Thursday, June 4, 2009

A Great Summer Start

Alisa & Jack had their first tournament on May 29th at Lone Tree Golf Course sponsored through U.S. Kids Golf. They did great; both came in first. Alisa shot a 39 and Jack shot a 40.
Alisa had a new caddie for the tournament, Greg Dunn. Greg is our neighbor's son and he did great. Alisa loved him. Greg is going to caddy for Alisa on her June 5th tournament at the Wigwam.

This week the kids played on the JGAA (Junior Golf Association of Arizona) two-day tournament at Cave Creek Golf Club. The JGAA is a little different than U.S. Kids; U.S. Kids is very similar to PGA Rules, where-as the JGAA doesn't allow caddies or laser sites. Even the PGA Tour allows caddies and laser sites. But, it is good experience for the kids.

The first day of the tournament Jack shot 2 under par. Sometimes he seems to do better without a caddie. On the other hand, Alisa has a tougher time without a caddie. The first day she shot a 50. But, she came back the 2nd day and shot a 44. Overall, at the end of the two-day tournament Jack came in 2nd place and Alisa came in 3rd place. They were just thrilled with their trophies.

The tournaments are just beginning; they have another tournament tomorrow (Friday, June 5th) with the U.S. Kids Golf at the Wigwam Golf Resort and then a 3-day tournament at Maryvale with the JGAA.

Spring 2009


It's been awhile since I wrote, but that hasn't stopped the birdie twins from playing golf. Theymainly practiced during the spring, since there are no tournaments. We've switched to Las Sendas Golf Club, which is where the kids golf coach, Ben Weir, is located. They practice 3 times a week and an occasional weekend.
Alisa was accepted into the Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies next year for 5th grade. The Academy only accepts children with specific qualifications, grades and AIMS scores, so we're pretty happy. She has mixed feelings; excited about the learning platform but nervous because she'll miss all her friends from Red Mountain. Mom is happy about not having to lay out clothes; she has her choice of which red, white or blue shirt to go with her khaki pants.
Both the kids went to Ping, located in the west valley, and was personally fitted for golf clubs. Lou and John at Ping were great. They showed the kids around the facility and took time with them during their fitting. The whole experience was very impressive.
It took a week to get the feel of the new clubs, but once they had it, the ball was going higher and longer. Even their bad hits looked good.
Alisa & Jack will have a very busy summer; tournaments through July and then Pinehurst. Now that school is over, Scott is really working with them. The improvements are amazing.