Sam Young has received many accolades during his long career teaching juniors to play golf. He was the PGA of Canada Leader of the Year in 2002 and the PGA of Ontario Teacher of the Year for Juniors in 2002 and 2003.
He was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 and the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame this past year.
“Those accolades are very nice and I appreciate them but let me tell you about this young girl I was teaching this summer,” says Young, quickly changing the subject.
“She was three years old and if she hit it 10-yards both her and her father were ecstatic.”
Young has sent his pupils to the LPGA, the Symetra Tour and to U.S. universities and colleges on scholarships, but even at 77, get him talking about teaching little kids and you can just hear in his voice how much he still likes it.
“I get a great kick out of teaching three-year-olds. Their parents are also really into it,” says Young who is the head professional, as well as owner-operator of Shelburne Golf and Country Club northwest of Toronto.
It’s not just three-year-olds that Young teaches. It’s juniors of any age.
“My wife says I get along with the kids so well because I act like a 12-year-old,” he explains.
Young can trace his love for teaching back to when he was a teenager at Oakdale and George Knudson took him aside to offer some help with his game.
“I was a teenager there and in three seasons I was almost on the U.S. Tour,” says Young. “I remember what George Knudson did for me. I think that explains it.”
Young began teaching while he was still in his teens although he admits he did have to learn how to teach.
“When I gave my first lesson it covered the full swing, everything, and I was done in about 45 seconds,” he recalls with a laugh.
Young did take a shot at tournament golf but a serious bout of arthritis determined that his future path in the game would be as a club professional and teacher.
He eventually bought the nine-hole Shelburne G&CC and after acquiring enough land expanded it to 18 holes, designing the new nine himself.
Young can only shake his head when he looks at the decline in junior golf, nationwide, and he’s not afraid to point the finger where he thinks the blame lies.
“Not enough pros want to get involved with juniors,” he says. “Once they get established in the business they don’t want to have anything to do with teaching juniors.
“And the rewards are really great. If they would just take an hour or two on a Sunday evening they would really see it.”
Young points out that we need to bring in more players at the grassroots level or the game will be in trouble.
“If you get a hundred kids, and even if you only retain 10 per cent of them that’s still 10 new players coming into the game,” he says.
