The Parkland Jr. Golf League wrapped up the league portion of their schedule last night at the Gilbert Plains Country Club.
The league kicked off on July 4 and offered kids aged 9-17 a chance to get out on the course four times this month to learn the game, and most importantly have a great time while doing so.
"It was an overwhelming success," said Ryan Rauliuk. "With the parents bringing the kids out... and them having a great time, it was just a fantastic experience."
"We had some great reviews, and the comradery on the golf course was fantastic," he added. "The kids who just began playing golf progressed so much throughout the four weeks because they just kept coming out and they worked hard to get better. There was no rain throughout the four weeks, so it couldn't have gone much better."
28 kids took part in the league this year. That number is much higher then Ryan was expecting for the first year, so it's very safe to say golf in the Parkland has a bright future.
"Golf in the Parkland is very strong," said Rauliuk. "I think it's a hidden gem within the sports field in the Parkland. I encourage every kid in the Parkland to head down to the course because there's someone that can show you how to improve your game."
"I think we've proven how strong it is with this league," added Rauliuk. "The future of golf in the Parkland area is going to be strong, and we want to continue to build it to be strong."
With the overwhelming success of the league this year, it will be back next summer once again.
"It'll definitely be back," said Rauliuk. "We're looking at creating a board within the parents that are there so we can figure out if we need to change anything. But, we're also going to include the kids so they can have their say on what they think should happen. We kept it pretty simple overall this year."
"Just looking forward to next year, it's only going to get bigger and better," Rauliuk added.
