10 2021 CENTRAL OREGON GOLF PREVIEW • THE BULLETIN • SUNdAy, MAy 23, 2021
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
Summit’s Sam Renner watches his shot after teeing off on the fifth hole while playing in the La Pine Invitational at Crosswater last month.
Youth
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“While COJGA’s history has
provided a great tournament
series offering, if you weren’t al-
ready a golfer, there was nothing
available to our community’s
families,” Kitt said. “I came in
this year with the intention of
creating more opportunities
for our burgeoning community
and thus the Level 1 Exposure
Membership to COJGA was
born. The membership features
introductory clinics and on-
course experiences to expose
nongolfers and beginners to the
“While Central Oregon Junior Golf Association’s history has provided a great tournament
series offering, if you weren’t already a golfer, there was nothing available
to our community’s families. I came in this year with the intention of creating
more opportunities for our burgeoning community.”
— Area PGA professional and founder of the Modern Golf Club, Nate Kitt
joys of the game.”
A full schedule of summer
tournaments and clinics can be
found on the COJGA website,
cojga.org. For more information
about the Modern Golf Club,
visit moderngolfclub.com.
In addition to COJGA, juniors
also have the opportunity to ex-
perience friendly competition
through PGA Junior League.
The program was started by the
PGA of America a number of
years ago and has continued to
grow in popularity with Central
Oregon juniors ever since. Par-
ticipating courses field a team
of juniors that compete against
other teams on Saturday after-
noons throughout the summer.
The program’s emphasis is on
fun, and parent involvement is
key to success.
“It’s impossible for coaches
to be everywhere at once, so we
rely on parents to keep things
moving along and offer kind
words of encouragement,” said
Zach Lampert, facility manager
at Meadow Lakes in Prineville.
“However, instruction and
coaching are the sole responsibil-
ity of the professional coaches.”
There is no shortage of out-
door recreation to be found
in Central Oregon, especial-
ly during the warm summer
months. One of the fastest grow-
ing outdoor pursuits continues
to be junior golf. Area courses
have taken notice and have made
junior engagement a top priority.
Whether your child is a rank
beginner, or has their eyes on
a college scholarship, there’s a
program in Central Oregon tai-
lored to their specific needs and
wants.