Program gets youths on course

By Rob Parker, The Detroit News

BLOOMFIELD TWP, Mich. — Many golf fans will come to the 90th PGA Championship this week at Oakland Hills, but few will enjoy the thrill of it more than a selected 60 or so young people Wednesday.

That’s when Detroit’s Midnight Golf participants will be guests of the Charter One Foundation and the PGA Foundation as part of a mentor-for-a-day program.

Some of the kids from past sessions of the seven-year old, inner-city program will walk around Oakland Hills Country Club, take in the practice rounds and perhaps buy a souvenir.

“This will be their chance to see what a real golf course is about,” Reneé Fluker, founder and director of Midnight Golf, said Monday afternoon. “They have never been to a country club like this. Never.”

That’s why Wednesday will be so special. Johnathan McElrath of the 2007-08 class was excited when he found out about the trip on Sunday.

“I had my clothes laid out for the big day on Monday,” said McElrath, who will be a freshman at Western Michigan. “I can’t wait. I want to check out the environment.”

Making a difference

Fluker’s vision of this groundbreaking program was more than just golf. The program is also about college preparation, financial literacy and community activism. To date, it has enhanced the lives of more than 470 young people.

Midnight Golf receives financial support from the PGA of America, five-time PGA champion Jack Nicklaus, RBS/Charter One Foundation, the USGA, Pepsi Bottling Co., State Farm Insurance, and more than 64 colleges and universities.

“This is really the PGA’s opportunity to see Detroit with something positive,” program director
David Gamlin said.

There’s a myth out there that African-American kids don’t like golf. Not true, Gamlin said.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “They love it.”

Foot in the door

The program is not built on some pie-in-the-sky notion of developing the next Tiger Woods. It would be nice if golf had other talented African-Americans competing.

This, however, is about learning golf so it can become a professional asset.

“The stuff we teach helps make these kids be more well-rounded, more professional, a more marketable individual,” Gamlin said.

The program started in 2001 with 12 young people. To date, 304 have completed the 30-week program, which meets twice a week. Fluker said more than 257 kids that have taken part in the program are now spread out among 57 colleges.

“That’s the main thing — getting these young people in school,” Fluker said.

On Wednesday, however, school will take a momentary backseat to golf at its highest level. It will be a day to relax, soak in the atmosphere and record a memory that will, no doubt, last forever.