JUNIOR GOLF PROGRAM UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE IN CANADA
Junior golfers in the Ottawa area are 
from a program unlike anything else in Canada.
Essentially, The Kevin Haime Junior Golf Initiative buys memberships for junior golfers, including at some of the top private clubs in Ottawa.
The unique program, which is in its eleventh year, is funded by the Kids to the Course Classic Golf Tournament, which is held every year at ClubLink’s Eagle Creek Golf Club.
“This is not a ‘give golf a try’ program,” says Haime, an Ottawa golf professional who has headed up the organizing committee since the beginning.
“Our idea is to allow kids who have a passion for golf to have the opportunity to play every day at a club. But it’s also about creating good community citizens and teaching the integrity and honour, and rules and the things that a country club teach.”
Currently 11 clubs in the Ottawa Valley, including ClubLink, are partners in the program.
In their 11 years, the program has given out close to 670 one year memberships. A junior who has received a membership can apply to receive one again the following year. Haime says, on average, they give out between 50 to 70 memberships a year.
The application program the juniors go through is unique and very detailed.
“The kids have to fill out the application and they have to write an essay, and if we can tell that the parents wrote the essay we send it back,” said Haime, who is the owner-operator of the Kevin Haime Golf Centre in Kanata.
“If anyone in their family is already a member at a club they’re disqualified. Monetary comes into the equation but mostly it’s about the desire of the child.”
Haime says the ability of the child is also not the determining factor and he points out they’re more interested in the number of rounds the child is currently playing than the scores they’re shooting.
Once the juniors have been chosen for the membership, they’re told what’s at stake.
“We tell the kids all the rules and regulations which include: hat off in the clubhouse, shirt tucked in, no backwards hats, and if they get caught cheating or stealing, or using vulgar language or misbehaving, they lose their membership immediately,” said Haime.
“We also tell all the kids that they represent us and our name, and that if they misbehave maybe no other kid will get to join there next year, so they’re representing the future of the program.”
Haime says it’s interesting to watch the kids grow into the program.
“We have kids, who at first were so shy they couldn’t even make eye contact with an adult at the club they were going to, but by the end of the year were on the 18th green with their hat off shaking hands with their playing partners who were CEOs of tech firms,” he said.
Haime said at first there was some hesitance from both sponsors and from the clubs themselves. That’s changed, however.
“It’s been an amazing process and now we have a lot of backing,” he says.
What may be a little surprising is that he has received practically no calls from across Canada asking how the program works. That needs to change now. If Kevin Haime and his program could be cloned in each Canadian province or city, golf would not have any problems.
If you want more information and want to create your own program, go to kidstothecourse.com and speak with Kevin.
Brooke Henderson takes time out from her busy schedule on the LPGA Tour and gives back to the kids at the program developed by Kevin Haime to put kids on the course
