The Brooklyn site where the late father of Tiger Woods learned golf and fell in love with the sport is now also home to the nation’s first free golf center for children, complete with a six-hole course and pointers from the pros.
The Junior Golf Center, Cropsey and 14th avenues, teed-off to a dynamic start when Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined borough officials for a grand opening celebration, jumpstarted by the Mayor’s Cup Golf Tournament at the adjacent Dyker Beach Park golfing green where then-US Army Col. Earl Woods caught the golfing bug in 1972 while stationed at Fort Hamilton.
Hizzoner displayed fine form as he took to the links at the $6 million facility, alongside the likes of comedian and actor Jimmy Fallon for the CityParks Golf tourney, which called on players to compete in a scramble for best overall score.
A cocktail party and awards ceremony followed at the Junior Golf Center, an 11.8-acre course funded through a combination of public and private funds, and serving youngsters, ages six through 17.
The City Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving New York City’s parks will manage and program the facility, which boasts a golf course, putting and chipping greens in addition to a driving range and clubhouse with classroom space and viewing stands for friends and family.
