InSports Golf Summer Camp draws 25 youngsters for eighth year

Twenty-five students aged six to 18 from St. Catherine and the corporate area are taking part in the eighth InSports Golf Summer Camp, now well under way at Caymanas Golf Club.

The programme is the idea of Independence Park Limited General Manager Major Desmond Brown and is run with the Caymanas Golf Club and the Sports Development Foundation. Organisers say the camp is meant to bring golf to grassroots participants and widen the sporting options open to young people.

Coaches and club players have been walking the campers through the basics of the game. Sports Minister Olivia Grange, speaking to the group, undertook to add one more week to the schedule, which had been set to wrap up on Friday.

Officials noted that some of this year’s intake also attended last year, and that the camp is intended to develop pathways into golf as a vocation — from caddying through to competitive play — with the prospect that a future standout may emerge from the group.

Following last year’s edition, organisers launched a year-round follow-on programme, and several participants now play golf throughout the year. The Sports Development Foundation said it wants every Jamaican to have a chance to try every sport, including golf, which remains out of reach for many.

Young campers spoke enthusiastically about the experience. One said they enjoy sinking putts, training and showing their skills. Another described working on the green and on the range. A fifth-year participant said their game has improved through better driving and putting practice.