REGINA — A little rain was not enough to keep a group of young Regina golfers away from the course Wednesday night.
Children between the ages of six and 16 gathered at Lakeview Par 3 for the final session of a six-week RBC Community Junior Golf program, putting the skills they had developed into practice while enjoying a sport many were learning to love for the first time.
And even with the weather turning wet, the enthusiasm never seemed to fade.
The program introduces young people to golf through free, inclusive instruction designed to build confidence, develop skills and create positive experiences in sport.
For some participants, it was their first real introduction to golf.
"It's really fun and it's also a really good learning experience," said Kai, one of the young participants. "You can learn a lot from the coaches here."
Kai and another young golfer, Thea, both said they were having a great time and would encourage other kids to give the program a try.
For parents, the value goes well beyond learning how to swing a club.
Kirk, whose two children took part, said the program gave them an opportunity to spend time with friends, meet new people and discover a sport they had not really experienced before.
"They enjoy getting out with their friends and just learning something new," Kirk said. "They hadn't played golf really before, and now they both love it."
And there was another major advantage for families.
"To start with, it's free, so can't beat that," Kirk said, adding that the coaches have also made a strong impression on his children.
"The coaches are unbelievable, so really recommend it."
The program is part of RBC Community Junior Golf, which works with Golf Canada to give young people access to First Tee Canada and Youth on Course programming.
Lakeview Par 3 is one of 14 golf courses across Western Canada selected to deliver the initiative this year.
Since 2021, RBC Community Junior Golf has engaged more than 100,000 young people through free First Tee programming, with 36 municipal and publicly accessible courses now participating across Canada.
But the lessons being taught extend well beyond golf.
Through First Tee, participants learn about managing emotions, resolving conflicts, setting goals, planning for the future and appreciating diversity, alongside fundamental golf skills.
Jason Muller, a golf coach with First Tee Prairies, said Wednesday's final session was designed to bring everything together.
"This is our sixth out of six. It's our final session and the kids have been really enjoying it," Muller explained.
The kids spent part of the evening playing holes on the course, including a challenge inspired by Nick Taylor's dramatic 72-foot putt to win the 2023 Canadian Open.
It gave the young golfers a chance to take the drills and techniques they had worked on over the previous six weeks and experience what it is like to put them together on the course.
Muller has been coaching with the program for three years and says one of the most rewarding parts is watching children return year after year and seeing how much they develop.
"I see some repeat kids come back, some in their second year, some for their third," he said. "So it's fun to see them wanting to do it and it's fun to see how they grow."
That growth is not only measured by how far a ball travels. Muller believes sport can teach young people lessons that follow them long after they leave the course.
"Getting involved in sport is a great thing," he said.
For Muller, golf offers children an opportunity to discover perseverance, honesty and how to work with others.
"It's something that teaches you all of the time whether or not you want to learn the lesson," he said. "But it's going to teach you a few things."
Adam, another parent whose two children participated, said the program has already given his kids a solid foundation.
"It teaches them the basics," he said.
He has been so impressed that he has already encouraged friends to consider bringing their own children next year.
"They're gonna probably bring their oldest and youngest in next year," Adam said.
Muller credits the support of Golf Canada Foundation and RBC with helping make the program possible and keeping the experience free for kids.
For the young golfers at Lakeview Par 3, Wednesday was not simply the end of six weeks of lessons. It was a chance to celebrate how far they had come, take what they learned onto the course and discover that the most important part of golf may have very little to do with keeping score.
"These are all lifelong skills that happen everywhere," Muller said.
