The annual Kids Fun Day and Junior Golf Clinic presented by Jared Enterprises set an attendance record on Friday, as more than 200 turned out at Highland Springs Country Club. That is roughly double the number from a year ago.
The event, with Jared Enterprises as a new title sponsor, marked the first of the summer for the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, a PGA Web.com Tour stop from Aug. 13-16 at Highland Springs.
Friday’s event – long a part of the PCCC — was free to the public, and the crowd included a large number of children from the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield. The event began at 10 a.m. and, with so many kids, lasted three hours. Children took part in playing on inflatables from Amberg Entertainment, face-painting and learning safety from the Logan-Rogersville Fire Department. Lunch was provided. Photos can be found on the PCCC Facebook page.
“I’m just thrilled to see so many kids enjoying all the games and learning about home safety; partaking in the food; and, in many cases, being introduced to golf,” said Jerald Andrews, Tournament Director.
Brian Maloney, the Director of Golf at Highland Springs, and other area teaching pros led children in learning ways to hit tee shots. Among the neat strategies was a 20-foot-high inflatable dragon, in which kids could try to hit into any one of three holes.
Maloney emphasized to everybody that it’s never too early to start playing golf and certainly never too late.
“I saw a couple out here the other day that were in their 80s,” Maloney said during a TV interview. “You don’t see any basketball players, football players or baseball players playing at age 80. This is a sport for a lifetime.”
Friday’s event comes as the PCCC fields calls about business sponsorships as well as ticket requests. The tournament has raised $12 million for local children’s charities in the past 25 years, including a record $1 million-plus a year ago. To support the PCCC, call 887-3400.