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I
can feel it in my bones.
There’s an air of excitement hanging over the Trincity
area in general and over the Millennium Lakes Golf and Country
Club in particular as Stephen Ames, Trinidad and Tobago
25th-ranked player in the world, will hold a free clinic
this afternoon for golfers and golfing enthusiasts.
The clinic is a fitting culmination to the series of free
clinics that the Club has been hosting for members of the
public over the last five weeks.
Those free clinics, which were held on Monday evenings for
Men, Wednesdays for Women and Sundays for Juniors, began
on June 30th and attracted some 700 eager participants from
all over Trinidad and Tobago.
Ames, fresh from his participation in the 2008 P.G.A. Championships,
arrived in Trinidad on Monday for the Stephen Ames Cup between
Canada and Trinidad and Tobago, the annual Ryder Cup-style
tournament which he initiated as part of his contribution
to junior golf in Trinidad and Tobago.
The tournament, now in its fourth year, kicked off today
at the St. Andrew’s Golf Course in Moka, Maraval and,
with home-course advantage in their favour, the local juniors
are attempting to win back the Cup which they surrendered
to the Canadians last year.
Mr. Boyko pointed out that when he realised that Ames would
be in Trinidad, he decided to approach the Stephen Ames
Foundation to see whether the 2006 and 2007 Sportsman of
the Year would agree to stage the clinic to provide the
local golfing community with the opportunity to see a world-class
player in action. He said Stephen agreed without hesitation.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Ames has also agreed to play four holes on the course to
officially re-open the greens at Millennium Lakes.
Over the past four months, a major exercise has been underway
on the greens at Millennium and members and the public alike
have been playing on temporary greens.
The work on the greens had become necessary because the
original greens were contaminated with three different types
of grass. That contributed to a number of bare spots throughout
and top dressing needed to be done almost on a weekly basis
which caused the greens to be very firm and unreceptive
to shots.
When the exercise was undertaken, all the existing grass
was killed, the top two-and-a-half inches of soil were removed,
the ground was treated to ensure that all the weeds and
bugs were eliminated and then the new grass, Tift-Dwarf,
was planted.
Course Superintendent, Chris Biagi, has given the assurance
that the new greens will provide an excellent putting surface
which will compare favourably with any other putting surface
in the Caribbean.
Even to an untrained eye such as mine, it is clear that
Mr. Biagi has done a magnificent job and I know that all
the members are looking forward to the challenges the new
greens will provide.
And what more fitting way to re-open them than by having
one of the best golfers in the world be the first to putt
on their surfaces?
Ames will play four holes along with one member of the Trinidad
and Tobago junior team and one Canadian junior and the public
is invited to come along and witness what will surely be
some spectacular golf.
It is my understanding that one of the junior players from
the Millennium Lakes programme will be asked to caddy for
Ames thus providing that youngster with the opportunity
of a lifetime.
In order to ensure the best-possible viewing for the public,
Mr. Boyko has selected the four holes which he feels will
provide the best vantage points for those who may not wish
to actually walk the course with Ames but may prefer to
witness the action from the comfort of the Clubhouse.
Ames will start on the Par Four 10th Hole where the World
Long Driving Championships were held last year. He will
then challenge the bunkers and the lily pond on the long
Par Four 9th Hole. Next he will move to the Par Four 1st
Hole, the most difficult hole on the entire course, and
finish on the Par Five 18th.
The four-hole exhibition will provide the public with the
opportunity to witness one of the leading players in the
world in action.
Following the round, the clinic will commence on the driving
range and the authorities at Millennium have provided bleachers
which will accommodate several hundred persons.
Ames is scheduled to commence playing at approximately 3.00
o’clock this afternoon and the free clinic is carded
for 5.00 o’clock. The public is invited to come along
and take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Beacon Insurance and Flow have agreed to be sponsors of
the exercise and all money raised as a result of their sponsorship
contributions will be donated to the Trinidad and Tobago
Golf Association for the further development of junior golf
in Trinidad and Tobago.
I want to congratulate Kevin Boyko on this initiative which
can only redound to the benefit of the golfing public in
Trinidad and Tobago. Kevin, in the short time he has been
in Trinidad, has shown himself to be somewhat of a visionary
and an innovator and has done wonders in making the sport
of golf available to the public at large.
This latest initiative is just another step on the long
journey towards creating an understanding that golf is a
sport that can be played and enjoyed by persons at all levels
of society.
I urge the public to come out in their numbers this afternoon
to support this worthwhile effort.
Now let’s head for the 19th Hole.
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