PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

For those who wonder about the future of golf, let me say this:

The future of the game relates to our commitment to encourage juniors to play the game.

On that basis, the Oregon Golf Association (OGA), one of the best state golf organizations in the country, is way ahead of the curve.

Each year, the OGA organizes a substantial set of junior tournaments under this axiom:

Our core values (Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Fun & Friendship, and Stewardship) help develop our members to become tomorrow’s leaders today. Featuring both non-competitive and competitive events year-round, Oregon Junior Golf provides countless golfing opportunities throughout the year for youth players ages 7-18.

I have had the privilege of volunteering in junior tournaments for more than five years now and I always come away from the experience with a renewed sense of pride in the character of golfers I meet.

Most of them are learning to become adults, including with the ability to greet persons older than they are, plus play golf with the right balance of fun and performance.

I often reflect back on my family’s own experience with our son, Eric, who came through the OGA junior ranks more than 20 years ago. For him, it was a great experience, one he translated into an opportunity to play golf in college for Oregon State University.

The course in Salem where we are members, Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club, also emphasizes junior golf in at least these ways:

• The course is open, under the jurisdiction of the Pro Shop staff, to several high schools in the area (South Salem, Sprague), as well as to a couple colleges.
• A sprightly junior golf program is run by the Pro Shop to help introduce young children to the game. It’s great to see the kids decked out in golf gear, while trying to carry clubs on their backs.
• The club is always open to considering hosting tournaments for juniors run by the Oregon Golf Association. A couple years ago, I recruited a number of Illahe members to serve as “walking scorers” with very young players. To a person, these volunteers said they love to serve again.
• The club is considering sponsoring a program whereby, each year, it would sponsor a promising junior player or two to provide special access to the golf course when, through their families, they are not members.

The future of the game we love will fall to young people. So it makes eminent sense to foster interest by those juniors. And, as the Oregon Golf Association says, the playing experience will help these young people “to become tomorrow’s leaders today.”