By JOHN VAN VLEET

Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls has a new sport to follow, even if it is one of the oldest ones around.

This summer, a group of seven boys, ages 10-13, have formed the Columbia Falls Junior Golf Team, a collection of young golfers that participate in tournaments in and around the Flathead Valley.

The team was born this summer as a way for youngsters in the area to learn the game, practice their skills and hopefully play competitively against other golfers in the state.

Ron Platke, a lifelong golf enthusiast, has been serving as coach to help instruct the boys on various areas of the game and is excited about the direction golf is headed in Columbia Falls.

When golfers and their parents got together to discuss ways for the kids to interact, Platke said that the idea of forming a team that practices together was at the top of the list.

"We were just talking about how we need to get some kids golfing in Columbia Falls and get them together," he said.

Thus, the team was born.

The team's season started a month ago with the state qualifying tournament, and they practice on Saturdays with tournaments on Mondays or Wednesdays. The next tourney will be on July 6.

Although there are no actual team competitions and the kids place individually at the tournaments, Platke said that those are not the goals or the intentions of the program.

Teaching the fundamentals and enjoyment of hitting the links is what Platke said he hopes to pass on.

One of the benefits, he said, is watching the kids bond with their parents while they practice together.

"The beauty of the thing is to see the kids play with their fathers on Saturdays," he said.

For Platke, being able to foster an interest in the sport and plan for the future is also one of the main aims of the program.

"Our goal is to promote junior golf in Columbia Falls," he said. "We want to prepare kids for the high school program."

In the first tournament of the season, the state qualifier, four members participated, with one advancing to the Montana State Golf Association final to be held later in the summer in Polson.

Platke and the golfers said they were satisfied with the play and hope to improve as the season progresses.

The team practices and plays its home tournaments at the Meadowlake Golf Course and the roster is currently made up of Tanner Lineberry, Derek Hader, Henry Chisolm, Taylor Martinson, Austin Barth, Uriah Keller and Reed Platke.