Thanks to a grant by the Polson Rotary Club, Polson middle school students are learning a life-long sport. Larry Ashcraft of the Rotary Club said that Polson Bay golf course Head Golf Professional Cameron Milton approached the club around this time last year with a proposal to get golf into schools. “We advertise for organizations to come propose a project to us,” he said. The projects have to have something to do with youth in the community. This year, the Rotary Club funded two projects instead of just one – something Ashcraft said they hadn’t done before. Those projects were Milton’s golfing in schools project and the Horticulture barn improvements in Ronan.

Over $14,000 was raised to help the golf project, which has now come to life in the Polson middle school. For the last couple of months, middle school students have been learning to golf with specialized indoor golf equipment purchased with the grant. Milton is in the middle school one day a week for seven periods. “We have about 350 kids,” he said, “It’s been great.”

Learning how to golf isn’t the only goal of the program. During their Physical Education period, the kids do golf relays involving running, jumping jacks, and pushups. Milton said part of the idea is to keep the kids’ heart rates up. “He’s got them doing all sorts of exercise,” Ashcraft added.

Middle school PE teacher Randy Kelley said the program has been great, and added that it may peak kids’ interest in going out for the golf team in high school. “I think the kids have learned a lot,” he said, “and it’s a life long sport.”

Unless their parents golf, kids may not have ever golfed before the class. “It gives kids a chance to play that may not ever have had the chance otherwise,” Ashcraft said.

One of those students, eighth grader Davis Smith, said he had played golf a little bit before the class. “Now I think I’ll play more because we’re learning how to,” he said. He added that he didn’t think he plans on signing up for the golf team in high school, but thinks he’ll do more golfing in the summers.