SULLIVAN – Fore! Or maybe that’s four to 17. Age range, that is, for a summer golf clinic for kids at Sullivan Country Club. Ninety-one junior golfers are gathering each Tuesday and Thursday morning for leagues and clinics. “We have both members and nonmembers and all the kids come from the community,” says Sullivan Country Club general manager Russ Luedloff. The morning is broken down into age groups to focus on the skill level at hand and make the kids more comfortable. The young golfers vary in age from 4 to 17.
Tuesdays are play days and Thursdays focus on learning. “We teach about fitness, about stretching,” Luedloff says. “Through the rules we also teach them etiquette, how to behave, how to act on the golf course. Those are all important things, not only in the golf swing but in also knowing how to get around the golf course.” Luedloff spends time with each individual, focusing on accurate technique. The kids follow along, trying to hold their feet in place, turn their belly button forward, and get solid contact. Most swings end with a giggle and another junior quickly steps to the tee.
Luedloff stepped on the green as a junior golfer and enjoys his new role as the clinic instructor. As a father of four, he understands how to communicate and teach the juniors, with patience and a smile. “It’s a great way to give back to the game of golf… and it’s a lot of fun seeing the kids have a good time,” he says.
Luedloff wanted to begin a program targeting young golfers to stimulate interest in the sport and to bring more community members to the club. “These are our future golfers and our future customers. Hopefully we can get them (the kids) involved, get their parents out, and create a nice family atmosphere out at the club and hopefully they will play golf for the rest of their lives,” says Luedloff.
The junior golfers come to the clinic for a variety of reasons. Emily Hines, 11, says, “I came to the golf clinic because I thought it would be fun to play.” Zac White, 10, says, “The reason I came here is to learn how to play golf and I’ve learned how to hold the club like a hot dog.” The young golfers also range in skill level. “I decided to come to these clinics because I needed to control my swing better and get more contact,” said Tylor Carrico, 12.
At the end of the day, they all go home with new skills, a fun experience, and maybe some new friends. “I’ve learned how to swing the club and grip the club,” said Ross Brady, 8, after a lesson. “My favorite thing is getting to the driving range and hitting golf balls.”
If the kids have their own clubs, great, but if not Luedloff doesn’t want that to prevent them from getting involved. “We’ve had a bunch of members donate golf clubs back to the junior golf program,” says Luedloff, “We don’t want them (kids) not to get involved with golf even if they don’t have equipment, we will get them taken care of.”
The clinic runs through the end of July but that won’t be the end of the junior golfers. Luedloff plans to kick-start another program in July designed for kids and their parents. “We’re taking them to the next level, from the practice tee out to the golf course, to get them out to enjoy the game,” says Luedloff.
It’s not too late to join the clinics, either. Luedloff is welcoming new golfers for two more weeks. “Get involved, there is still plenty of time to learn about the game,” he says.
The number of participants in the summer league and clinic has doubled since last year. If this is any indication of the future of golf in Sullivan, it is a popular and positive prospect.
For more information about golf or upcoming events at the Sullivan Country Club call 573-468-5803 or check out SCC online at www.sullivancountryclub.com
(Paige Hulsey can be contacted at 573-860-6397 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Video by Paige Hulsey/Sullivan Journal videojournalist