Augusta, GA

Kids learn golf skills with Top Golf, First Tee of Augusta partnership

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2024

Kids learn golf skills with Top Golf, First Tee of Augusta partnership

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Top Golf and First Tee of Augusta teamed up on Thursday for Camp “Jain”, which allows kids to swing their clubs and get firsthand experience with the game of golf.

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson and other golf influencers are serving as counselors to teach the next generation how to play.

Top Golf was filled with patrons looking for something to do off the course. But on Thursday afternoon, kids got the chance to have their own version of a golf tournament.

“The kids from the local community want to give them a little taste of the Masters a little taste of what goes on at Augusta National. So you’ll see the pimento cheese sandwiches you’ll see the azaleas, just little touches that kind of give them a glimpse into what might happen beyond those gates a couple of miles down the road,” said Connor Smith, Topgolf Director of Entertainment Marketing.

It gave everyone the chance the play and learn about golf, regardless of whether you attended the tournament.

Chris Hvsepian, founder of Jain, said: “It’s not about the golf, it’s about all the play around the golf. And I think that’s what’s making everyone have so much fun. And the parents feel like kids again, and, and the kids just having a good time.”

It’s also another way to give back. For every golf bay reserved this week, they’ll donate $1 towards the First Tee of Augusta.

First Tee Program Director LaShunda Hall said: “We teach life skills, which is just golf as a way to teach it. We even when any from ages seven to 18, they not only get the actual fundamentals, but they learn the etiquette throughout the game, and we teach it on the golf course. So they actually walk away learning how to play golf.”

Organizations like First Tee of Augusta and Camp Jain make impacts on kids that’ll last a lifetime.

“My favorite part was the food and these fun little games we are playing,” Evans Lake, a participant.

They experienced many firsts, such as swinging a golf club, that they hope they get to do again one day.

Source link

Augusta, GA

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

Published

3 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta University baseball is in a three-game series matchup against the University of North Georgia.

AU is currently down in the series 0-2 after a close loss Friday and a loss Saturday.

But we aren’t focusing on the Jags, we’re going to take a look at North Georgia’s head coach, Nolan Belcher.

He is an Augusta native who began his career at Greenbrier and Augusta Christian.

He won three state championships, which then led him to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

There he won back-to-back national championships and finished runner up in 2012.

His coaching career began after that where he eventually joined the Peach belt Confrence, coaching at USCA and GCSU.

Now in his first season as head coach for the Nighthawks, he is happy to come home and coach in front of his friends and family.

“I’m very fortunate that I got family that, one is still around and they can come watch me do what I love. And, they’ve shown me, nothing but support throughout my whole coaching career and even back on my playing dates are very thankful and appreciative for everything they’ve done for me.”

AU and UNG will have their final series match on Sunday.

Source link