​​​​​​​Wichita Junior Golf Foundation teaches kids, ages 9-18 the rules and basic skills of golf. It is an eight-week summer program held Monday and Tuesday mornings in June and July. The program is offered at the Wichita Public Golf Courses. Two courses are dedicated to beginners. The Foundation pays green fees, subsidizes the lessons, furnishes equipment if needed, and provides the program, leaders and instructors.

Boys and girls 9-18 years old are eligible to participate in the Wichita Junior Golf program. The junior must be 9 no later than August 31 of the current year.​​

A 9-year-old junior golfer and a junior golfer who enrolls in the program for the first time, must enroll in one of the beginner programs. The east beginner program is held at MacDonald and west is at Auburn Hills. Both beginner programs play on Tuesdays.

Junior golfers who wish to transfer from another junior golf program and are older than 9 years of age, may enroll at one of the following courses: MacDonald, Arthur B. Sim, and Tex Consolver. All of these programs play on Mondays.

The beginners program provides instruction in rules and etiquette, chipping, putting and the full swing. One class day is spent on the golf course for 3-holes of play. The junior golfer spends only one summer in the beginners program and advances the next summer to play one of the three golf courses.

In the players program, the junior golfers play on the course every Monday. Scores are recorded to determine the junior's advancement in the program to reach the 18-hole level. Instruction in rules and etiquette and golf skills are also given every week. All beginners and players have the opportunity to play in end-season tournaments at each course. The 18-hole group and 9-hole groups also have the opportunity to be involved in the Auggie Navarro Boy's City Junior and WAWGA Girl's City Junior Championships this year.

​The Foundation charges an enrollment fee of twenty-five dollars per year. This fee partially covers the expense of instruction by the golf course staff. The junior has no other fees during the program.

Our History

Before the inauguration of the Wichita Junior Golf Foundation's program at the public courses, junior golf was limited to Marilyn Linn at Arthur B. Sim Golf Course and Lila Adamson at MacDonald Golf Course organizing play days for juniors who already played golf. There was no professional instruction and the juniors paid all their own fees.​​

In 1974, Marge and Bob Page, Marilyn Linn, Lila Adamson and Velda Warden worked together to develop junior golf at all public courses. They secured access to the courses, approval of the golf pros and developed the framework and financing. Leaders were obtained from volunteers in the community.

In 1974, Wichita Junior Golf Foundation programs were started at all public golf courses in the area. Approximately 400 boys and girls between the ages of 10 to 18 enrolled. In subsequent years, before several participating courses formed their own standalone programs, participation was as high as 1,000 juniors annually. It is conservatively estimated that over twenty-six thousand juniors have participated in the Foundation's program.

Through the Foundation, Wichita became the first city in the country to have a junior program at the public courses that accepted juniors regardless of ability. It was also the first US city to incorporate a learning program with a competitive program.

Through the ongoing generosity of the Wichita community, the Foundation began a college scholarship program which over the past five years has allowed more than $275,000 in scholarships to junior golfers participating in the program.

In recognition of the Foundation's contributions to the community, in 1978 Marge Page was named Kansas Mother of the Year and in 2004 she was inducted into the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame.

The program has been financed by the generosity of business firms and individuals of the community. The Foundation has been honored with over three hundred memorials and scholarship contributions. The income derived from the investment of the memorials help to finance the ongoing junior golf and scholarship programs.

Wichita Junior Golf Foundation has always been an all-volunteer organization. The hundreds of volunteers, along with the dedicated golf course staff, are the ultimate reason that the program has been a success in accomplishing the goals of the Foundation.

Scholarships

Each year college scholarships are awarded to young persons who have been involved in the Junior Golf Program for at least four years. The monetary amount depends on the number of qualified applicants and the associated programs which also provide scholarship funding. Junior golfers are eligible to apply upon completion of their junior year in high school.

Applications are judged based on answers to essay questions, leadership, high school scholastic performance and years in the program, with financial need being the last criteria.

The Scholarship's financial capacity has been substantially enhanced through tournaments dedicated to the program. Since 2007, the Bob Martz Benefit has funded the Bob Martz Scholarship Fund through Wichita Junior Golf. Since 2014, the Auggie Navarro Annual Golf Outing has funded the Auggie Navarro Scholarship Fund through Wichita Junior Golf and now the Auggie Navarro Scholarship Foundation. From 2015 through 2019, the Marge Page Pro-Am in conjunction with the Wichita Open funded the Wichita Open Scholarship Fund through Wichita Junior Golf. The generosity and dedication of the sponsors and participants in these two new tournaments have now allowed the consideration of four-year scholarship awards by Wichita Junior Golf.

We highly encourage that scholarship applicants volunteer to help at the Auggie Navarro Annual Golf Outing and the Wichita Open events.

Please keep this scholarship possibility in mind as you participate in Junior Golf. Perhaps it will be a goal to which you aspire.

Scholarship Application Form​​

How to Help

Vol​​unteer

The Wichita Junior Golf Program is conducted by volunteers who provide the opportunity for juniors to learn the rules, etiquette and skills of golf. We have leaders who have led programs 15, 20, and more years. These people lead the Foundation's efforts to develop children into responsible adults.

We need volunteers to:

• share basic knowledge of putting and chipping with beginners
  
• supervise young golfers on the golf course
  
• assist leaders with the program as needed

Contact us for details or to register as a volunteer.

Velda Warden Volunteer of the Year Award

In 2005, a Volunteer of the Year award was established and named after Velda Warren, a co-founder of Wichita Junior Golf who served as President of the Foundation's Advisory Board for 20 years. It is intended to honor her as well as the individual chosen each year. The list of recipients follows:

Don​ate

The Wichita Junior Golf Foundation is a non-profit organization that is funded by donations from individuals and business firms, memorials and scholarship sponsors. To establish a memorial or scholarship fund, please contact us​.

Please send contributions to:

Wichita Junior Golf Foundation
58 E. Via Verde St.
Wichita, KS 67230​

Our Purpose

"The Purpose of the Wichita Junior Golf Foundation shall be to help develop children into responsible adults, who respect friendship, honesty and etiquette, through their knowledge of and participation in the game of golf."

Trustees

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