StoneRidge Country Club hosted the first annual Fore the Kids! Junior/Senior Golf tournament on Sunday, August 30th.  The tournament was organized by StoneRidge Junior Golf team leaders Kelby Titus and Jared Divis as a fund raiser to support the Great Bend High School girls and boys golf program as well as junior golf program.  Fourteen teams participated in the tournament which paired a junior golfer under the age of 18 with an adult golfing mentor 18 years of age or older for 18 holes of play. First place champion flight went to the team of Cole and Ryan Streck with a score of 73.
 
Several GBHS teachers and members of the administration played. The tournament raised $1,000 and a check will be presented to the Great Bend High School golf program. The Lady Panthers golf team members were also on hand to help raise funds by washing golf carts and clubs.
 
The tournament was designed to not only generate funding to support the GBHS golfing program but to also raise awareness of golf within the community. This summer the Junior Golf program at StoneRidge saw an uptick in participation including girls.  

“We are incredibly excited to see so many children giving golf a try,” said Angela Sycz, VP Clubhouse Operations at StoneRidge Country Club. “We had a wonderful summer program at the Club and look to continue to grow participation by hosting these types of tournaments as well as clinics for the kids. We are so fortunate to have the support of the parents as well as that of coach (Travis) McAtee and Barton coach, Doug Kaiser, who worked with us to manage the summer Junior Golf program.”     
 
“Golf not only challenges the individual but also promotes teamwork as well,” said Sycz. “Golfing teaches values such as integrity, respect and perseverance. Golfers experience highs and lows while playing. They learn to strategize how best to make the most of those highs while learning from the lows,” she said.   

Members of the StoneRidge Junior Golf program will be participating in community events throughout the year as a means to promote the sport with youth in the area.
 
The Great Bend High School teams as well as the Barton County Golf teams practice and play official tournaments at StoneRidge Country Club. A Glowball benefit tournament to support the Barton golf program will take place in October at StoneRidge.  For more information call (620)792-4306.