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Seven Summits students tee up new school year at local golf courses

Golf improves mental and physical health, which is especially useful at start of new academic year
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Seven Summits students teed off at the Redstone Golf Resort and Birchbank Golf Course as part of their PE class. (Tara Hauck photo)

“Success in golf matters less on strength of body and more on strength of mind and character.” Arnold Palmer

Golf is the first P.E. workshop for students at Seven Summits Centre for Learning.

In Rossland, the moderate fall temperatures are conducive to playing outdoor sports.

Why choose golf? The benefits of learning golf are numerous. Golf improves mental and physical health, which is especially useful at the beginning of a new academic year.

The game of golf teaches respect, integrity, discipline, and right from wrong. In addition, golf teaches how to think, organize, and strategize. Physically the action of swinging a club improves eye-hand coordination and reduces stress. Mentally the game is challenging, rewarding, and an effective tool for personal development.

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Many students at 7S have never golfed, so the workshop is broken into three parts: putting, driving, and chipping.

The lessons were taught by two local golf mentors, Joanne Drystek and Kole Harle. Both are avid golfers who enjoy passing on the skills to teach the pupils this challenging sport. It is the second year that these two mentors have volunteered their time and expertise to expand the minds of the 7S Grade 8/9 students.

“It was a pleasure working with Seven Summits students and watching how quickly they picked up the basics of golf,” said Drystek.

“The students can learn the basic skills, and from their mistakes, they develop a better understanding of the game,” says Harle. “I am so impressed with their willingness to try and focus on personal improvement and golf performance.”

Seven Summits students benefited from local golf amenities starting with Redstone Golf Resort, which offers a driving range and practice greens for putting and chipping.

Then the following week, the students went to Birchbank Golf Club to learn from the golf shop assistant Blair Debnam, a Junior Golf Ambassador. Again, they practiced putts, chips, and drives.

Birchbank Golf Club is brimming with junior golfers. It is the home course for the J.L. Crowe High School team and Glenmerry School students. In addition, annually, Birchbanks hosts the St. Michael’s School for an exclusive golf outing with lunch included.

“Juniors are the future of our sport. Therefore, we strive to do what we can to help expose students to the game as often as possible. This is Birchbank’s commitment to give back to the surrounding communities,” says Jeff Papilion, Birchbank’s Director of Golf and CPGA Head Professional.

“I really liked the Birchbank course; it felt very fancy and rich,” says Grade 8 student Grace Benner. “I enjoyed working with Blair most, as he took the time to help and found creative ways to get better hitting results. I would definitely like to go back and play. Who knew I would even like golf because I didn’t think I did.”

“Blair was very helpful with learning to make better ball contact. I always thought I needed to hit the ball as hard and as fast as possible, but he helped me slow down my swing, and I hit the ball so far!” says Emerick DesLauriers.

Youth are the future of any sport, especially golf, which sums up the philosophy at Birchbank Golf Club and Redstone Golf Resort.

Golf has been referred to as a lifetime sport. People of all ages can play and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and the challenge of playing the course.

Contact information:

For further media information, please contact Seven Summits Centre for Learning Administrator Tanis Shippy at info@sevensummitslearning.com

Author: Tara Hauck, Marketing Coordinator Seven Summits Centre for Learning.

About us: Seven Summits Centre for Learning is an exceptional public high school experience that offers a blended learning model for grades 8 through 12 in Rossland, B.C.

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