From duffers to pros: Small-town Ashland has big-time golf program at Brookside

ASHLAND – Longtime coaches are cheering on junior golfers as they tackle new skills at Brookside Golf Course this summer.

They are also celebrating the 50th year of the junior golf program.

While the program has produced area high school state tournament competitors in golf year after year, at its heart it builds not only champions, but also nurtures youth in the love of a lifelong sport and a sense of community.

"It's the greatest for the price of it and how many times we do it," said Bud Cayse, who has participated as a volunteer for the last 20 years.

More: John Sidle remembered during first night of Ashland BalloonFest

The program costs $60 per player and includes contests, prizes and awards. Financial assistance is available so that no child is turned away because of cost.

"It's actually the highlight of my summer," Cayse said of the six-week program, which meets twice a week after the school year ends.

It began June 6 and runs until July 15 for youth ages 8-18.

Cayse said he is retired and "could be doing other things," but his motivation is "the love of the game."

"And the love of the kids," said Bill Fast, who has been part of the program since 2005. "We like them to know a little bit about (golf)" when they sign up, Cayse said, but for some the program is "absolutely their first time" to pick up a club.

They may even need to borrow clubs.

"We have plenty of clubs," said Paul Dienstberger, a longtime coach. "People donate them all the time."

Ashland High School Coach Dan Priest: 'This is probably one of the biggest junior programs in the state'

"All of the young ones are looking to improve," said volunteer Dan Priest, an Ashland High School coach, adding, "This is probably one of the biggest junior programs in the state."

"It's a pretty innovative program," said Mick Briggs, Brookside's pro shop manager.

To pull it off, "we shut down the driving range twice a week and set up a mini-nine-hole course ... something kids can negotiate."

"I started this course," said Dienstberger, of the range course built in 1994.

At four stations participants learn the fundamentals of golf, Dienstberger said.

"The most important is putting," Cayse noted.

Coaches switch up skills and games "to hold their interest ... mix things up to keep everything interesting," Briggs said, all for the purpose of furthering the game's appeal for the participants.

They also learn to stay safe and follow good practices.

Once the young attendees master the instructional division, they move to the players' division, he said.

Dienstberger, a coach for about 50 years, is one of the people sustaining the program, Priest said.

All of the coaches "take a lot of time out of their day to keep it going and keep it a success," he said.

Nine high school golf coaches have served as leaders in the Brookside junior program the past two years

Nine high school coaches have served as leaders in the junior program over the last two years, Dienstberger said.

"The professional instruction ... is fantastic," Fast said.

Many high school golfers who have attended the program also help out with junior golf, Priest said. "Everyone wants to come back and volunteer."

This summer, one of the beneficiaries of the five-decades-old golf program is 8-year-old Cooper White, participating for the first time, said his mother, Andrea White.

"He has had a love for golf, and it has grown with being able to have instruction from the junior golf program," she said. "His interest is growing more, and he loves to practice when he gets home from the golf program practices."

White credits the coaches for teaching young people the correct form.

"It is a great program to help develop a love for the sport at a young age," White said.

At Brookside on summer mornings, dedicated professional golfers and amateurs learning the game — at least 140 this summer — gravitate to the sport for the camaraderie.

"A lot of golf pros shake their heads," said Priest, about how a small town like Ashland can pull off a program this successful.

"We do think it's the best program in the state," Priest said.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Brookside Golf Course's junior program a swinging success