The History of Junior Golf in Charlevoix County
Founded with a commitment to youth golf development, the Charlevoix County Junior Golf program has grown to become a nationally recognized initiative by the National Association for Junior Golf. Over the years, the program has introduced thousands of juniors to the game, building not only athletic skills but also community values.
Each year, the program selects outstanding participants for a Graduating Senior Scholarship which provides resources to support their academic and athletic pursuits. With the support of local clubs and volunteers, Charlevoix County Junior Golf has continued to be a vital part of the community, living up to the motto: "It takes a village to raise a child."
In the fall of 1993, several local golfers discussed the obvious scarcity of young golfers playing on the three local courses. Former Mayor, Sam Supernaw, and Tom Bickersteth felt it was time to do something to change that. After a summer of trying to introduce golf to a small group of beginners, Supernaw realized there was a need. He contacted Dean Davenport who had recently retired as Director of Athletics at Ferris State University. Dean accepted the challenge of starting the Charlevoix County Junior Golf Program. The Board was pleased because he had been the Charlevoix Summer Recreation Director for 18 summers, knew the families and was a former college golf coach. The Advisory Board was established and the first year registration was a surprising 220 with area youngsters ages 7 to 16 coming to the five week sessions. It was evident that the number was too high and enrollment was restricted to include ages 8-16 in the future. During that time local PGA card holder, Joan Waha, joined Davenport and his wife, Joyce, in coordinating the program.
After three years of operation, the National Association of Junior Golf contacted Davenport as they were identifying programs around the country and wanted to learn more about what was happening in Charlevoix. Later that year, they selected Charlevoix County Junior Golf as one of the top 13 programs for youth in the country and had a feature article in their journal. This recognition created a need for additional fundraising to accommodate the cost of more program scholarships. Steve Braun, pro from Belvedere Club, stepped forward by taking pledges from Club members to play 100 holes in one day. His efforts were so successful it has become a tradition every summer. When Braun retired as Club Pro, his replacement, Marty Joy, continued the tradition and he added playing with 1920 hickory clubs. The Belvedere Club and locals continued to support "Marty's 100 Holes in One Day Fundraiser" event which is the largest annual contributor to Charlevoix County Junior Golf.
The outstanding mentoring system sets the program apart from others as it qualifies mentors to play a number of rounds at the famous Belvedere Course at no cost. Another feature is the "Good Shot" program where juniors who make a good shot during class get rewarded with a "good shot" ticket which is used on Awards Day to enter their tickets in the drawing for many golf prizes and certificates that have been donated or purchased.
Steve Braun continued to be Board President for many years and Doug Drenth joined as Program Director in 2019 and added creative aspects to the program. In 2024 the program celebrated 30 years as Dean Davenport and Steve Braun stepped down from their roles as Executive Director and Board President. Many thanks to all of the Board of Directors, countless mentors, financial supporters and local golf clubs around Charlevoix for your many years of support.
As we move into 2025, Doug Drenth is the new Executive Director and Tyler Ostrum will be the new Program Director. 2025 Board of Directors include: Scott Kelly (President), Maureen Whitehead (Vice President), Sam Supernaw Jr. (Treasurer), Vinnie Klooster (Secretary), Bruce Beaudoin, Dave Gray, Gregg Whitley, Dean Davenport and Steve Braun. We are grateful that Dean and Steve will continue on as Board Members to share their wisdom and experience as the organization transitions to what we hope is many years of continuing to help local youth develop character through golf.
