Gannon wraps up 2010 Junior Clinic

LYNN – Stand in front of the clubhouse at Gannon Golf Course on a Monday morning in the middle of summer and you will see a scene that replays itself year after year: Hundreds of local boys and girls making their way down the 18th fairway as a part of the Gannon Junior Clinic.Kids from ages six through 15 come to the clinic every summer to learn about golf, but more importantly, to learn about life and to make some new friends.On Monday, the 2010 version of the clinic came to an end as each of the participants was awarded a trophy and treated to breakfast and lunch in the club’s grill room.”We take a lot of pride in this program,” club pro Mike Foster said to the students, “and all of you here.”Every week, the over 200 participants are broken up into age groups and taught the basics of the game and etiquette on the course by Foster and a group of volunteers who donate their time to help make the program run.”We couldn’t do this without the volunteers,” Foster said. “They are the ones who help make this go and they deserve a round of applause.”Following the hour of instruction, the kids head out on the course’s front nine to play a nine-hole tournament every week and some of the older members take part in several tournaments through the summer months.On Monday, the winners of those tournaments were also honored with trophies. Mike Cole and Joe Calnan won the Junior 4-Ball championship to begin the summer.Cole also went on to claim the course’s Junior Club Championship, a title won by many of the course’s most prominent members over the years. Chris McDonald won the 14-year-old title with Nick Amenta winning in the 13’s and Ryan Borders claiming the 12-and-under championship.