Junior Golf Thrives through Jim Ager Golf Course
By Camdyn Beirow, NebGolf Intern
Jim Ager Golf Course, located centrally in Lincoln off Normal Boulevard and South Street, has been a pillar for junior golf in the community for several years. A public golf course run by the city, Jim Ager has welcomed golfers of all skill levels and runs youth programs designed to help get youth involved in the game while learning necessary skills.
Head golf professional Zac Morley runs these youth programs along with the help from his staff of collegiate golfers, as well as with students studying Professional Golf Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“Starting young in golf is really important,” Morley said in an interview with NebGolf. “If you can start when you’re young, the correct way, it saves you a lot of time, makes you a lot better, and hopefully you like it from the beginning and you can stick with it.”
Morley grew up playing at Jim Ager, and understands the importance of both junior golf, as well as having a palace for younger players to grow and develop their game. Jim Ager provides that place for kids in the Lincoln area to learn and grow.
While building skills is the core of these camps, Morley and his team also work with the kids to learn the basic rules and etiquette of golf. Raking bunkers, understanding penalty areas, and how to keep score are pieces of the program that may seem little at first, but can be what helps a junior thrive early in their golf career.
“Most people know you can play golf all your life, and they think ‘Oh I can start later in life,'” says Audrey Robison, a collegiate golfer from Lincoln who is working with Morley at Jim Ager. ”You start these kids young, they get all of this learning experience, it’s something new for them to try and I think it’s really important.”
The junior programs at Jim Ager are typically eight weeks long in the summer. Most programs will start with basic swing mechanics and putting, before moving on to walking the course and learning the game of golf in a more technical sense.
Jim Ager is a par-three course designed by Kansas Golf hall of famer Floyd Farley. Since its opening in 1965, Jim Ager has become a local favorite for players of all ages and skill levels.
Junior golf programs are a vital piece to the golf ecosystem. The game continues to grow and thrive because of programs like those offered by Morley and the team at Jim Ager.
Morley understands that what you learn on the course can be bigger than golf. Lifelong lessons are learned on the course, and programs like those at Jim Ager are helping kids learn life lessons early.
“One thing that golf teaches… it really is a mind thing,” Morley said. “If you can keep your anger level down and stay positive on the golf course, it can really help.
Learn more about Jim Ager's junior golf programs at the button below.
Golf Gets Better Here.
About NebGolf
The Nebraska Golf Association, founded in 1966, is comprised of all members of public and private clubs and/or municipal or regional golf associations which utilize an approved handicap service recognized by the USGA and provided by the NGA. Our mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values to all golfers in Nebraska. Among the duties of the Association include governance of member clubs and service as their handicapping and course rating authority, conduct of state golf championships, local USGA qualifying & other notable competitions, promotion of junior golf, presentation of worthwhile educational programs and support of allied golf organizations in Nebraska. The Nebraska Golf Association is an Allied Golf Association of the USGA and carries out core services including Handicap Administration and Oversight, Course Rating, Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status, Tournaments and USGA Championship Qualifiers and USGA Initiatives and Community Programs.
