Golfers entering seventh through ninth grades participated in a youth golf camp last week at Farmersville High School. Photo by David Wolman / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Aspiring golfers who are entering fourth through ninth grades this upcoming school year got the opportunity to chip, drive and putt the ball during last week’s Farmersville Youth Golf Camp, held on the practice course just to the south of Farmers Stadium.
The camp was split into two sessions, with 13 golfers in grades four through six participating in the early session and 18 golfers in grades seven through nine participating in the ensuing session. Each session lasted about 90 minutes.
Farmersville head golf coach James Walker said the biggest thing that he wanted the golfers to get out of the four-day camp was to get interested in the game of golf.
“The earlier that you can introduce them, the better,” he said. “Some of the kids have never swung a club before. We have others who are pretty good. Hopefully we can get the new kids interested in golf and tweak a few things for those that have more experience.”
Temperatures had already reached 85 degrees for the start of the first session each morning, with the building heat causing the temperature to rise quickly. Walker praised the golfers for braving and competing in the heat.
“I think they had fun,” he said. “Obviously, it was very hot. But they were troopers and came here and did what we ask for them to do. I felt like they had a good time.”
Walker added that the golfers’ favorite activity was the par-3 contest. The school’s booster club recently purchased launch monitors, with the golfers hitting tee shots in the net. The launch monitors, which are hooked up to a cell phone, would display their ball flight and distance.
“Some of the incoming freshmen were hitting the ball 280 to 300 yards,” he said.
The course is new to Farmersville, with the high school golf team practicing on it for the first time last October. Before the course was built, the Fightin’ Farmers drove 45 minutes to Webb Hill Country Club in Wolfe City once a week for practice. When they weren’t at Webb Hill, Farmersville’s golf team would go to the batting cages for the school’s baseball team and hit golf balls into the nets.
“This place is amazing,” Walker said. “You have to thank the community, thank the administration for providing us with this place. It’s made for a huge difference, especially chipping and putting.”
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