Club hosts junior development program

Everglades Country Club has joined with Toukley Golf Club to host a junior development program for the Brisbane Water District Golf Association.

Everglades juniors represented in the development squad were Luke Johnson, Wade MacFarlane, Mitchell Bluff and Mitchell Hind.

The development program aimed to assist local juniors develop their skills under the care of professional golfers.

The professionals were to assess, instruct and monitor progress with a view to maximising potential and develop local youngsters to a level where they were capable of holding their own in elite company.

Everglades professional, Darren Chivas, has been a part of the scheme and recently hosted the 2001 squad for their final day of the year.

The squad comprised 21 boys and five girls, ranging in age from 10 to 15 years, with varying degrees of experience, skill and ability.

They were divided into a northern squad under the tutelage of Greg Lewis from Toukley Golf Club and a southern squad under the watchful eye of "Chivo".

The first day at Toukley saw balls launched all over the practice fairway with quite a few finding a watery grave in nearby creeks.

The variety of swings was described at worst as "awful" and at best as "promising".

To the non-professional onlooker, the task for Greg and Darren was daunting.

After five weeks, both squads met at Everglades for the final day of the year and played nine holes under the watchful eyes of Greg and Darren and district officials.

The district officials regarded the improvement of all members of the squads after such a relatively short period as "amazing".

"Youngsters, who on the first day could barely hit the ball, were not only hitting it but were doing so consistently well," said district treasurer Ian Elliott.

"More advanced players looked like miniature professionals and were hitting some awesome shots."

Ian Elliott, July 31