Zoé has been immersed in the world of golf since birth. She comes from a sporty family, but her interests can be a bit surprising. An artist at heart, she finds herself more drawn to drawing and dancing. Oddly enough, she also has a lot of fun holding a golf club.
The nine-year-old didn’t learn the basics of the sport until after her second birthday. A “mandatory” visit as Grandpa owns the public golf club Les Rivières in Mauricie. The whole family pitches in. My mother also grew up in the country with her father Michel.
For the Comeaus, golf is a family sport. A way to spend quality time together. This is what gets the mischievous little girl’s attention and causes her to grab her bag and hit the little white girl.
“I love this sport because I can play with my friends, family and people of all levels. He’s coming to get me,” she says, answering questions from the journal along with her mother Audrey-Ann. She especially enjoys hitting balls on the practice area and playing on the green, where she wants to do everything right.
Never give up
“Zoé is attracted to golf because of the alternatives it offers. She has just completed her first summer camp with group lessons and I have noticed great development,” says the mother, who works as a teacher in the club.
Audrey-Ann Comeau teaches her 9-year-old daughter Zoé the basics of golf. Photo courtesy of Audrey-Ann Comeau
According to her mother, Zoé is a rational, reserved and meticulous little girl. Golf allows him to engage and learn life lessons.
“At first she was quickly discouraged when she didn’t succeed straight away. But over time, as I watched her friends go through the same process, I noticed a little girl who didn’t give up. This sport is a real mental challenge. “It makes you realize that there is no such thing as perfection,” explains Audrey-Ann.
A new program
In her daily tasks at the club, she takes care of, among other things, clinics for juniors, but also the First Tee – Premier Départ Québec program. The Les Rivières golf course is one of the twelve establishments that have joined it throughout the province.
Modeled on the popular American model, this sports program aims to teach life lessons and leadership skills to young people ages 7 to 14. It is structured around sports, school and community curricula to get more children and young people interested in sports.
Through fun activities, Zoé has been participating for two years, making progress both on the fairways and greens and in her life. In addition to her artistic skills, she has another mainstay.
And who knows whether she won’t follow in her mom and grandpa’s footsteps and dedicate herself entirely to golf.
The First Tee program faces several challenges
The First Tee program is still in its infancy. If the promising results in the United States are anything to go by, this is a successful initiative. Quebec golf clubs have yet to raise their hands to introduce young people to the sport in their facilities.
So far, 12 of the province’s approximately 350 golf clubs have opened their arms to First Tee. The large regions of Montreal and Quebec have none.
For now, program director Jérémy Proteau prefers quality over quantity. In his philosophy, he is convinced that clubs must accept diversity in order to take the leap. Because in a conservative sport like golf, reluctance to change is the main obstacle.
“We need to open the doors and find the right people to make the sport accessible. The acceptance of diversity is the essential criterion. We want partners who believe in the project. One can be forgiven for not following the label exactly. Young people learn and apply the ethics of golf,” explained the man who works hard to find clubs to support him in this adventure.
Jérémy Proteau has been the general director of the First Tee junior program in Quebec since 2022. Photo courtesy of the First Tee Program
In communities and schools
In addition to club approaches, the sport is also integrated into more than forty schools and community programs across the province. Another big challenge is reaching the masses. Currently around 10,000 young people use a stick in one way or another to hit the little white ball.
If this program allows young people to discover their inner strength, self-confidence and resilience, like the young Zoé Clément, it also teaches them to apply these in all areas of their lives.
Attracting more young people to the sport would also make it possible to prepare the next generation and, who knows, find a potential first star from Quebec to reach the PGA Tour if it hasn’t already happened by then.
“It’s a question of numbers. “A larger number of golfers also means more opportunities to develop great athletes who reach that level,” recalls Proteau, who is a participant in the Carabins program at the University of Montreal.
A donor who believes in the project
Marc Villeneuve has been active in the world of golf and sports for decades. He decided to jump aboard the crew of the First Tee ship to help the program attract young people. His motivation goes beyond the boundaries of sport.
Anyone pursuing a career in finance believes that one can learn important life lessons through golf.
“We talk about ethics, trust and discipline. In the business world, these are values that we have to rediscover. Part of the goal of this program is to teach them that.
“What other sport forces a player to take a penalty when a rule is broken? He then asked about the benefits of golf. We cannot claim that young people will apply these principles and values throughout their lives, but they will be aware of their existence. Sport prepares the leaders of tomorrow. »
Better accessibility
As one of the program’s valued funders, Villeneuve also believes this program could find true diamond in making the sport more accessible in the industry.
“The aim is to support and equip young people. They are not all aimed at the elite. But through strength in numbers we might be able to find one. Talent always finds the money to reach the highest level. This applies even more to golf.”
He came from a family that did not play golf and took his first steps in the discipline at the age of 12 as a caddy at the Cap-Rouge Golf Club. Without this experience he would never have practiced this sport.
“Golf was my first business. I carried two golf bags for two rounds almost every day. That gave me $22. And when I was 15, I used that money to pay for my first trip, he said.
“I hope First Tee teaches young people the same thing. May he teach you to work, equip yourself and never give up to achieve what you want.”