40th Year For Traverse City Junior Golf Association
By Tom Lang
Before the nationwide First Tee organization was a thought in anyone’s head, there was the Traverse City Junior Golf Association, founded by bay-area local resident Bob Lober.
With its principles of honesty, integrity, respect, confidence, learning and playing by the rules, good sportsmanship and encouraging families to enjoy the game of golf together, the TCJGA reached a major milestone and enjoyed a 40th season event on July 30 at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Spruce Run golf course.
"I'll be 80 in September, so a little more than half of my life has been Traverse City Junior Golf Association, which has been just an absolute treat for me,” Lober said. “To create what we've been able to do here because of our golf community, the adults, the sponsors, the kids and their families – and my family allowing me to do it."
Lober started coaching golf at Traverse City Central high school in 1983 and wanted to find something for the kids to do in the summertime, to be ready for the fall season. They started with six tournaments in 1984 and watched it grow now to 30-plus, based out of Bay Meadows Family Golf Center. He said that in the early 2000s there were 600 kids in the program, “during the Tiger Woods syndrome. It was busting at the seams,” he said. Now the program has about 400 boys and girls per year, ranging from elementary school to college players.
"We're able to give a lot of money back to the kids through our college scholarship program, over $400,000 and that's awesome. So yes, we have exceeded our goals,” Lober said.
“Looking back 15 years since my last competitive round in the Traverse City Junior Golf Association it has become increasingly clear the many influences the organization and the people had on my life,” said former player Charlie Olson. “It gave us kids in northern Michigan a chance to play competitive rounds on some of the best golf courses in the Midwest, while also forming life-long friendships. I am incredibly thankful to Bob Lober and the entire staff of the TCJGA for their time and commitment to junior golf. It is no exaggeration that the Traverse City Junior Golf Association has positively impacted thousands of Northen Michigan kids just like me.”
