Golf Pros Visit Baker Gym

This article was submitted on behalf of the Baker School and the Brookline Recreation Department.

Golf professionals from the Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course -- Brian Bain, Larry Colletti and Frank Milbury -- visited the Baker School last week and co-taught physical education classes as part of an ongoing grade 3-5 SNAG (Starting New at Golf) physical education unit.

This past fall, Baker physical education teachers Kelly Nelson and Craig Corcoran were awarded a grant from the New England Professional Golfer's Association (NEPGA) and the The First Tee National School Program (http://www.thefirsttee.org/Club/Scripts/Home/home.asp) to bring SNAG (Starting New at Golf) curriculum to the Baker School.

"We've been trying to introduce golf to our students for a number of years," said Corcoran. "Brian Bain encouraged us to to get involved with The First Tee National School Program. It's been terrific. We at Baker are so lucky to have a public golf course with supportive golf pros right down the street from us. The golf professionals there can't do enough to promote the game. Having them come out to our school in the winter has been tremendous."

The focus of The First Tee National School Program is to establish a lifelong interest in golf by engaging young people in a structured golf curriculum that promotes personal character development within a physical education setting.

"Our staff at the Robert T. Lynch is really excited about this great opportunity to not only help introduce the game of golf but also the life skills and values that go hand in hand with the game," said Bain. "Golf is a great game that is fun, healthy and something families can do together. Our staff is looking forward to visiting schools, helping and then having the students visit us during the spring on a field trip."

"Our students are so excited to play golf in the gym in the middle of the winter," said Corcoran. "We are hoping to expand upon our SNAG program in the spring in hopes of bringing our newly learned skills to the the actual golf course. We've sparked such a great interest, Iwouldn't be surprised to see many Baker students this spring and summer attend junior golf clinics and take lessons from the professionals at the Municipal Golf Course."

For more information about the Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf course visit http://brooklinegolf.com/ or the Baker School SNAG program visit https://sites.google.com/site/bakerphysicaleducation/