The Family Tee Program at Osoyoos Golf Club offers an abbreviated course that’s easier for beginner golfers, families and children. (Photo supplied)
The Osoyoos Golf Club hopes to draw more young and beginner golfers to the links this summer with its new Family Tee Program.
The program will see new tee-off locations set up in the centre of the fairways at the Park Meadows golf course, shortening the course to make it more accessible to golfers of varying skill levels.
The idea, according to General Manager Lee Sapach, is to encourage families to come out and golf together. The shorter course option, he explains, offers an opportunity for less skilled players to tee up alongside seasoned drivers and still reach the green in a similar number of strokes.
“I can go out with my wife and I can play the regular tees, and my wife or child or whatever can play the up tees and we can all have a good time,” he explains.
“What we’re looking for is trying to promote getting beginner golfers out here and give them a bit of experience on a shorter golf course. Now they’re able to play and instead of making a 12 or 14 on a hole, maybe they make a six or seven on a hole and they go ‘hey that’s not too bad.’”
According to Audrey McCullogh, the membership and marketing director for the Osoyoos Golf Club, the family tees mark off a 3,802-yard (3,477 metre), par-72 course. That’s 2549 yards (2330 kilometres) shorter than the longest yardage the course offers.
To further encourage families to come and play the course the Osoyoos Golf Club is offering a special package for families. During weekday afternoons two adults and two children can play nine holes for an affordable price, which even includes a cart and a hot dog at the end of the round.
“I think it would be a great family afternoon. You know, bring the family up and for 70 bucks you get a round of nine holes of golf, you get a cart and you get a hot dog when you’re done,” Sapach says.
He believes that both the fairly high skill cap and relative expense of the game dissuade casual players from coming to the course. The new program aims to address both of those things, both shortening the course and making it a little more affordable.
“Now hopefully we can make golfing attractive enough to at least get people through the door. If we can hook a couple of people and we can get a couple of memberships out of it I think it’s done its job.”
The Family Tee Program is running at the course now.
TREVOR NICHOLS
Special to the Times
