11-year-old Joyeux Umuhire squared his shoulders and hit the ball straight on. It sailed right through the makeshift pool noodle hoops as if he had been practicing for years. It was only his third day of golfing.
Umuhire was one of eight local residents to attend Beaver Meadow’s summer golf camp for kids on a scholarship provided by Friends of the Beav. There, they received guidance from golf pro Josh LaCasse and NHTI golf coach Trevor Moore.
Umuhire, Benson Gasirime and Malachi Tardif enjoyed a well-deserved grilled cheese and Powerade after the third and final day of camp. As they sat on the deck, they talked about the camp and what it felt like to golf for the first time.
“My least favorite part is leaving,” said Gasirime.
The 10-year-old said his favorite part of the camp was learning to hit a driver. He ranked golf above the other sports he’d tried, including basketball and soccer.
It was safe to say the camp converted him into a golf fan.
Malachi Tardif, Benson Gasirime and Joyeux Umuhire stand with their new golf bags, filled with clubs, excited to play golf again in the future after participating in Beaver Meadow’s summer golf camp. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
In May, the Monitor reported that the Friends of the Beav organization was trying to change the perception of golf in the city.
One of the best ways to do that is to provide access to golf for kids who have never even touched a putter, explained Friend of the Beav board member Steve Potoczak.
The organization sponsored eight kids from Concord to participate in its summer golf camps. In partnership with a school district home/school liaison, Ruth Christino, Potoczak went down to Broken Ground School with Beaver Meadow Golf Pro Josh LaCasse in preparation.
“We just went out in the back of the playground after school one day and let them hit some golf balls and showed them what it was all about,” Potoczak said about the sponsored participants’ intro session. “And they had a ball, so they’re excited about it.”
The boys took home their own golf bags with clubs and were provided with opportunities to return. Friends of the Beav provided them with a few free buckets of balls for the driving range and a round of golf so they can hit the course with friends one day.
Their bags were tagged so that people know they’re welcome anytime.
Sitting under the tent on the deck, they were pretty tired after a long few hours learning golf out on the course in the heat.
Some things were challenging to master in just three days. Tardif, 9, said putting was the most difficult part. He’d line up to hit it a certain way but couldn’t quite get the hang of it. Just like Gasirime, he was looking forward to getting a few free baskets of golf balls.
Umuhire was a bit different. He plays soccer too and wasn’t convinced he’d rank golf ahead of it quite yet. He still enjoyed learning the game; he picked the 7-iron as his favorite club and actually enjoyed putting.
“When someone’s about to hit the ball, stay away,” Umuhire said about the lessons he learned. “The right way to hold the club, they made sure we did the right thing.”
He said he can’t wait to brag to his sister about the experience.
