Seeing a gap in the way youths are brought to the game, Tom Watson is taking action

Junior golf and growing the game are passions of both Jeff Burey and Tom Watson. While Burey has put his energy into creating the plan for Wee Links golf, Watson has his own brainchild called Watson Links.

“Jeff Burey has spearheaded this. He has the kids coming out here with this (Wee Links) program,” Tom Watson says. “I think what we need to do is teach the shorter game. You use the same skills making a small swing as you do a big swing.” (Photo: Earl Richardson)

Launched last year, Watson Links is a mentorship program that pairs two junior golfers (ages 10 to 18) with two adult mentors, for a free round of golf in the Kansas City area. Administered by the First Tee of Kansas City, mentors must submit a background check through Safe Sports, and attend an orientation regarding supervision, pace of play and other items pertinent to the program.

“It goes back to square one for me, how I started in the game. My father, a good player, gave me a cut-down hickory shaft five iron,” Watson recalls. “(With Watson Links) you can go out with a mentor, somebody who has a passion and a love for the game, like my dad did for me.”

Watson says that since he first joined the PGA Tour, he’s noticed how golf cars have made the number of caddie programs in the nation decline. It was caddie programs that got people from all walks of life to come into the game, he says.

“I saw that happen and I said, ‘I’ve got to do something to get young people involved in the game,’” Watson says. “If you don’t teach kids how to play on the golf course, they’ll probably quit playing. The key is to give the kids access to what they can’t get to.”

Now in its first full season, Watson Links is quickly filling up all its tee times. Watson adds that he has heard from other cities who want to know how they can start the program in their region.

“Right now, we’re not getting too far over the tips of our skis,” Watson says. “We’ve certainly had a lot of inquiries from outside of Kansas City, from First Tee programs and non-First Tee programs, to give their kids opportunities. We’re providing the fundamental format, the budget it costs to run the program and the specifics of how it works to anyone who wants that information.”