Children 15 years old and younger can get into the Championship free. They also get front-row seating in all of the grandstands, a coupon for a free lunch and a free souvenir cap to show their spirit.
The kids’ events are not just about freebies for the youngsters. They are an educational experience, combined with fun. The events are designed to teach children about good sportsmanship, golf etiquette and rules. They provide a little bit of inside information about the Pine Needles golf course and the tournament.
On a behind-the-ropes tour of the Championship course, USGA Foundation guides Brandon Hoffmeister and Amy Dayton gave a group of kids the royal treatment. They explained the role of the marshals and coaches, the various golfers’ swings as they practiced on the putting green and the driving range, and they even provided an inside look at why the equipment representatives are so interested in the golfers.
Beverly Walsh was along for the tour with her children, Ryan, 11 and Caitlin, 8. They live within walking distance to the Pine Needles clubhouse.
“The kids are learning about golf, and starting to take lessons,” Walsh said. “We think golf can be a real family activity. But today, we’re really looking forward to seeing Mia Hamm.”
An exciting part of “Catch the Spirit” was an exhibition of golf and soccer Tuesday featuring Mia Hamm, former UNC-CH soccer star now on the Washington Freedom soccer team.
On Tuesday, the Walshes were part of the golf-soccer scene. It was wall-to-wall soccer moms and dads. Girls were decked out in their own team colors, and all were breathless with excitement. Many of them showed off Mia Hamm autographs on hats, shirts, flags and books. Others strained at the ropes, hoping to catch the star’s eye and get a signature too.
It was Kristin McDaniel’s lucky day. Earlier in the Catch the Spirit tent, she had won a chance to be Hamm’s caddy. Even after following Hamm on the four-hole event, she was still in shock. Clad in a Washington Freedom tee shirt and hat, McDaniel could hardly wait to tell her friends.
“It was the highlight of my week and my vacation,” she said.
It just goes to show that golfers aren’t the only athletes attracting kids to the Open. This was part of the USGA’s plan to encourage young people to get involved in golf and other sports.
While many of the kids out for the afternoon festivities were members of their hometown soccer leagues, they started opening their eyes and minds to golf.
McDaniel, watching Hamm play the game, learned a lesson: “I always thought golf was easy, but it’s really much harder.”
USGA Foundation staffer Kimberly Williams was on hand to give Hamm and other soccer players honorary golf association memberships. She speculated, “At these events, kids learn a lot more about golf, and they learn that it’s more than people just standing around.”
