Three of the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation’s former juniors, Aaron Robinson, Aaron Grimes and Gabriel Cruz—all of whom are now professional golfers—mingled with the current juniors during the day.

Former SCGA Junior Golf Foundation golfer and current professional golfer Gabriel Cruz

Sixteen-year-old junior Zebulon “Zeb” Barnes returned to playing golf this past year after taking a seven-year break to focus on basketball and recently shot his lowest round to date at 75. He currently serves as a volunteer coach in the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation’s Player & Youth Development program at Alondra Golf Course in Lawndale. These kids may well look up to Barnes, just as he does Robinson, whom he got to know on Saturday.

“It was awesome talking to him,” Barnes said. “He told me about his backstory and how he got into golf. It’s awesome that I’m a part of this organization where a lot of PGA players and college players got their start. It’s an honor to be connected to all of them.”

The introduction meant just as much to Robinson.

“It’s pretty overwhelming in a very positive way,” Robinson said. “You never know which kid is looking. I hit a shot and then I met Zeb right here and he was like, ‘What’s your Instagram? You guys are valid.’ Just seeing how my game and sticking to it is perceived by the juniors who are looking, inspires me to stay on my A game and inspire the next person.”

Robinson emphasized the importance of events like Saturday’s in helping “youth get into golf and finding out that it’s a game for everyone to learn and get better at.”

“Today was cool. It’s not over-the-top professional,” Robinson said. “It’s just ‘Hey, you want to learn some golf? Come out.’ That’s the most important theme of the game now. Breaking down those barriers of difficult and expensive and opening the door for people to come see if it’s a game for them.”

SCGA Junior Golf Foundation Executive Director Kevin Gigax addressing Camp Jain, as Jain founder, Chris Hovsepian, looks on

In his introductory comments, Jain founder Chris Hovsepian addressed the roughly 200 people in attendance, lauding the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation as an “incredible program and platform for Southern California dedicated to giving our youth a safe space to learn golf and ultimately what this game can teach them about life.” He then asked all the juniors in attendance to stand up and led the crowd in applauding them. Next, Hovsepian introduced SCGA Junior Golf Foundation Executive Director Kevin Gigax.

“Chris speaks our language,” Gigax said. “The SCGA (Junior Golf Foundation) is about how do we create community for kids to thrive on and beyond the course. What we’re thinking of is access and opportunity. When we raise money for SCGA Junior, it’s about what are all the obstacles that exist so that any kid in any community in Southern California has the opportunity to play golf. We really appreciate Jain’s partnership in this and are excited for a fun day.”

After the enthusiastic crowd assembled for a photo, the group was divided into two for a pair of contests each alternated competing in.

Roughly 200 people convened at The Lakes at El Segundo and TopGolf to attend Camp Jain

For the putting contest, all the participants made a circle around the putting green, each putting a golf ball marked with their initials on it. In the water balloon toss, everyone chose a partner and took turns lobbing their water balloon back and forth, taking a large step back after each successful attempt to make the next more difficult.

Juniors and other campers stood in a circle, preparing to putt

A camper heaves a water balloon in competition

After a lunch break, during which many campers hit balls in the dedicated TopGolf bays, got their faces painted and socialized, the entire group reassembled for a spirited closest-to-the-hole competition.

Each contingent of campers was led throughout the day by a pair of “camp counselors,” with SCGA Junior shepherded by Bradford Wilson, the host of the SCGA’s Bradford Plays video series and Kaycee Wilke, the Junior Foundation’s Player & Youth Development Director.

Wilson, who hails from southern New Jersey, said he “jumped at the chance” to be involved in the Foundation as an adult, as nothing like it existed for kids where he grew up.

“To be a part of something like this, really gives back to myself,” Wilson said. “I’m down with whatever Jain wants to do in the future. Especially to benefit SCGA Junior, that’s where my heart is.”

Alysa Davis takes her shot during the closest-to-the-hole competition

Alysa Davis, who turns 16 next month, was one of the juniors who attended Camp Jain.

“I like supporting SCGA Junior because they’ve given me a lot of opportunities to play different events, so I always try to support this organization that’s done so much for me,” Davis said. “This event was great. The games were fun, the food was good and I always enjoy TopGolf.”

Thanks to the generosity of Bel-Air Country Club and Friends of Golf, 20 juniors gathered on the grill room patio for lunch followed by a riveting Q&A with the LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer. 

Our juniors were inspired to hear that Ms. Alcott began playing in the front yard of her childhood home, putting into sprinkler heads and soup cans. Everyone chuckled when Ms. Alcott shared that her neighborhood nickname was “one more Alcott,” as she always pleaded to have one more putt before it was time to head into the house for homework or dinner. 

Ms. Alcott emphasized remembering that “you are more than your number.” In other words, one’s self-worth and self-confidence should not be determined by how they are playing on a given day. Many girls were encouraged by Ms. Alcott’s playing career successes and appreciated her candid reflections. 

Throughout her time with our juniors, Ms. Alcott, who boasts 33 professional victories worldwide spanning a 40-year career, continued to underscore the importance of preparation and “finding bliss” through the game. She powerfully highlighted the many more opportunities available for female juniors today, reminding the girls that she had to play on the men’s team when she was in high school. 

The afternoon wrapped with autographs and photos and additional tips on how to improve one’s mental game. Thank you, Bel-Air Country Club, Friends of Golf and Ms. Alcott for a memorable moment concluding the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship!

Check out the full photo gallery for the event.

Photo credit: Derek Ban / IG: @banflicks

In the initial grouping, the spotlight shone on Latanna Stone, a seasoned fifth-year student at LSU, who was pitted against Rachel Heck, a distinguished senior from Stanford University. The second group showcased the talents of Hailey Borja, a fifth-year competitor from the University of Michigan, and Megan Schofill, also in her fifth year, representing Auburn University. An enchanting moment materialized on the first hole, when the gracious Borja took time to sign autograph books for an enthusiastic gathering of junior girls, sparking waves of excitement and joy.

As the day drew to a close, Heck ultimately fell short in her match against Stone. Similarly, Borja’s efforts were not enough to secure victory, as she was narrowly defeated by Schofill.

Following Saturday’s matches, excitement lingered in anticipation of Sunday’s final matchup, which would pit sixth-ranked Schofill against the 45th-ranked Stone. Our juniors’ enthusiastic and steadfast support for the competitors made for a warm backdrop as they devotedly followed the matches from hole to hole. The juniors showed unwavering exuberance, fully immersing themselves in the competitive semifinal matches.

For Erynne Lee, a 27-year-old LPGA card holder, golf is a combination of all three.

After a decorated competitive career that catapulted her to the then-Symetra Tour, Lee’s flame of eagerness to give back to the game did not extinguish. Starting her coaching career with SCGA Junior, Lee recently relocated to New Jersey with her boyfriend and accepted an assistant coach position with the Princeton University women’s golf team.

Born into a golf-savvy family, Lee was destined for a life on the course. While her father is a “bogey golfer,” he still encouraged and challenged Lee to pursue golf and “just keep swimming.”

Besides her father, Lee’s younger sister followed the family legacy and picked up the sport. The Washington residents quickly made golf a “family affair.”

At the age of 9, Lee swung her first club, and the rest is a series of accomplishments that not only make her family proud but inspire the children and teens everywhere to fall in love with the game.

At 12-years-old, Lee was competing on the national stage, which proved to be successful. From there, golf followed Lee into her college career where she played competitively on full scholarship for UCLA’s women’s golf team from 2011 to 2015. She enjoyed the competitive atmosphere of the team and the school—going on to receive her degree in psychology.

All her hard work in college paid off; Lee held a career in professional golf for over six years. In 2016, Lee joined the Symetra Tour, the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. Her incredible scores rewarded her with an LPGA card in 2018.

Lee attributes much of her success to the coaches on the Symetra Tour, who made sure she was well-fed and taken care of each day while she navigated a demanding practice schedule.

“Being able to perform on the highest level week in and week out (was a challenge),” she admitted.

But Lee did not limit her passion and proficiency for golf just to a professional setting.

“I’ve been transitioning out of the competitive environment and pursuing coaching and teaching,” Lee said.

Where she was once working day-in day-out on her own personalized schedule, Lee began working around the schedule of youth in the greater Los Angeles area as a coach for SCGA Junior. Late afternoons during the week and early mornings on the weekend defined the start of Erynne Lee’s transformation to golf coaching.

“As a player, you understand golf from your perspective and point of view—in the way your body reacts and swings the golf club,” admits Lee.

The adjustment to teaching was no easy task, but it was one Lee found incredibly fulfilling. She acknowledges that everyone comes from different walks of life, which dictates their understanding of golfing in general.

Her best tactic to help the golfers-to-be is showing enthusiasm and energy while still offering mechanical adjustments, which was rewarding for both parties.

“The kids would learn from the weeks prior and seeing them grow individually was fulfilling for me as a coach,” she effuses.

Despite the transition to coaching, Lee acknowledges her days of competing aren’t quite finished either. 

“I’ll definitely have other opportunities to play down the road, so I haven’t closed that chapter yet.”

As for the golf community, Lee understands how frustrating the game of golf can be.

“You have to persevere—we all watched the movie ‘Finding Nemo’: ‘just keep swimming.’”

She also encourages connecting with a local pro, or even head to YouTube for testimonials and tutorials.

Anyone can be a golfer, whether it be a hobby or a profession.

Simply by following the course, which always involves compassion, hard work and good times in a family environment. This was their first year involved in the PGA Junior League— a series of match-play team tournaments against other junior organizations in the area.

“PGA Junior League has been an awesome opportunity to watch our kids grow and take advantage of all the opportunities that we offer to practice and play,” said Kaycee Wilke, Director of Player & Youth Development. “From start to finish, our players became more knowledgeable about the rules of golf, practiced better etiquette each week, improved as golfers.”

Meeting for practice twice a week, the process followed what SCGA Junior is used to—working hard and having fun with our game improvement process.

“The coaches teach them values: respect, honor, dedication—it’s a very holistic approach, not just hitting a ball,” says Wally Viray, father of junior player, Chloe. “They make it fun. These coaches are like family to the kids.”

While the team aspect is new, they did not hesitate to embrace it. By using familiar instruction and technique, they incorporated their experience into an exciting team play strategy.

“You see them huddle together on the course, strategizing during the tournaments,” Viray said. “There’s no pressure on a single kid and they actually learn to be more aggressive by being in a team format.”

Joan Martinez’s daughter Sophia is naturally very shy when it comes to social situations which is how she gravitated towards golf at 5 years old, but being a part of a team helped change that.

“The social aspect with having teammates in the PGA League has allowed her to mature,” Martinez said. “I see evidence of this all the time. If I would have let her be, she would have played golf all day with her friends even after the event was over.”

With the Martinez’s, golf is a family affair. When Sophia isn’t dominating SCGA Junior tournaments, her and Joan spend a lot of time together on the golf course.

“Normally you see fathers and daughters playing together, so I think it’s nice that I can offer this to her and play with her regularly,” Martinez said.

Viray had a very different experience as a child, having strict private lessons and therefore didn’t like the game.

“If I wasn’t pressured to do it as a kid, I’d probably still play,” Viray said. “It all comes down to the fact that the coaches really care about the kids and they want them to flourish and be happy. If the kids are happy, they are not going to quit.”

Despite the two very different experiences, Martinez and Viray both find SCGA Junior’s approach beneficial for youth development not only in golf, but outside the game as well. Both want to continue golf through college. Who knows? Maybe we have future Scholars in our midst.

They have been tasked with helping several local secondary schools – John Glenn High School, Bell Gardens HS, Bell HS, La Habra HS, St. Mary’s HS and La Serna HS – enhance their beginner golf programs.

All four of SCGA Junior’s full-time instructors are lending a hand in the development of junior golfers at these schools – the majority of which come from under-reached communities.

“Each of the schools that we’re working with has its own golf coach,” said Kaycee Wilke, director of player and youth development, SCGA Junior. “But in most cases, they lack the necessary skill set to develop their students at a high level. That’s where our TPI-certified instructors come into play.”

SCGA Junior provides the means of that development, holding team practices at Don Knabe Golf Center and Los Amigos GC after school.

“Their progression has been night and day,” said Bell Gardens High School Coach Joe Jordan. “SCGA Junior does everything, basically. I don’t know that much and I’m certainly no expert. I would have paid any amount of money for their support, but they’ve been so gracious.”

Along with the instruction, any students without equipment are provided with a set of clubs upon arrival. Each one of the participating students is also offered access to brand-new discounted equipment through the SCGA Junior’s Equipment Program.

“It’s so easy to just show up and play,” said Javier Gonzalez, Bell Gardens HS student. “I’m really grateful for SCGA Junior because not only are they teaching me how to play golf, but they’re also providing clubs and a practice range!”

In addition, every student also receives the instruction golf pass, which affords a player discounted access to all three player development sites in the region for $1-5 green/range fees.

“We have about 3,000 students at Bell Gardens High School but seriously only one single true golfer,” said Coach Jordan. “I would have never expected my team to fall in love with the sport without SCGA Junior’s support. My kids are going out and practicing on their own! Unbelievable, to be honest.”

Another benefit of this program has been the relationship-building amongst the students from the various schools. Once rivals, these students have been brought together to practice, compete and mesh with one another in a fun learning space.

“That’s one of the best things to see,” said Justin Doyle, SCGA junior golf instructor. “All of the kids from each school get to meet one another and build bonds that’ll last outside of the golf course. It’s fulfilling.”

A microcosm of the entire SCGA Junior mission, this program will continue to engage under-served youth in the lifelong benefits of golf.

1. Anthony’s 2-for-1 Special

Incredibly, 8-year-old Anthony Chung sank two holes-in-one during a single 9-hole match. Anthony made both holes-in-one on par-3s, draining his first on No. 3 from 75 yards out and the second on No. 6 from 100 yards away.

“That was my first hole-in-one ever on any course,” said Anthony. “My friend Connor told me it’d be awesome if I made another hole-in-one. It must be a record-breaker!”

The odds of a golfer making a hole-in-one is approximately 12,500 to 1.

Check out Anthony’s Q&A on his success here.

 2. Jesse’s Dramatic Dunk

I hope you have tissues ready… as we caught SCGA Junior Jesse Palazuelos’ priceless reaction to his hole-in-one here.

3. Alexander, The Young One.

Alexander received his first set of clubs when he was just three years old. He stuck exclusively to the driving range and putting area. At age six, he had just started to play on the course. Only a few months in, he recorded his first hole-in-one!

On April 2, Muzi — a Walnut High School junior and future USC Trojan — applied the imparted wisdom to her game and earned a nearly-flawless victory in an inaugural event.

With just one bogey during her 18-hole round, Muzi fired a 1-under 71 and captured the SoCal Junior Girls Showcase title at Oakmont CC, subsequently earning one of two spots into the qualifier for the LPGA Hugel-JTBC LA Open.

“She taught me about encouragement,” Muzi recalled when discussing her interaction with LPGA legend King. “Getting to play with her really gave me confidence going into (the SoCal Junior Showcase).”

Essentially a qualifier for another qualifier, the showcase —created through a partnership between SCGA Junior and the Southern California PGA Junior Tour — invited 24 of the top players in SoCal (19 based on junior golf rankings and five at-large via application) to duke it out in a unique tournament.

The top two finishers automatically earned a chance to qualify for LPGA’s tour stop at Wilshire CC.

“It’s going to be a really great opportunity to maybe play with some professionals who are trying to qualify for the LPGA,” Muzi said. “It should be fun out there.”

The second spot earned by a SoCal golfer in early April went to Abigail Wiranatha — Muzi’s high school teammate — who used an epic eagle hole-out to outlast Zoe Campos and Kornkamol Sukaree in a three-way playoff.

The trio finished 1-over 73 while battling for the second ticket. On the first playoff hole, from nearly 50 yards away, Wiranatha struck her ball in the middle of the fairway and watched as it bounced twice onto the green and rolled into the cup for a clutch, clinching shot.

Campos and Sukaree are both alternates for the Hugel-JTBC LA Open qualifier.

“I’ve made long putts in playoffs, but that one was definitely something special,” Wiranatha said. “I wasn’t expecting it to go in. But once it got on the line I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that might go in.’ And when it did, I just had a moment.”

In front of a large gallery, comprised mostly of fellow competitors watching near the green of the No. 1 hole, Wiranatha’s eagle sent the crowd into a frenzy. Her excitement over the shot was nearly matched by the fact that she gets to move on with Muzi.

“It means a lot, especially since we’re teammates. It’s really cool that we both get to go the qualifier together,” Wiranatha said. “We’ll definitely have fun there and we’re just really excited.”

For a full photo album of the event, click here.

With this perspective, we at SCGA Junior decided to take matters into our own hands to do what we can to make sure that everyone in our programs has affordable access to properly fitted golf equipment by revamping the SCGA Junior Equipment Program.

The first event since restarting the program was a club fitting day at Don Knabe GC and Pico Rivera GC. At the event, 50 Juniors were fitted into U.S. Kids golf clubs for their physical profile. Twenty of the Juniors who were fit applied for need based financial assistance, where if applied for would automatically qualify for 20 percent off and if approved they would get a total of 90 percent off.

Due in part to the success of the first event, SCGA Junior held its second club fitting day on Saturday, Feb. 24 at both Don Knabe GC and Pico Rivera GC with additional options available from U.S. Kids Tour and Wilson. This event was fully booked to fit 64 Juniors in four hours, which factors out to an amazingly efficient eight fittings per hour between the two facilities.

“When kids are playing with the proper sized equipment,” said SCGA Junior Instructor Eric Koscielak. “Golf becomes more fun and a little easier to play, which leads to more rounds of golf played and more smiles to be had.”

The next fitting day for the Junior Equipment program is currently being planned to be held in the San Diego area for the middle of April.