SPRINGFIELD — Franconia Golf Course manager and professional golfer Steven Carle had some gentle advice for his young protégés from Van Sickle middle school who gathered around him on the course on the green on late Tuesday afternoon.
“As long as the ball goes in the right direction, that’s all I care about,” Carle, a PGA-trained golf pro, said as he instructed his eight beginners on the proper golf stance and the difference between irons and woods. Irons are for short distances requiring a V-shaped swing and woods are for long shorts requiring a U-shaped swing, he explained.
The students from Van Sickle Academy and Van Sickle Prep, who range in age from 12 to 14, are enrolled in a four-week instructional golf program sponsored by the Springfield Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with the Springfield Public Schools.
The students didn’t disappoint, Carle said. “As beginners, I expected they would miss a lot of balls, but they are hitting them all.” he said.
“Nice job, perfect,” he called as each of the four boys and three girls practiced their swings.
Samantha Hernandez, 12, sets up a shot during a lesson at Franconia Golf Course in Springfield. Hernandez is a student at Van Sickle Middle School. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Parks Department Superintendent Thomas Ashe said the “learn-to-golf“ program, now in its second year, is designed to expose inner-city kids —whose prior experience was limited to miniature golf — to the basic skills need to play the professional sport.
Ashe said Franconia, located at 617 Dwight St. and its sister course Veterans Memorial, located at 1059 South Branch Parkway, recently completed a combined $6 million renovation, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the pandemic relief program put in place during the COVID-19 crisis.
The “top-to-bottom renovations” include the revamping of both clubhouses and the maintenance of the grounds have elevated the status of both facilities.
An estimated 70,000 rounds of golf are played each year between the two municipal facilities, which are highly rated by locals and golfers across the state.
In late June, Veterans played host to the Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship, drawing 324 golfers.
Stephen Hanjack, Mass Golf director of marketing and communications, said that participants in the tournament “discovered what many already know. Veterans Memorial is one of the state’s hidden gems.”
Hanjack, who grew up in Enfield, said he is living his dream working in golf, “thanks in large part to playing at these two courses where my passion for the game was developed.”
Dwayne Early, athletic director for the city of Springfield, said he hopes the exposure to the game of golf will encourage some of the Van Sickle kids to consider choosing golf as a fall sport when they get to high school.
“Learning to play golf is a great experience for the kids,” he said, adding that it provides them free access to a sport that is less accessible and more expensive than other games.
Steven Carle, PGA pro golfer and manager at the Franconia Golf Course, teaches students from the Van Sickle Middle school in Springfield how to golf twice a week. The program’s goal is to spark interest in the sport in youth that might not think about the game. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Compared to other high school sports, participation on the golf team is low, Early said,” but we hope to build up the program in the future.” The program, based at Central High School, draws students from other Springfield high schools on a co-op basis, he said.
“I’m in touch with other school coaches to drum up interest in high school golf,” he said, noting that the social aspect of the game teaches another value gained by student players.
Many of Carle’s student golfers — some in their second year of the program that meets — see golf in their future.
Cameron Hassell-Cobham, 14, who participates in football and track at Van Sickle, said she is game to continue with golf. “This was the first time I was on a real golf course. The experience was very lively and fun,” she said.
Ruhan Nangsackda, 12, said the Franconia course was “cool,” adding that he will consider playing on a high school team as did O’Mya Harris, 14.
“This was the first time I was at a real golf course,” Harris said. “The Franconia course was really big, and the grass was really pretty.”
Carle asked the students what they learned during their hour of instruction before they advance to the next class focusing on chipping and putting. It was clear they were ready to move on to the next round of instruction.
Before they boarded the bus back to Van Sickle, Carle asked if they had any questions.
“Can we hit some more?” Nangsackda asked.
