Rotary golf camp teaches the fundamentals

Golf is a special game and usually once you start, it's a sport that sticks with you for life. And that is exactly what Jim Kato and Doug Sheppard are hoping for this week at the annual Rotary kids golf camp.

Kato and Sheppard, who are in their seventh year of running the Rotary golf camp, which hosts kids ages eight and up, teach not only the fundamentals of the game, but about the game itself in hopes that the kids in attendance will pick it up and become participants for life.

"That is a big goal is to get the kids to keep playing the game," Kato said. "Sometimes it's harder because they have to keep coming out and playing by themselves, but we see a lot of repeat faces in the camp so that's good. But, yeah, trying to get them to play the game is a big part of it."

Yet, outside of trying to generate interest in the game among youths, Kato and Sheppard, who have each been giving lessons for more than 20 years and both have been trained as PGA teaching professionals, are simply trying to instill the basics in the next generation of Havre golfers.

This is done by having the kids go through a number of different drills that include hitting shots on the driving range with drivers and irons, chipping and putting on the practice greens and even taking a course on the rules and etiquette of golf, which even includes some golf trivia questions like who won the 2015 Masters.

One of the kids who received instruction from Sheppard and Kato this week was 14-year old Ethan Roberts of Havre. Roberts, who is involved with other sports as well, said he plays golf on occasion but not on a regular basis. He said he learned plenty of skills at golf camp and looks forward to playing the game for years to come.

    "I think the best thing about golf camp is all the things that you learn," Roberts said. "They really help you out a lot and without their help, you wouldn't be getting better."

Another student of the game this week is Lauren Kato, who like Roberts is 14 years old. Yet, for Kato this week may not seem so different than usual, because as coach Kato's daughter, she has been getting her own lessons for around seven years.

    "I have been playing since I was around seven," Lauren Kato said. "I play golf quite a bit, but it just kind of depends on how much time that I have."

Lauren Kato added that her favorite part of golf camp is the scramble that takes place today during the final day of the three-day camp. The scramble gives the kids an opportunity to play a few holes either as an individual or as part of a team. The kids are put in groups according to age and compete against each other as they put their newly developed skills to the test.

As it has been the last seven years, the Rotary golf camp was once again a resounding success in 2015. More than 40 kids participated and received instruction from Sheppard and Kato, who are instrumental in the camps’ success not just due to their extensive knowledge of the game, but even more so because of their passion for golf and desire to pass it on to the next generation.

“Jimmy really should get most of the credit,” Sheppard said. “He has really been the driving force behind it. But it’s been a good week, and it’s been great to see so many kids come out.”

“The biggest thing for me is just that the kids have fun,” Kato said. “That’s really what it’s all about. It’s great that we get to teach them about golf but most importantly we want them to have fun and enjoy it."