Young golfers swinging away at rec camp
By Vince D’Adamo
SPORTS REPORTER
The Calistoga Recreation Department’s summer camp lineup continued in full swing.
This time it’s with golf clubs, as about 10 youngsters are taking part in this week’s camp at Mt. St. Helena Golf Course.
This is the second golf camp this summer.
“The camps are usually smaller the second time around,” said department superintendent Frank DiFede, who is also the Calistoga High golf coach.
“It’s good to have kids that get interested. We usually compete against baseball, softball, track and tennis (at the high school level), so there’s usually a shortage of kids for the golf team. If two or three stick and we get a golfer, that would be great.”
DiFede added that the camp is on the introductory level to get kids acquainted with golf — but also with the understanding that very few will stick to the game as their first love.
“We’d like to have some kids actually stick with golf and play year-round,” DiFede said.
“The last one we had that did that was Raymond Fechter, but that doesn’t happen very often. I know the men’s club, Gene Duffy in particular, loves seeing the kids out here and building roots for the upcoming year. We need to use this facility. It’s a gem of a course and we’re lucky to have it. I’m worried the young people are not going to take advantage of it and they’ll be kicking themselves later.”
Fechter, who graduated from Calistoga High in 2008, played football, basketball, baseball and golf but particularly had a passion for golf.
DiFede added that a particular source of happiness for the camp is watching Fabian Juarez work with the youngsters.
Juarez, who graduated from Calistoga High last month, played football, basketball and golf.
“He’s lived life a little bit and has seen some of the bad side,” DiFede said, referring to Juarez’s maturity as a student-athlete.
“That life story that he has is wonderful in that he can get along with these kids and they can learn a little from him in that life is not always a bowl of cherries. He’s going to really turn into something.”