VERO BEACH — Watching the teenage girl bouncing out the door after she gleefully related shooting a 42 on nine holes at the Riomar Golf Club, Roger Van Dyke smiles.
“That’s where my energy comes from; their energy,” he says. “You can see the excitement in their eyes. These are the girls who are going to put high school golf back on the map.”
She was one of 77 boys and girls who were playing in a junior summer golf program instituted by the Indian River Golf Foundation.
Van Dyke, PGA life master golf professional and IRGF president, founded the organization in 2008 after retiring from 14 years as head pro at Hawks Nest Golf Club.
The foundation program coordinator is Charter High School teacher and PGA professional Anthony Donadio, son of architect Tony Donadio.
“Through this foundation we are trying to compliment and support existing junior golf programs and fill the voids in junior golf with what needs to be there,” says Van Dyke.
If his enthusiastic players are any indication, they are succeeding. Furrowed brows of concentration combined with a joy for the game were clearly visible on the bright faces of tykes and teens alike.
“We can do better in junior golf, and collectively we will. We have to have determination to achieve our goals. It takes a special person to carry their own bag and practice – many times by themselves. But the key is the development of life skills and good citizenship. These kids will take off their caps and thank each other for the pleasure of playing together. They will seek out the professionals and say thank you for making this happen.”
Currently geared towards junior golf, the nonprofit organization is designed to reach out to golfers of all ages, including senior adults.
“The pendulum in the early stages has swung more to junior golf to get that well established. We needed to build relationships within the community.”
Despite an abundance of local courses, he says here as nationwide, golf is on the decline.
“That’s why we have formed; to reverse this trend. When I see little kids with a golf club in their hand, I have to make contact.”
In its early years the foundation developed the IRGF Players Club, comprised of students from 5th through 12th grade.
Three years ago the IRGF Players Club merged with the Treasure Coast Junior Golf Tour, founded in 1986 by Bob Komarintz, who retired in June as Sandridge Golf Club director of golf.
Current director Bela Nagy co-administers the combined the junior golf tour/foundation Players Club with Van Dyke.
“They were losing their older students; we were capturing them and developing programs with them,” says Van Dyke.
The combined program boasts 340 students ages 6 to 18.
The summer program includes tournaments for all ages, including a three-hole division for peewees.
“They’re so young they’re just happy to play three holes,” says Van Dyke, noting that they play from “very forward tees” about 150 yards from the hole.
“Then we have a six-, nine- and 18- hole division as they get older. As a feeder program we have now established golf programs at each of four public middle schools – Oslo, Gifford, Storm Grove and Sebastian River.”
During the school year students meet for training, practices and competitions, and challenge each other on their short game and full swing skills.
They instituted a full-course competition last spring.
With middle school programs underway, they turned their sights on the elementary school level, with afterschool pilot programs at Vero Beach Elementary, Imagine South and Liberty Magnet.
Children begin with SNAG (starting new at golf), using oversized plastic golf equipment and Velcro balls which cling to Velcro targets to compete the “hole.”
Vero Beach Elementary bought its SNAG kit through funding from the Mardy Fish Foundation, but he says the IRGF can buy them for other schools if principals are interested.
“The unique part about the elementary program is that we get the high school golf team players to come on campus to help us; they’re student coaches,” explains Van Dyke. “They get community service credit for their transcripts, but we find that the high school students don’t do it just for the community service points. They get really involved with these kids and the kids really get attached to their mentors.”
Players Club members compete monthly in the Atlantic Junior Golf Team series and he anticipates further developing a travel golf team concept similar to that of other sports. Two years ago members competed in Junior Cup Matches in Savanna and last year teams met halfway, playing at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine.
“It was wonderful,” says Van Dyke. “The bonding that took place between those kids was life changing and secured them in the game of golf.”
In June they played in the Inaugural South Florida Junior Cup Matches at the Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach and the goal is to expand into North Florida as well.
Their most recent accomplishment was approval as an official chapter of LPGA-USGA Girls Golf.
IRGF board member Kirk Noonan, whose daughter Sarah is in the program, is the site director.
Funding is provided by donations and grants, and public and private courses help with liberal access. They hope to encourage additional sponsorships and volunteers through professional tournaments such as one held in 2010.
“We invited ladies who play on the LPGA Futures Tour to come and play with various adult gofers in a two day Pro-Am at Hawk’s Nest.”
Futures Tour member Jackie Barenborg, a graduate of Vero Beach High School and Florida Southern College, invited 10 LPGA Futures Tour professionals to join 10 area professionals, making 20 teams with one pro and three amateurs each.
“The unique thing about that tournament is they played nine holes with a Futures player and nine holes with one of our professionals.”
On Aug. 4 and 5 they will host an Inaugural Mayor’s Cup Match at Bent Pine Golf Club. The public is invited to watch the two-day tournament and closing ceremony.
Twelve pro players chosen by head golf professionals Pat Gorman of Bent Pine and Joe Kern of Indian River Club will be matched with 12 skilled amateurs selected by Dr. Bill Mallon of the Center for Advanced Eye Care and Bobby Bird, owner of Golf Roundup.
Vero Beach Mayor Pilar Turner will present the Alex MacWilliam, Sr. Trophy, honoring his contributions to golf and the community.
MacWilliam served as Riomar Country Club’s first property manager and was later elected both Vero Beach Mayor and State Representative.
“We feel that we have programs that have not only state but national and international possibilities,” Van Dyke said.
