Tyler Stene’s first seven months in Prince Rupert have raised interest and involvement in the sport
When Tyler Stene arrived in Prince Rupert six months ago, he said he had big plans for the golf club.
With his first summer in town drawing to a close, the golf course’s new pro feels he has been able to see many of these said plans come to fruition.
“There’s a movement happening at the Prince Rupert Golf Club. We’re seeing the beginning of a very strong junior program, and more participation from the public,” Stene said.
On the youth front Stene is referencing a targeted push towards getting junior golfers involved in the game. Prior to the school year ending, Stene made appearances at the town’s elementary schools to introduce kids to the game via his Starting New At Golf (SNAG) program.
“You have to go into the schools, especially if you’re the only golf professional in the community,” Stene said. “You have to make sure you give every kid the same opportunity to play.”
Stene saw the enthusiasm carry on after school ended, with all eight of his kids’ summer camps going over capacity. He also serves as the coach of the Charles Hays golf team, which in June sent a team to provincials for the first time in over six years.
Stene also noted a jump in participation from twenty and thirty-year olds, many of whom work for the port or perform seasonal work in Prince Rupert. He believes that, along with the youth, these ages are key for growing the sport.
“You can play it for the rest of your life, there’s not many sports out there where you can do that,” Stene said.
There has also been a rise in charity tournaments at the course. Last month saw more than $7,000 raised for the B.C. Burn Fund at the Firemen’s Scramble. The September long weekend played host to the annual ILWU Scramble, which raised more than $17,500 for the B.C. Children’s Hospital last year. This is in addition to charity events held earlier in the year, with more planned before 2019 is out.
“I love doing those events,” Stene said. “We’ll have all sorts of competitions to generate more stuff for charity.”
Stene emphasizes that golf is for everybody, and hopes that his efforts will convince people of that.
“A lot of people say ‘I’m not very good.’ It doesn’t matter. No matter how good or bad you are, you’re going to have fun if you get out here and play,” Stene said.
“Judging by how many new people I saw this year, just a lot of people who have never golfed before, now they’re hooked. They’re not all bankers, lawyers or stockbrokers, and they’re out here having a great time quite often now.”
“With our town size and our member numbers, I think there’s a lot of room for growth,” Stene concluded.
“This is just the beginning.”
