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.

As with all events, preparation began many months ago. One of my main responsibilities was collecting biographies from the juniors who would be participating alongside donors for this event. The players enjoyed reading the junior bios on our website and we were excited to highlight their accomplishments thus far. We also had quite a bit of work to do the day before the tournament as we loaded our company van with all kinds of supplies: tents, tablecloths, easels and on-course giveaways thanks to the U.S. Open.  

On the day of the Foundation Cup, July 24, staff arrived at 8 am for set-up. Between registration, giveaway holes, tournament info sheets and the tee gift tent there was a lot to do! Thankfully, our team, committee members and Mission Viejo CC staff executed efficiently, and we were fully organized by the time the first juniors arrived on-site.  

By 9 am, registration, the auction table and the Palm Golf Co. setup were ready to receive the attendees for the tournament, and everyone on staff was assigned to a specific role throughout the day. While some staff were taking care of different roles at registrations, others were making sure everything else on the course was ready for our shotgun start at 11 am. After everyone had picked up their amazing giveaways from the Palm Golf Co., which included gifts like polos, hats, towels and utility bags, they mostly headed to the range for warmup. 

At 11 am, everyone rolled out from the clubhouse towards the hole to which they were assigned, each foursome ready with their juniors to have a great day of golf in sunny SoCal. During the tournament, our staff was distributed in different roles, whether it was on the course or with other tasks, ensuring that the event ran smoothly. We had all kinds of different activities on the course, including closest to the pin, beat the scholar and a hole in one competition. From what I heard, most people had a lot of fun playing against our Assistant Director, Lauren Fesler, trying to beat her on a par-3. Additionally, players and juniors received some great giveaways, such as SCGA Foundation hats and U.S. Open memorabilia. Since I was mainly stationed at hole 16, giving out the U.S. Open giveaways, I heard how almost everyone was amazed by this giveaway and relieved they didn’t have to compete against someone for it. 

As the tournament wrapped up, all the players headed to our reception to enjoy great food and share their experiences throughout the day. During the reception, the staff helped get everything ready to wrap up the scoring for the tournament, announce the raffle and auction winners, and mainly recognize the Foundation Cup 2023 winners. 

 As the tournament finished, some of the staff started to do some course cleanup and gather all the material used throughout the day so we could all enjoy time at the reception with the players and juniors. Throughout the event, it was a great success thanks to all the staff involved, making the overall experience enjoyable for everyone attending. 

I received a call from the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf team a month ago asking if I could coach at the Junior Golf Experience area during the Women’s Open and immediately said yes. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to mentor juniors at such a historic venue. Throughout the tournament, we saw over 1,500 juniors, including hundreds of SCGA Junior participants. The kids started the day with a scavenger hunt around the course to encourage exploration and exercise. After they hit their eight designated stops, they returned to our golfing area for a relay race, 3-hole putting course setup and chipping practice with rubber duckies. The sheer joy and laughter of the kids were incredibly contagious and made it my favorite part of the entire event. It was so exciting to see golf presented in a fun and engaging way.

Once the juniors were ready to head back inside, they were welcomed with Girls Golf-themed prizes, coloring and community building. It became the heart of junior golf with music, laughs and festivities.

Being at both the Women’s and Men’s U.S. Open championships this year was an amazing opportunity that led to personal growth and joyful memories. While The Los Angeles Country Club is such a historic landmark, nothing compares to being at Pebble Beach.

Over the past decade, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.6 million in scholarships. This year was record-breaking, as the $225,000 awarded to 48 scholars pursuing higher education marks the highest amount given to date.

The Class of 2027, 16 first year’s in total, features scholars with interest in geology, medicine, fashion and entrepreneurship. Despite their distinctive interests, they all have common ground in their love for the game of golf and passion to give back to their communities.

With 150 individuals in attendance, the ballroom was buzzing with laughter, advice and positive energy. The upperclassmen were quick to share encouragement with the first-year students while the empty nest parents assured their peers that their kids will call them every once in a while. All bonded through their mutual enthusiasm for a new beginning.

The Foundation is especially proud of the 13 scholars who have now graduated. Enduring a particularly unique college experience, these individuals navigated the challenges of the pandemic and proved their resilience and dedication to higher education. While no longer scholars, these young adults are still a part of the Junior Golf Foundation Family and will be invited to attend as alumni in the future!

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Event Photos