As seen in the Reading Eagle -- Tyson- Schoener students check out the golf course!
By David Mekeel
All Denis Jacobo needed was a few tips and a little bit of practice.
The 9-year-old fourth grader stood on the dewy grass at Berkshire Country Club on Monday morning with a plastic golf club in his hands and a purple tennis ball at his feet.
After some advice from Kara Zubaty, a Reading School District teacher who helped him position his feet and reminded him to make sure no one was standing in the way of his backswing, Jacobo reeled back and took a rip.
His first effort was a swing and a miss.
“That’s OK, that’s why we’re here — to practice,” Zubaty said supportively.
Jacobo tried again, this time kicking the ball and sending it rolling sideways. Another swing produced similar results.
And then, on his fourth attempt, success.
Jacobo made solid contact, smacking the ball into the air. He watched as it flew, a smile on his face.
“Woah,” he bellowed excitedly.
For Jacobo, who had only tried the mini version of golf previously, the experience was much more enjoyable than sitting in a classroom doing math problems. And that was the whole idea.
Jacobo was one of a few dozen students from Reading’s Tyson-Schoener Elementary School who spent the morning learning outdoors. Through a partnership with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s First Green program and the generosity of the host Berkshire Country Club, the kids got a chance to learn about science, technology and engineering while also learning about the world of golf.
“I’m excited to learn,” Jacobo said. “That’s why we came here.”
Zubaty, an innovation and gifted program teacher who helped organize the session, said students were getting a chance to spend about five hours at the course learning about how to solve real-world problems.
They got to learn about why the golf course installs bat boxes and employs a course dog. They got to learn about how water is reused to help keep the grass green and healthy.
At one station they learned about the physics of a golf ball, with an expert explaining how its dimple impact things like spin and loft.
They also got to check out some of the machinery used on the course — from mowers to blowers to rollers — find out about careers in the industry and get some exposure to the sport of golf.
“Most of these students don’t really know anything about golf,” Zubaty said.
That was certainly true for Jacobo, who appeared instantly hooked. It was also true for 10-year-old Jah’Lonnah Baxter.
Baxter took a turn trying to cut a hole into a putting green, realizing quickly it was no easy task. And, she added, it wasn’t as fun as checking out how club employees water the grass.
“I liked the sprinklers,” she said. “When he turned them on they shot up in the air.”
Baxter said she also found other parts of the morning pretty interesting, like hearing about the different types of grass that are used to construct a course and about that dog that chases away birds and other critters.
All in all, she said, it was a great day at school.
“We’re technically still learning, but we’re having fun,” she said.