Montana State Golf Association holds Junior Camp

Beautiful Marian Hills Golf Course was host to the 2016 Marian Hills Junior Golf Camp, a three day event that started last Wednesday, June 15 and ended last Friday, June 17. Thirteen middle school girls and boys attended the event led by current and former Malta High School golfers and coaches.

"We had a Junior Golf Camp mainly to get kids interested in golf and hopefully they will go out in high school," Malta assistant coach Jim Nevrivy told the PCN.

The event was sponsored by the Montana State Golf Association, who provided the event with a grant to buy junior clubs, T-shirts and allowed the event to happen.

Former Malta High School golf coach Roger Amundson who is Vice President of the Montana State Golf Association, was at the event as a coach.

"Our camp went really well," Amundson said. "The Montana State Golf Association is really pushing for K-8 (Kindergarten- through Eighth grade) to be introduced to golf. The Association helped us out with some funding to buy some equipment for the kids and we thought it was a good time."

Amundson will be the Association's President this fall.

"Our agenda will be to continue to promote youth golf with an emphasis in Eastern Montana," Amundson said.

Among the coaches at the camp was Gordon Webb, a former Malta High School Golf standout that had won three titles at State.

"We wanted to teach them the basics, obviously the rules of golf, the etiquette and then try to get them straightened out," Webb said. "These kids don't play too much golf so we wanted to start them off swinging the club right, show them how to grip a putter, grip a club, just get them started out right. That's what we're shooting for."

When Webb was growing up the junior camp did not exist, but Webb learned the game at a very young age.

"We didn't have a camp going on," he said. "But a lot of my buddies and I would come out here and we would play year round."

Webb's love of golf was fouled by the sport's rising in the early 2000's.

"We had a lot more interest when I was a kid but golf was also bigger," Webb said. "The Tiger (Woods) boom was going on so it was a lot easier to get kids to come out and then it kind of lulled out and we are just trying to get kids back into it again."

The camp feature a game called "Scramble," which is also a local favorite.

"Everybody tees off and you go and play the best ball," Nevrivy said. "Everybody hits from there and everybody puts when we get to the green."

Nevrivy, who has been coaching Malta with his wife, Head Coach Lynn Nevrivy believes that the young group displayed some talent.

"We had a couple of them that have a lot of potential," Nevrivy said. "One girl, Arena Niebur has got a lot of potential if she keeps with it."

He also noticed Gavin Benge, who had the attention of both Nevrivy coaches.

"He's got a nice swing and hits the ball very well," Nevrivy said.

The event couldn't come at a better time, with a cool wind and a very small amount of mosquitoes.

"It's a little windy as usual but if you don't learn to play in the wind out here you don't play," Nevrivy said.

Nevrivy was proud of the young golfers who got better as the day went on.

"There has been a big improvement since day one," he said.