YREKA – It may not be Torrey Pines, but nestled deep within “The Pines,” at the south end of Yreka, 26 young golfers are learning the basics that one day may help land them at the more famous golf course. The youngsters are attending the Siskiyou Family YMCA’s beginning–intermediate golf camp.

Run by the YMCA’s Senior Program Director, Scott Eastman, the camp has been in existence for six years, and has grown in popularity each year. Last year, the United States Golf Association became involved.

“It really took off last year, when we got $2200 worth of funding from the USGA. It allowed us to actually pay our instructors, as opposed to them basically volunteering,” said Eastman. “This year, the USGA stepped it up and gave us $2800. What they want to see is us continue to try to get the numbers (of participants) increased, which obviously we’re doing, with 26 kids this year.”

The USGA also would like to see the YMCA create a connection to local golf courses and junior programs.

“They have made a commitment to where I would see them continuing to fund us for some time, as long we continue to show an increase in numbers and need.”

Joining Eastman as instructors at the camp are Dean Turner and Kevin Alexander. Turner has been with the camp since the beginning, and is the coach for Yreka High School’s golf club. Turner hopes to move golf from a club sport to an official school sport at YHS.

Alexander, who grew up with Eastman in Yreka, began assisting with the junior program last year, and was able to get driving range mats donated by the Kennedy Golf Course in Napa, where he works. What convinced him to continue to make the trek from Napa to assist with the program was the enthusiasm of the students.

“Last year was the first year I was involved with the juniors. I came up here and saw a lot of kids that were playing and were kind of excited about golf. I was impressed.”

The primary goal of the camp is to plant the seed that golf is a fun sport as either a hobby, or as a more serious endeavor. Monday-Wednesday class is held on the driving range at the Eastman residence. In addition to the driving range, Eastman has set up putting mats in the garage, and a hula hoop mini golf course is set up on the front lawn. On Thursday, they will go to the Shasta Valley Golf Course, and on Friday the golfers will head to the Scottish Links course at Lake Shastina.

“We use this private driving range for basically getting the kids out here and not being intimidated. They hit into a cow field,” said Eastman. “Hopefully, the kids come out of it going ‘this is something we enjoy doing and we want to pick up as a hobby,’ or if they want to get more into it, that’s fine.”