GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Minnesota summers are beautiful, and with the warmer weather, people tend to flock to the golf course. TGA of Central Hennepin County is hosting camps that get kids out on the course.
"Teaching kids, especially, is what I love to do," said owner and operator, Alex Tegels.
Programs are available in the summer for kids ages six to 14, and throughout the year from ages four all the way to 18.
"It's a wide array of junior programming, really is what it is," said Tegels. "It's very busy. We will probably have close to 300 kids in programming this summer, so it's very busy."
But it's not all about learning to play the game.
"Really what we get excited about here at TGA is developing that passion for the game, and making sure that they're excited to be out here," said Tegels. "Not necessarily that they need to be the next Tiger Woods, even though that would be amazing, it's not necessarily our goal."
The kids seem to enjoy it as well.
"It's pretty fun," said 9-year old, Beckett Mielke. "I mean, I feel like having the scrimmages, they're like a real game, sort of, and it's just time to have fun with my friends"
The programs get kids into the swing of things young, something Tegels says benefits them in the long run.
"It's easier to learn when you are shorter, when your muscles don't have that muscle memory, as we call it, with bad habits and that kind of thing," Tegels said.
The programs put an emphasis on teaching the kids lessons that go deeper than the green.
"It's a sport that you have to really rely on yourself to have that confidence to go out and play, and to believe in yourself that you can do this because there are times when golf — even for me, for anybody — is frustrating," Tegels said.
Limited spots remain for the TGA summer programs, and those run through August. To sign up click the link here.
Watch more of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest sports videos - from high school hockey to the Minnesota Vikings and everything in between - in our YouTube playlist: