How we spent our summer vacation

By Adobe Staff

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Grant Ginter chips the ball out of a sand trap while playing a round of golf during the FORE Junior Golf Camp on the Monarch Dunes Challenge Course. //Daniel Dreifuss/Staff

Young golfers putted, chipped, pitched and swung their way through a 10-week summer program at the Monarch Dunes Challenge Course.

FORE Junior Golf Camp offered both beginners and intermediate players the chance to learn and practice the basic fundamentals of golf in a friendly, fun, noncompetitive environment.

“I learned a lot about golf and it is the best sport camp,” said Benjamin Feldman, 8. “I made new friends and got to play lots of golf.”

Golf professional Jim DeLaby instructed the group that ranged in age from 8 to 17, designing each lesson to include a golf skill, concept and core-value objective. Students actively engaged in striking skills, and learned and applied concepts of personal space, flow, force and movement.

Supporting concepts such as safety and etiquette were reinforced during the 30 hours of instruction and course play.

“What Mr. Jim is doing for the kids is awesome,” said Kjell Pederson, 9. “I thought it was great. We had lots of fun and I learned new things.”

Will Haslett, 10, echoed the sentiment: “I learned everything I need to play golf. It was a great experience.”

At the end of each lesson, the students competed in a “rules off” to test their knowledge in golf fundamentals, rules and etiquette.

“This course gave the students the opportunity to play the course at every lesson, enabling them to practice and use their new skills,” said parent Cherol Pederson.

A fall program will kick off Sept. 12 and run through Dec. 31 at Monarch Dunes. Golf instruction will be offered from

3:45 to 5 p.m. two Mondays a month for $25 per month.

For more information on the FORE junior program, contact DeLaby at 478-5723 or jamesdelaby@charter.net.