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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 21, 2002

GOLF REPORT
Instructors aim to make golf for kids elementary

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By Bill Kwon

The 54 fifth-graders at Aliiolani School weren't playing hooky Tuesday morning. They were out there on the Wai'alae Avenue school grounds hitting tee shots and rolling putts — all with Aliiolani principal Haroldeen Wakida's permission.

Waialae Country Club professional Greg Nichols is leading the "Get Into Golf Hawai'i" program aimed at young golfers.

Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

They were introduced to the game of golf in a 60-minute session with four local golf professionals and learned that golf is a game of skill, and it can be fun, too.

Aliiolani is one of 13 O'ahu elementary schools participating in the inaugural "Get Into Golf Hawai'i" program sponsored by the United States Golf Association, the Aloha Section PGA, the PGA of America and the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association.

It is coordinated by Greg Nichols, head professional at Waialae Country Club, who is assisted by Randy Chang, director of instruction at Aloha Academy of Golf at the Ko'olau Golf Club. PGA instructors Kevin Carll, Kiyoko Sieradzki and Ko Olina's Marc Mellor joined Nichols at the Aliiolani School session.

"The program is being offered to public elementary schools and children in grades four through six as a way of introducing the game of golf to them in a fun, exciting and innovative manner," said Nichols, who developed the program thanks to a grant from the USGA.

"It's an opportunity to learn a game you can play all your life," Nichols told the youngsters. "It's a life-time game. Tiger Woods started when he was 2 years old and we have a member at Waialae who's 100 years old and still plays once a week."

The youngsters broke up into four groups for individual instruction from the four pros, learning the fundamentals through an innovative new learning system called SNAG, an acronym for "Starting New at Golf." The program was developed by Wally Armstrong, a nationally respected golf instructor and former PGA touring pro.

Jonathan Chandara follows through during a clinic to promote golf for the next generation.

Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

The SNAG kit contains oversized, plastic golf clubs, and velcro tennis-sized "golf balls" that adhere to velcro targets for tee shots and putts. The youngsters were grouped into teams for a little friendly competition that made it a fun morning.

After an hour, they reluctantly went back to their classrooms. But not before Nichols presented Wakida with a copy of Tiger Woods' book, "How I Play Golf," for the school's library.

"Tiger learned how to play golf by reading a how-to book ("Golf My Way") by Jack Nicklaus," Nichols told the youngsters. "Now it's your turn to learn how to play golf by reading a book by Tiger Woods."

Each of the schools visited in the program received a copy of Tiger's book. It is a valuable tool for the kids, according to Nichols.

"Tiger said he was inspired by Jack Nicklaus," Nichols said. "I hope the children of Hawai'i will be inspired to learn the game of golf by Tiger just as he was inspired by Jack Nicklaus."

Many of the youngsters were surprisingly enthusiastic about golf. Perhaps it was because a number of them were among the 300 elementary students who were bused to the Waialae Country Club during the week of the Sony Open for the First Hawaiian Bank's Pro-Junior Golf Challenge, which was the first phase of the "Get Into Golf Hawai'i" program.

They had learned then a little of the rules and etiquette of golf from the Aloha Section PGA pros.

Now, they have learned that golf can be fun, too.

The program was definitely worthwhile for the students, said Wakida, who plays to an 18-handicap.

Nichols has scheduled visits to Hahaione and Kalihi-Uka elementary schools next week. Eventually, he hopes, the introductory golf program can be broadened to involve the Neighbor Islands. For a program in its first year, it is off to a great start.

Through the efforts of Dave Randall of the Department of Education, Nichols and several members of the Aloha Section PGA will introduce the SNAG concept to some 300 physical education teachers attending a workshop May 16 at the University of Hawai'i's Cooke Field.

Speaking of Tiger

With his three-peat victory in the Bay Hill Invitational, Tiger Woods became the 12th different winner in 12 PGA Tour events this year. All of which underscores how deep the talent is on the PGA Tour.

The victory vaulted Woods from 10th place to the top of the 2002 money list, his accustomed spot. But who would have thought it would take this long into the season for Tiger to win his first event?

With Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, reigning Sony Open champion Jerry Kelly and defending champion Sergio Garcia already having qualified for the field, the 2003 Mercedes Championships next January is shaping up as the best yet since Kapalua's Plantation Course was first host to the event in 1999.

Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.