Barry Stewart,
Black Press
It may be that there’s no such thing as a free lunch — but free golf lessons for kids?
Well... it’s true.
The Ladies’ group at the Hope Golf Course is sponsoring junior golf lessons taught by certified instructor Valerie Beebe, the new teaching pro at the local course.
Lessons will be on Mondays, starting July 11 and running for seven weeks.
Beebe, who grew up in Ottawa but is now a Chilliwack resident, started teaching golf seven years ago at the Kinkora club in Chilliwack.
She’s also a certified skating instructor and a former coach of artistic and rhythmic gymnastics.
Her husband, Ross, builds golf clubs under the Chimo Golf label.
“He builds the clubs and I teach people how to use them,” says Beebe. “I’ve taught kids as young as three years old and adults as old as 73.”
Beebe says she had never played the Hope course before she was invited to be the teaching pro on a three-days-per-week basis.
“It’s going to be just beautiful out here this summer,” she enthused. “And it’s going to be a great fit for me. I’ve met some of the ladies’ group and they’re very positive. It’s a great thing that they’re doing for the juniors.”
A school teacher from Lytton has been bringing her students down to Hope on a bus for various activities, said Beebe, and when she heard about the lessons she wanted to sign them up.
Understandably, that caused some concerns, as the lessons were intended for Hope youths.
“I’ve worked something out, though,” said Beebe. “I’ll be working with them for an hour, earlier in the day.”
Beebe and fellow teaching pro Jennifer Greggain were in Hope last week to discuss an exciting learn-to-golf program for kids.
Greggain lives in Rosedale and works at the Bridal Falls course. There will be more details coming in August about their SNAG (Starting New at Golf) program, which will be offered through Hope and District Recreation in the fall.
It has also been promoted to local elementary schools, so there may soon be a lot of local kids getting introduced to this life-long game.
To register your child, phone the golf course at 604-869-5881, or drop by the pro shop during daylight hours. To contact Beebe directly, phone 604-819-5445.
Beebe will also continue her work at Kinkora, where she has been running a successful junior program on Wednesdays.