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Several Dayton-area kids attended an event yesterday that golfers from around the state dream of going to this time of year--Jack Nicklaus' famous Memorial Tournmaent in Colubmus.
The kids attended the event through their involvment in Mentors Matters, a YMCA program that the MVGA suppports.
Teenagers ranging in ages from 13-18 years old boarded a large charter bus outside the 111 Building in downtown Dayton for the short trek to our state's capital.
To get into the golf spirit, the kids were shown The Greatest Game Ever Played, a movie about Francis Ouiment's improbable victory at the 1913 U.S. Open.
A fun day was foreshadowed when the kids let out loud, sarcastic sighs when MVGA Exectuve Director Steve Jurick turned off the DVD with Ouiment putting to take the lead on the 17th green, the high point of the movie.
Jurick had to do it, though. The bus had reached it's destination: The Memorial Tournament!
 Kids hurried to get off the bus and were quickly ushered on to the course where they got to watch names like Tiger, Phil and Jack compete in the Skins game.
During the day, the kids partnered up with the adults who made the trip. The Mentor-Mentee relationship provides kids with a positive adult role model who can help provide them with decision making skills to help guide their future.
The Memorial Tournament was the kick-off event for this year's program, which runs through the summer. The mentor-mentee bond doesn't end there, though, as many adults stay in touch with their kids well beyond the "official" end of the program.
After following world-class golfers around for a couple hours and enjoying lunch at the Memorial's Hospitality Village, the kids piled back on the bus and headed for the Safari Golf Club to watch The Dennis Walters Golf Show. Walters, who is paralyzed from the waiste down, impressed all the kids at the show with his ability to drive the long ball from a specially-made seat attached to his golf cart. The most impressive shot of the day came when Walters hit a drive 200 yards down the middle of the fairway with a hose that had a club head attached to it!
The afternoon ended on a good note as one of the kids won lessons and a free round for four at the Safari Course. Even better than that, the adults and the kids broke the ice and can now forge ahead in their relationship.
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