Young people can gain a lot more than an interesting hobby by learning to play golf. That’s why the Canal Shores Golf Course in Evanston/Wilmette is focusing on youth development with its multimillion dollar course improvement project.
“We use the game of golf as a tool to teach life skills,” said Lea Jesse, CEO of the nonprofit First Tee-Greater Chicago. “We will teach them values like sportsmanship and judgment and honesty, using the game of golf as a tool.”
Her company will be offering a youth camp for kids ages 7 through high school in the new youth area that is being created at the 103-year-old golf course.
The Canal Shores 2nd Century Campaign, which is financing the youth golf area as well as other improvements to the golf course, is being led by the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association, Canal Shores Golf Course, and KemperSports. The privately-funded project has already raised more than $4 million of it $5.9 million goal.
“KemperSports was hired by the Canal Shores Board to manage the golf course and help them with their upcoming restoration project and guide them through it,” said KemperSports’s Executive Vice President Josh Lesnik. The company has been managing and building golf courses for forty years.
Lesnik said that the first goal for the project is improving the infrastructure of the course, which has been taken care of by a nonprofit board throughout its history, and has been privately funded.
“This golf course is in need of new irrigation, new drainage,” Lesnik said. “There are certain invasive species that have grown on the property that create shade issues.”
A 27,600-square-foot lawn area that currently houses the first and second holes of the course is set to be converted into the youth development area. There will be some alterations to the course to allow room for the youth programming but all 18 holes will be open when the youth programs are in session.
Jesse said when children participate in the First Tee-Greater Chicago programs, they begin applying the lessons they have learned on their course to their life off the course.
“It helps them have more academic confidence at school. It helps them better manage stress from bullying and other things,” Jesse said. “Our goal as a development organization is not to produce the strongest golfers in the world. It’s for them to become good people.”
Youngsters who are interested and work hard can transition to a Caddy Academy, which offers the possibility of earning a full-ride college scholarship, for both tuition and housing. Those scholarships are sponsored by the Western Golf Association through the Evans Scholars Foundation. Qualifications include a strong caddying record, excellent academics, outstanding character and financial need.
“We’re really going to target youth in the community who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the game of golf,” Jesse explained. Those children will be located through youth services organizations.
Online registration for summer programming will begin on March 27. For more information, visit firstteegreaterchicago.org.
“The great thing about the First Tee is they teach the game of life by teaching the game of golf,” Lesnik declared. “We love to make better golfers but we really pride ourselves on making better people.”
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.