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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Seven students from Thomas Simpson School now not only know how to handle a golf club but can also organize a golf tournament.

A gentle putt sends Nathan McPherson's ball rolling towards the cup on hole nine at the Seven Spruce Golf Course during the Thomas Simpson 2012 Invitational Golf Tournament on June 18. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Between June 13 and 18, the students participated in a career and technology studies course on golfing. The students spent their first three days taking golf lessons with Conan Donahue, a former teaching professional at the United States Golf Academy.

The students also learned how to prepare for a tournament and apply for funding. The class put this knowledge to use while organizing their own tournament, the Thomas Simpson 2012 Invitational Golf Tournament.

Ivor Cli-Norwegian, one of the students, said he thought it would be difficult to organize a tournament but it's not as hard as it seems. The students wrote letters to community businesses inviting them to enter a team in the four-person scramble style event.

Twenty-five golfers responded representing a variety of businesses and organizations, including Liidlii Kue First Nation, the Northern Store, P.R. Contracting Ltd., K&K Expediting Ltd., Dehcho Health and Social Services and the Department of Human Resources.

Cli-Norwegian said the class was pleased with the turnout because they weren't expecting many participants.

On the day of the tournament, June 18, the students set up a registration table and gave the teams score cards and their hole number as they arrived. If golfers arrived without a team, the students matched them with a group.

"They had it set up and ready to go," said Nathan McPherson, who golfed on the village's recreation centre team. "It was as good as any other tournament."

McPherson said the students went the extra mile by coming onto the course to ask if the golfers wanted to purchase food from the clubhouse. The tournament went without a hitch except for approximately 20 minutes of hard rain that fell shortly after the golfers started their nine holes.

First place in the tournament went to the combined Liidlii Kue First Nation and K&K team that finished with a 34.

The team members included Kele Antoine, Jermaine Gargan and Darren Hardisty.

Antoine also took the longest drive competition for the men while Trish Clough took the title for the women.

Kristen Morrison, who taught the course, said the students did great.

"They worked very well as a team," she said.

Morrison plans to offer the course again next year and have the participants organize a second tournament.

A secondary idea is to have the students choose a charity and run the tournament to raise funds for it, she said.

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