A youth golf tournament took place in Elkford over the long weekend for the second year in a row.
On Saturday (July 30), 21 youth aged 10 to 18 hit the greens at Mountain Meadows Golf Club for the game, according to Donna Klapp, organizer for the event.
“It was a super good day, it was really hot,” she said.
Last year’s tournament included about 14 kids.
“This year it just got bigger and better,” Klapp said, adding that they had great sponsors for the event.
In the 14-plus age category, the boys winner was Jayden Lagodi, and the girls winner was Brooke Ingham.
“It was fantastic, we just had such great sponsorship. It was huge,”
Klapp said the idea for the tournament had been floating around for a few years, and then last year, with some money from Teck that the company wanted to go towards youth, they were able to make it happen. Both years’ events had several other sponsors from town as well.
The first tournament was also a way to give the kids something normal to do as the COVID period was relaxing.
“It was just such a huge success.”
Klapp said the biggest reason they were able to do it in Elkford was because the golf course is so kid-friendly.
“They actually closed the course down for six hours on a Saturday on a long weekend to let these kids do this.”
The event was all volunteer-run, and included Justin Hart of Elkford and Erin Lalonde (Klapp’s daughter) from Fernie.
They plan to put on a third rendition of the tournament next year, Klapp said.
“What blew me away and blew all the volunteers away was how good some of these kids are getting, and how much they love the competition,” she said.
“They just loved it.”
READ MORE: Fernie Golf Club’s 2022 Junior Golf Program ‘went really, really well’, golf teacher says
READ MORE: Elk Valley Parkinson’s Golf Fundraiser brings in $13,060 in 2022
READ MORE: Local golf tournament and gala brings in $300k for local charities
@fishynewswatch
josh.fischlin@thefreepress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.