Young’s junior golf clinic teaches 40 Iron County youth in Crystal Falls

More than 40 Iron County children and teens were learning the game at Young’s annual Junior Golf Clinic in Crystal Falls, a four-week program that gives local families a structured summer option grounded in mentoring, discipline and outdoor activity. The clinic was underway as of June 17 at Young’s Golf, Recreation & Dining, 159 Young’s Lane, where instruction focused on swing mechanics, putting, chipping, golf etiquette and other basics that help beginners grow comfortable on the course.

The clinic fits a need that runs deeper than golf alone in a rural county where organized summer activities can be limited. For many young players, the program introduces a routine built around practice, patience and self-control, along with the social habits that make golf different from many other sports. That includes learning pace of play, moving responsibly through a course and respecting the game, lessons that can stay with a child long after the summer ends.

Young’s has become one of the area’s central recreation hubs, not just for golf but for a wider mix of community use. The property is described as an 18-hole championship golf course with an aquatics center, hiking and biking trails, snowshoe and cross-country ski trails, snowmobile access and dining. The Iron County Lodging Association describes the George Young Recreation Complex as a not-for-profit corporation open to the general public and dedicated to recreation, education and preservation on more than 3,300 scenic acres bordering three lakes.

That larger footprint helps explain why the junior clinic carries local weight beyond the scorecard. Young’s hosts community activity throughout the season, including a golf scramble at the complex that drew 32 teams and 120 golfers. The junior clinic places children inside that same setting, keeping younger residents connected to a course that is visible, active and tied to the county’s recreational identity.

The program also reflects a broader push to make golf more accessible to youth. The Michigan PGA offers junior golf programming resources, and the Golf Association of Michigan’s Youth on Course initiative links youth participation with affordability, leadership and scholarship opportunities. In Crystal Falls, the junior clinic serves as a local entry point to that wider pipeline, helping new players build confidence while strengthening Iron County’s summer youth development culture.