The Class of 2013 will receive their Pins for completion.The ceremony will be held at Marygrove College, May 15, 2013 6:00 PM

On Monday afternoon, 17-year-old Leticia Gittens was among 130 or so high-school seniors who helped Tom Doak usher in his latest design, a five-hole short course on the leafy campus of Marygrove College.

Supermodel Niki Taylor made an appearance downtown today on behalf of Reader’s Digest to present the city with a $1,000 check that will benefit the Midnight Golf Program that helps teach life skills to students.

Midnight Golf was featured in GOLF Magazine in the June 2010 issue. The article was written by Alan Bastable.

Golf is not the kind of thing you expect to thrive in any metro center—and as for the Detroit area, well, you know, golf is reserved for those tony folks outside of town in their country clubs, right?

Asking celebrated golf course architect Tom Doak if he’d take time out of his globetrotting schedule to design a practice facility for a grassroots golf program would be a little like asking Frank Gehry to build a tree house for a troop of boy scouts.

Golf has always had the ability to inspire players and fans alike, but now the sport’s motivational qualities are being used to attract and help those on the fringes of the game.

From Golfer’sGuide.com: South Florida is now the second U.S. location to adopt the Midnight Golf Program, a venture designed to empower underserved youth through the game of golf that began in Detroit in 2001.

From PGA.com: South Florida is the new home for the Midnight Golf Program, an acclaimed initiative that gained national attention for its unique blend of serving young adults’ personal development, educational preparedness and appreciation for the game of golf.

Reneé Fluker is a single mom who started Midnight Golf program in Detroit in 2001 to give kids an alternative to street life.

Reneé Fluker was awarded the Biggest Giver Award from Tom Joyner, honoring extraordinary people who go beyond expectations.

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.