By utilizing every level of the program, Essex Parks and Recreation provides special experiences for youngsters of all skill levels

Hook A Kid On Golf provides a special experience for youngsters who participate in it. Although much can be learned by simply participating in one season, the program is ideally designed for children who are interested in continuing their golf instruction through a steady progression of more challenging levels.

Dedication to retention is why sites like Essex Parks and Recreation (Vt.), the 2008 Hook A Kid On Golf Site of the Year, stands out among its peers. An active site since 2003, Essex Parks and Recreation offers every level of the Hook A Kid On Golf program.

“We’ve seen Tee Level participants come back year after year to enroll for the Green Level clinics and the Challenge League,” said Ally Vile, program coordinator for Essex Parks and Recreation. “We also see their names in junior leagues at our local golf course. It’s nice to know we had a part in them learning and continuing the game.”

Sometimes, children participate in Hook A Kid On Golf for just one session, but then do not continue on to the next level of clinics. In an effort to create life-long golfers, Essex Parks and Recreation urges its participants to experience every level of this innovative instructional program.

Essex youth start with the Tee Level clinics, which consist of a week-long instructional course for first-time golfers ages 8-15. Each youngster receives a beginner set of golf clubs and the majority attend at no cost thanks to local and national grants. Essex area children who wish to take their instruction a step further enjoy the Green Level clinics, a six-week course that takes beginning golfers on the course in a supervised setting to learn rules, etiquette and course management.

Once a child is ready for some competitive play, Hook A Kid On Golf offers the Challenge Golf League. The Challenge League is a "little-league" program for golf in which kids who are ready for on-course play participate on teams that are supervised and coached by trained adult volunteers.

“It’s not just about golf, it brings in other aspects like the maintenance of the course,” said Vile. “We have one of our police officers talk to the groups about making smart choices, and there’s the progressive aspect of Hook A Kid On Golf. The Green Level and Challenge League opportunities keep the kids going in the sport.”

Essex Parks and Recreation runs three one-week Hook A Kid On Golf sessions throughout the summer. About eight children participate in each clinic, with two being coed and one being a girls-only session.

Essex Parks and Recreation takes full advantage of all the grant opportunities that Hook A Kid On Golf has to offer, such as the matching grant provided by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

“Offering this program allows us to reach out to those children interested in the sport who normally wouldn’t have the chance to own their own equipment and have a professional introduction to the game of golf,” Vile said.

Essex Parks and Recreation’s mission is to advance its recreation programs so that it enhances the quality of life in its community. So far, golf instruction has been fulfilling that mission perfectly.

“It’s a life-long sport which they can also play with parents or make a family event,” Vile said. “It reaches those kids who may not be interested in team sports. It’s appealing to those children who may not excel at traditional sports, and it gets kids outdoors.”

Much of the reason why Essex Parks and Recreation is so successful with running Hook A Kid On Golf is because they are so organized. Being a relatively small department, their administrators wear several different departmental “hats” and they pride themselves on maintaining open lines of communication.

Their superb organization and their dedication to continuing education in golf are just a few reasons why Essex Parks and Recreation stands out above the rest. As the 2008 Hook A Kid On Golf Site of the Year, Essex Parks and Recreation’s youth golf program is more than up to par.