At Shelburne Golf and Country Club, junior golf isn’t just a summer activity, it’s a long-term investment in the future of the game, built on a legacy of leadership and love for the sport.
Located on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, the 18-hole course has become a local leader in youth golf development. That’s thanks to a forward-thinking rental club program, an inclusive lineup of junior offerings for all ages or stages, and the continued vision of General Manager Megan Young, who is proudly building on the foundation built by her father, Sam Young, a Canadian Golf Legend and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame inductee.
“We start our kids as young as three years old,” Megan says. “A lot of clubs still limit junior access, but golf is missing the boat when we do that. We’re shaping the future of the game by making it accessible and enjoyable from the start.”
Clubs That Grow With Them
A big part of Shelburne’s junior program is its club rental option. Kids get properly sized clubs and a stand bag for the whole season. That means families don’t need to spend a lot of money right away, and young golfers can learn with the right equipment from the start.
Programming for Every Age
Shelburne offers something for every stage of a young golfer’s journey:
- Turkey Saturdays welcome kids ages 3–5 for free drop-in lessons, with clubs provided and no registration required. Held from 2–3pm each Saturday, it’s a low-pressure, fun introduction to the sport.
- The Junior-Junior Program (ages 6–9) builds on those basics with weekly clinics, mentorship from advanced juniors, and access to a dedicated three-hole course. Participants can even play the full course on weekend evenings when accompanied by an adult.
- From ages 9–18, golfers can participate in Junior Clinics, offered multiple times per week, focusing on skill development, course strategy, and more.
- For those looking to take their game to the next level, the Advanced Junior Program offers winter training, a March Break trip to Pinehurst, and competitive junior tournament experience, all backed by year-round coaching and full club access.
A Legacy in Action
At Shelburne, junior golf is rooted in family. The club’s youth programs were founded by Canadian golfer, Sam Young, a 2011 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame inductee. His daughter, who has taken over for him, explains that his commitment to junior development began decades ago, when he coached his very first junior Gar Hamilton, who was inducted alongside him.
Now led by his daughter, Megan Young, Shelburne continues that mission. “Golf has to have a future”, she says. “My dad spent his entire career teaching kids how to play. He believed that golf is a lifelong game, and if you teach someone to enjoy and succeed at it, they’ll play forever.”
That legacy is alive and well today, reflected in every child who picks up a club for the first time at Shelburne without worrying about common barriers like cost or accessibility.
By putting inclusion, accessibility, and passion at the heart of their programming, Shelburne Golf and Country Club is doing what all of us at Golf Ontario strive to do: shape lives through golf.
Ready to get your young golfer started? Click here to explore Shelburne’s Junior Golf programs.
