Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
 |
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
PEOPLE
|
||||
 From left: Mission Viejo Country Club junior golfers Andrew Levitt, Amy Alston, and Beau Hossler Jr. (PHOTO: Eddie Meeks). If Mission Viejo Country Club had a family tree showing junior golfers who have thrived, the top branch would belong to Mark O’Meara. His father was the club’s first president, and today members gather in the Mark O’Meara Lounge after their rounds. Matt Viguerie, the course’s head professional, noted other accomplished golfers with a connection to the equity club: Steve Conway (UCLA), Mike Lavery (UC Irvine), Taylor Wood (USC) and Steve Runge (Ohio State). Club member Cameron Tringale (Georgia Tech) wrapped up his amateur career this year by qualifying for the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur championships and competing on the U.S. Walker Cup team. Viguerie credits two of the club’s attributes for its success. “The first is our course,” he said about the layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1967 that underwent a renovation project last year. “The course really allows you to work on your game.” The course also is conducive to junior golf because “it is a great balance between being fun and challenging,” said Larry Levitt, whose son, Andrew, is among the new crop of juniors honing their game at Mission Viejo Country Club. Levitt, a sophomore at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, won two AJGA tournaments this summer and recently broke the course record at Mission Viejo by shooting a 4-under-par 67 from the back tees. Other up-and-comers are Beau Hossler Jr. and Amy Alston. Hossler became the second-youngest golfer — at 14 years, 4 months — to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship. Alston, a junior at Santa Margarita, was named to the All-Orange County first team and is ranked 115th nationally among girls on the Junior Golf Scoreboard. Another advantage of the club, Viguerie said, is the interest expressed by members. “The members have a sense of pride about the golfers we have produced,” he said. “They are very supportive of the kids.” The Levitts joined Mission Viejo Country Club in 2002, when Andrew was taking up the game. “These kids love going there because their friends are there,” Larry Levitt said. “It’s their refuge. They practice together. They play together. They study together. They are a positive influence on each other.” Alston said she would not have achieved as much as she had without having the club as her home course. “The juniors have pushed me to be better,” she said. The club’s interest in golf performance, Viguerie said, is only a small part of the youths’ development. A junior golf academy held twice a week “isn’t just about golf swing mechanics,” he said. “We work on rules, etiquette, sportsmanship and having fun,” Viguerie said. “That’s very important.” For additional information about Mission Viejo Country Club, contact Brad Shupe at (949) 582-1550. |
||||
RSS Subscribe