son Ben. "It's a great thing for the kids that Evergreen has put together and I just feel fortunate that Ben was chosen for the golfing lesson. Really it's much more than just lessons as he brought home a whole bunch of free things and now the kids loves to golf." On the last day of the weeklong event the players shot a round of golf with veteran Hudson golfers out there to lend their help and advice. "The program just keeps getting bigger and better each summer and we are already looking forward to next June," said M. Marken. "We begin registration right after Mother's Day in May and the Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf sessions begins the Monday after Father's Day." Those dates keep the theme of a family atmosphere that the Markens like to promote at their course. "There is nothing I enjoy seeing more than a parent and son or parent and daughter out playing golf together," said M. Marken, who noted that any participant in this program can play for free with one paid adult. Marken knows the program is popular and successful but she also knows it would not be possible with the great sponsors who are listed as follows: The Market House, Eagle Funeral Home, Goedert Real Estate, Hudson Athletic Booster Club, Kecy Products, Inc., American Legion Post 180, Hillsdale Interiors, Inc., Ann and Bill Daub, Scott and Ronda Papenhagen, Dr. Thomas Gibson, Michael and Elizabeth Coutts, Victoria Holland, The Bugman of Adrian, Penny Baumgartner and last but not least Evergreen Golf Course.

Any program is only as good as its participants and the following are the 30 youngsters who were selected this summer to participate in the Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf event: Clayton Brockway, Matt Pogoreski, Henry Atkin, Luke Sparapani, Aaron Murphy, Sierra Foreman, David Young, Zack Woodford, Ben Bonifas, Robert Stein, Ashley Grubbs, Zach Luma, Caitlin Eisele, Brooke Eisele, Caleb Hughes, Justis Richardson, David Thompson, Britney Osburn, Jeanette High, Adrianna Coutts, David Gibson, Philip Gibson, Andrew Thompson, Abby Lawrence, Alex Lawrence, Cassidy William, Sydney Papenhagen, Allison Papenhagen, Jessica Campbell and Nick Campbell.

Head on out to Evergreen Golf Course and if you bump into a youngster with a Wilson golf bag that says "Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf" then encourage him or her to keep playing.

  (Click on photos for Full View)

THE 2006 JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE

The 2006 Junior Golf League 20 participants, with 17 regulars that showed up to golf every Friday at 9:00 AM. "I would like to give a big "Thank You" to Randy Borton and Drew Gambill for all their help," said Marty Marken at Evergreen Golf Course. Medalists in the final were Jordan Marken who shot 34, First place, Justin Boies and Second Place Luke Milligan.


2006 T-BALL PLAYERS

2006 T-Ball players with Coaches Alyson Monahan, Sabin Enerson, Tom Romanowski, Jacob Enerson, Bill Mullaly, Sarah Luma and Andrew Enerson in the back row.

 

THE 2006 HUDSON TIGER YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP

THE 2006 HUDSON TIGER youth football camp finished up last Friday after a week of football instruction. Close to 60 kids were on hand for the annual camp that kicks off the start of the football season each fall.

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