Get Into Golf was created with a single goal in mind: get more non-golfers involved in golf at Champion Hills. So, in 2016, Champion Hills member Betty Stebbins presented our Club with a concept for making the game of golf accessible and fun for those who want to pick up a golf club without the commitment or pressure of traditional lessons and group play.
By spring of 2016, the inaugural Get Into Golf group was established with the support of several members, many of who had been hoping for just this type of group in hopes of receiving the foundational skills needed to enjoy the game of golf.
“There are a large number of golfers here at Champion Hills, like myself, who are not quite comfortable taking on nine holes from the start, so this group does a fantastic job of bridging the gap between the beginner and the novice, “ explained Stebbins.
How it works:
• Start with an optional 4-session group lesson where our PGA Golf Professionals will take you through the basics, giving you the confidence to head out on the course. 4-3 hour sessions in 2-weeks
• Following your group session, you will begin our learn-and-play program which meets each Thursday at 1:00 pm, all season long (May through October), to play a limited number of holes without the fatigue, strain, and time commitment that can make golf lose its appeal. Also, we rotate the holes played, so you’ll get a chance to experience the entire course.
• In conjunction with our learn-and-play program, one of our PGA Golf Professionals will join you on the course each week to give tips and ensure that you are comfortable with the entire course.
• Plus, group members participate in weekly “quick tip” clinics with our PGA Professionals that are completely customized to the needs of the group, meet at the driving range or short game area and polish up those trouble areas!
The ability to explore the game of golf at your own pace, with others who are on your skill level proved to be just what our “Get Into Golf-ers” needed. As their confidence and skill set began to grow, the fun began to flow. “It’s wonderful to have a set time, just for us,” says Stebbins. “We can play slowly and terribly, without worrying that we’re holding anyone else up.”
The Results
Get Into Golf has been invaluable to our members on and off the golf course. It has made the game of golf more accessible to all and has brought our community closer together, providing a setting for our members to get to know one another and share in the common bond of learning a new hobby.
Many of those who joined us for the 2016 Get Into Golf season returned the following year to continue their progress and to reunite on the golf course with their newly formed friends. Some even took it a step further and formed another golf group for those wishing to apply the lessons and structure from Get Into Golf while still taking liberties, as they work toward completing a 9-hole round.
For many, Get Into Golf is the proverbial first step towards unlocking all that our club and community has to offer. “Joining Get Into Golf made me feel like I fit in, and opened up my connections to all of the things to do at Champion Hills and the surrounding area,” says a past participant.
This group shows participants that it is easy to get out and try something new, and we hope that once you try Get Into Golf that you will extend that adventurous spirit to try even more new hobbies, make new friends, and explore new interests—all at Champion Hills.
