Miss-Delectable
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Democrat & Chronicle: Local News
The driving range at Irondequoit County Club this morning was filled with professional golfers in town for the Xerox Classic golf tournament, which begins Thursday. The golf balls they smacked were barely visible when then they landed hundreds of yards away.
While the pros practiced, a group of more than 20 summer students from Rochester School for the Deaf gathered to get golf tips from the pros. Some managed to swing a club for the first time, causing the practice snag balls to bounce a few feet from their tee.
“No one with my level of experience could take the concepts to them in their language,” said Rob Strano, a former PGA pro who led the Deaf Golf Camp using sign language. It’s one of 15 camps this year held for deaf children to teach them the basics of golf.
Accompanied by a television crew from the Golf Channel that was documenting their experience, the children watched as Strano explained how to stand, grip the club and how their bodies should be positioned while swinging.
“I try not to hit it too hard. It’s more about accuracy, I try to get it close to the hole,” said golf pro Jeff Klauk, of Florida, after launching a ball 160 yards.
“How long do you practice?” asked RSD student Jonathan Gadison, 14.
“The guys out here are out seven or eight hours a day, either practicing or playing,” Klauk said. “It’s a long day.”
One by one, the students took time to work on their stance and swing.
“This is very impressive,” said Alan Hurwitz, the dean of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. “This is great for the students to learn.”
The driving range at Irondequoit County Club this morning was filled with professional golfers in town for the Xerox Classic golf tournament, which begins Thursday. The golf balls they smacked were barely visible when then they landed hundreds of yards away.
While the pros practiced, a group of more than 20 summer students from Rochester School for the Deaf gathered to get golf tips from the pros. Some managed to swing a club for the first time, causing the practice snag balls to bounce a few feet from their tee.
“No one with my level of experience could take the concepts to them in their language,” said Rob Strano, a former PGA pro who led the Deaf Golf Camp using sign language. It’s one of 15 camps this year held for deaf children to teach them the basics of golf.
Accompanied by a television crew from the Golf Channel that was documenting their experience, the children watched as Strano explained how to stand, grip the club and how their bodies should be positioned while swinging.
“I try not to hit it too hard. It’s more about accuracy, I try to get it close to the hole,” said golf pro Jeff Klauk, of Florida, after launching a ball 160 yards.
“How long do you practice?” asked RSD student Jonathan Gadison, 14.
“The guys out here are out seven or eight hours a day, either practicing or playing,” Klauk said. “It’s a long day.”
One by one, the students took time to work on their stance and swing.
“This is very impressive,” said Alan Hurwitz, the dean of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf. “This is great for the students to learn.”