Ace Kids Golf program in Oakland drives success both on and off the course

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Since 1998, Ace Kids Golf has introduced over 8,000 Oakland youth to the wonderful world of golf. With every putt, kids develop the life skills needed to succeed both on and off the course.

The premier East Bay junior golf program is open to youth ages 5-18, hosting up to 900 underserved youth each year. Ace Kids Golf aims to build friendships, confidence, and integrity while teaching kids the basics of golf in a peaceful, outdoor environment.

"Offering golf to our youth is very important because it gets them out of their neighborhoods. You come to a beautiful golf course, like here at Lake Chabot, you're here in nature," expressed Ace Kids Golf Program director Preston Pinkney. "When you think about the kids coming up from the inner cities, you know, there's a lot of violence going on. There's a lot of negativity. So, this is another place for peace and calmness."

Ace Kids Golf focuses on giving back to the community by providing unique growth opportunities backed by sports leaders, including 3x NBA Champion Steph Curry and PGA Teaching Professional, Tony Canedo. This year, Ace Kids Golf offered the program's first Junior Championship presented by 2K Foundations.

"What I love about our Ace Kids Golf Junior Championship is it allows our kids to compete, get out there, and show their determination," stated Pinkney.

Pinkney hopes that the positive traits inextricably linked with the game of golf will be applied to the young golfers' future endeavors. With each program session, kids learn to maintain poise, sharpen focus, and strengthen tenacity in the face of adversity.

"Golf is a really slow game, so you have to take your time. Be real patient and careful with everything you do," explained youth golfer Janissa Salazar. "And I actually have taken that with anything I do in life."

"I have to wait sometimes to hit the tee. I have to wait to play," stated youth golfer Micah Lenton, "It taught me patience."

"It's a great organization that brought great opportunities for me, and I'd love to keep working with Ace Kids," expressed youth golfer Marlon Jones.

Ace Kids Golf invites you to join in on the fun! Visit here to learn more and register for classes.