Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Program Supervisor Josh Bass, crouching, watches Landon Loftin line up a putt Monday at Bill Fay Park. Fisher Hartsell, left, also looks on along with golf instructor Ryan Reese. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation wants to get kids interested in golf.

Throughout the fall, the organization has put together a series of clinics at Bill Fay Park in order to raise awareness about the sport. Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Program Supervisor Josh Bass said with the renovations to the facility being put into motion, there’s a great place to teach the sport.

“A lot of kids have never played golf, so the key was to start a program where we’re getting the awareness out,” Bass said. “We wanted to start from the beginning and hopefully grow the sport. It’s going to take baby steps, but eventually we hope to have a steady golf program (on par) with other sports in Kinston.”

Fisher Hartsell, a seventh-grader at E.B. Frink, has been playing the game for about a year and said he enjoys it.

“It’s a relaxing sport to play and it’s fun,” Hartsell said. “There’s a lot of competition and it takes hard work to play it.”

Landon Loftin, a fifth-grader at Southwood Elementary, shares similar sentiments.

“This is my first clinic and I like hitting the ball,” Loftin said.

Monday’s clinic featured Ryan Reese, a Kinston High graduate who currently teaches junior golf. Reese was able to garner a golfing scholarship to play at Methodist University and has caddied for professionals Phil Mickleson, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy among others.

Reese said he honed his craft at Bill Fay Park and appreciates the sport for what it’s done for him, a reason why he tries to come back twice a year — Reese lives in Florida — to not only see family, but teach others the game.

“It opened up a lot of avenues and success for me, and I just wanted to come back,” Reese said. “When I was coming up, everyone was all about basketball, football, and the major sports (so) I wanted to give the youth another avenue.”

Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Rec will look to have another series of golf clinics in the spring.