Columnist Peter Benton: Instructional league being formed for junior golfers

PETER BENTON is a local golfer. His column appears Wednesdays.

THE SOUTHERN NEVADA Junior Golf Association, in conjunction with the Las Vegas Chapter of the Southwest Section of the PGA of America and the Inter-City Youth Golf Program, has announced the formation of the SNJGA Instructional League.

This league will be an entry-level program for junior golfers with little previous golf experience who wish to develop their game to meet the criteria of the SNJGA's Tournament Program.

The goal is to provide the opportunity for these youngsters to learn the game through a year-round program of instructional clinics, playing days and rules and etiquette seminars.

The Instruction League program will consist of four six-week periods. Each six-week program will consist of a weekly two-hour clinic which will feature lessons from local PGA professionals, skills testing, and a rules and etiquette session.

Junior golfers enrolled in the program will get to play during the third and sixth week of each session, provided they have achieved the necessary scores in the skills testing and have passed a rules and etiquette test.

Target scores will be given to each player for moving up into the nine-hole and 18-hole tournament divisions of the SNJGA.

The first series of six-week clinics will be held at the Sun City Eagle Crest Golf Course, Summerlin, and the Sun City Desert Willow Course in Henderson. The first series for the Inter-City Youth Program will be held at Desert Rose Golf Course.

Future clinics are planned for the fall (October-November), winter (January-February) and spring (April-May). The golf facilities scheduled to provide these sessions will be located on both sides of the valley.

The schedules:

* Desert Rose Golf Course: Tuesdays, June 30, July 7, 14, 21 and 28, Aug. 4.

* Desert Willow Golf Course: Wednesdays, July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 and Aug. 5.

* Eagle Crest Golf Course: Thursdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 6.

Annual fees for Instructional League players will be $40, with each six-week session costing $25. Clubs and balls will be provided by the teaching facility.

For more information, call the SNJGA office at 433-0626.

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