Wayne Hachey (left) had some of his golf students on the driving range last Thursday, but he’s started a league for them to get them out playing golf more. With him practising are Seth Kriese, middle, a Grade 11 student who played hockey with the Coyotes, and Grady Pearson, a Grade 9 student, who is newer to golf. (Richard McGuire photo)
High school students in the Osoyoos Desert Golf Academy now have an 18-member league to practice their skills on the golf course.
Wayne Hachey, director of instruction at the academy at Osoyoos Secondary School, said he started the league earlier this month for the students from Grade 8 to 12 in the academy.
“I instigated it because I wanted the kids to get out on the golf course a bit more,” said Hachey, adding that this is the first time he’s tried a league.
The high school program has been running for five years now. Students come to the golf course every day to learn skills, but the league gives them more experience playing the game.
“It’s one thing to go on the range all the time, but the game is played out on the golf course,” said Hachey. “I want to encourage them to get out on the golf course and play the game.”
Students are assigned a partner, often being matched so that a more experienced student is paired with another with less experience. They play in pairs, two against two.
The academy, like the hockey academy, is treated as an actual course at OSS, like a physical education course, said Hachey. Students have different skill levels.
Hachey said he plans to take the top two students to Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver.
“I’m giving them a little bit of a carrot to entice them,” he said. “That’s one of the most prestigious courses in North America, so they’re going to have a chance to go at the end of school for a game down there.”
The league will run to the end of the school year in June.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
