Hitting the links in Bogalusa
Published 10:29 am Monday, June 30, 2014
The Project Hope Tiger Cub Golf Camp occurred this week as about 15 youngsters took Tuesday-Thursday to develop their skills in the game.
The first two days took place at the Bogalusa Sports Complex.
The final day was at the Bogalusa Country Club.
“It’s a sport that the kids in Bogalusa are not really accustomed to doing,” said Roosevelt Ludd, one of the instructors. “I was affiliated with the country club here in Bogalusa and three years ago Mr. Jamal Richmond approached me about the possibility of getting the kids to actually be out there on an actual golf course. I approached the people at the country club and came to an agreement and they’ve allowed us to do it the first two years and again this year.”
Ludd said the whole idea of the camp is to expose the children to golf.
He said the best part is the prospect that a few of the campers may end up playing golf.
Ludd said he’s been playing golf for about 10 years.
He said his lowest round is an 84.
The camp taught the participants some of the basics.
Some of those included how to grip the golf club, the different clubs, how to identify them, how to swing and hit the ball.
The group got some experience playing on a golf course. For Thursday’s camp, they went to the Bogalusa Country Club Thursday where the participants competed on three holes.
Varnado High School freshman Cameron Allen, who has attended the camp all three years, said he continues to come back so he can get continue to improve his game. He said his strength is his ability to hit it long, but said he wants to be more accurate.
He said he enjoys it.
“I want to keep getting better-and-better every year,” Allen said.
Besides golf, Allen plays football and basketball. He said he plays cornerback and safety in football and is a shooting guard on the hardwood.
Jordan Allen, a sixth grader at Varnado, said the best part of the clinic is swinging the clubs.
Allen said he gets to play golf a little during the school year with his father. He feels the biggest improvement has been swinging the club without moving his legs. Besides golf, Allen plays football, basketball and soccer.
Project Hope president Jamal Richmond said he was thankful to his sponsor C.P. Drugs for donating golf clubs.