Michael Cloninger, 18, had never tried to play golf before his physical education class started the First Tee clinic three weeks ago.
Cloninger, a visually impaired student at the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, plays on the school football team and enjoys team sports, but he didn't think golf would work for him.
When the clinic started, Cloninger said it was difficult to make contact with the ball.
As he approached the ball with the proper stance Thursday morning, Cloninger hit it about 150 yards on the putting green. His classmates cheered and his coaches described the shot to him.
“Beautiful,” said Sanford Keyes, a SCSDB coach. “That shot went 100, 150 yards. Great job.”
For the past three weeks, two PE classes have spent four days a week at The First Tee course at The Creek golf club. They practiced chipping and putting at the school and progressed to Starting New At Golf (SNAG), with equipment specifically designed for beginner golfers. The equipment features brightly colored clubs with larger heads, Velcro targets and sound effects until students become comfortable.
Thursday, the students moved to regular golf clubs and practiced on the driving range for about 30 minutes.
Marquise Malachi, 14, said the clinic helped him gain an understanding of the game. He now enjoys helping other students learn.
PE teacher Nathan Pressley said watching the progression with some of the students has been encouraging.
“They've learned the rules and started out as beginners. And now, they can properly swing and use real clubs,” Pressley said. “They've all enjoyed coming out. It's been great.”
