Bowers named one of top 50 junior golf teachers

In 2006 and 2007, Pam Bowers found herself on the receiving end of a prestigious award.

U.S. Kids Golf named the Henderson native one of the top 50 junior golf teachers. Winning the honor two years in a row was the result of years of effort from Bowers, a former Basic High and San Diego State golf standout who is the teaching pro at Desert Willow Golf Course.

Bowers has pretty much devoted her livelihood to developing junior golfers. But no matter how good one may be at such a craft, there's always plenty of competition in the award business.

So it took until this year for Bowers to grab the award for a third time, and against an international field, no less. Among the top 50 honorees for 2010 were teaching pros from the Netherlands and Colombia.

"There were 347 instructors worldwide," said Bowers, who as a result of winning the award a third time will also be named a U.S. Kids Golf master teacher. "When I finally won again this time, I was so surprised, because the competition is so strong. It's so competitive, and that's probably why I didn't win it (for 2008 or 2009)."

She and the other 49 winners were honored last month at the PGA Show, a huge golf convention in Orlando, Fla. In years past, the honorees got their awards in a small ceremony, in a room away from the main floor of the convention. But with the rapid growth of junior golf, the awards ceremony is now a more visible one.

"Junior golf is getting more attention than ever, worldwide," said Bowers, a mother of two and a teaching professional for 25 years. "For me, it was a great honor. It was on the main floor at the PGA Show. We were right in the presence of professional golfers -- Greg Norman was there.

"It was obviously very rewarding to be able to be there. The awareness in the industry, focusing more on junior golf products and investing in junior golf, that's the future of golf."

And expanding access to more potential players is also a key. In fact, Bowers is convinced that's how she got back into the winners circle for U.S. Kids Golf, which produces an array of clubs specifically designed for youngsters and which also supports junior golf in a variety of ways, including hosting regional tours and a national championship.

Bowers, who along with husband Dale Bowers runs the Junior Golf Academy at Desert Willow, started a foundation two years ago to begin teaching golf to autistic kids.

"We had a gentleman who wanted to make a grant donation, $1,500. We went through all the paperwork to get it legally set up," Bowers said.

And the response has been great.

"We've opened up a branch of teaching golf to high-functioning autistic kids," she said. "It's great for me to see these kids succeed.

"These are kids who don't have the ability to get socially involved in a team sport. But one boy we have taking lessons with us can now go out and play golf with his dad. It makes him happy; it's not work for him."

So it doesn't feel like work for Bowers, either.

"The greatest joy in (the autistic program) is seeing a whole new venue opened up for these kids to enjoy life," she said. "They're getting opportunities that are afforded to other kids. They get to enjoy a sport when there's really not too many sports they can actively participate in."

How does she know that U.S. Kids Golf noticed her efforts?

"I know they took note of it because they had me talk to another golf teaching pro in Massachusetts who works with Special Olympics," she said. "It's a pretty cool thing."

But it's not the only thing. Bowers does her able best to make the entire junior program available to -- and affordable for -- as many kids as possible, with after-school classes, weekend classes and even classes during school hours for home-schooled children.

"We've really gone out into the community to give that opportunity to kids who want the opportunity to golf," she said.

Perhaps the biggest asset, though, has been all the support she's received from Desert Willow, a par-60 executive course tucked in the MacDonald Ranch senior community off Green Valley Parkway and Horizon Ridge Road.

A few years ago, the course agreed to let Bowers put junior tees on several of the longer holes, making it a more practical course for younger kids to play and helping get families out on the links. Bowers said she believes Desert Willow was among the first courses in the state to have junior tees.

"The junior tees at Desert Willow have helped make golf more a family sport," said Bowers, whose program includes regular play days in which parents can join their kids in playing 18 holes at an unbeatable rate -- $10 for the child, $15 for the adult, cart included.

"Now, there are three or four other courses in Nevada that have put junior tees in. It just makes golf more accessible and enjoyable, more family-friendly."

It's all a part of an intriguing relationship between Bowers' program, Desert Willow staffers and the senior community that surrounds the course.

"A lot of people, staffers and golfers, have donated equipment. One guy donated five drivers to the program last week. One guy offered to pay a kid's entry fee to a tournament," Bowers said. "It's helpful because it creates more of a community, by these people encouraging the kids."
And Bowers' pupils respond in kind.

"Over time, the kids are endearing themselves to the people here. They have a respect for the game and for the community," she said.

Bowers and her husband are quite keen on teaching life lessons, not just golf lessons.

"We get to coach their lives, too. We'll talk about their dating life and school. It's not just about golf. It's about life experience."

That said, results on the course are still a source of pride, and Bowers has overseen many standout students.

"Our program now, we're really seeing the impact," said Bowers, who this past weekend had three of her students competing in the Scottsdale Challenge, a prestigious U.S. Kids Golf event in the Phoenix suburb. "We're in our eighth year, kids are making high school teams and getting scholarships. You see everything coming to fruition."

Bowers said her husband shares equally in any success -- and any awards -- that come to her program.

"He's actually really at this point starting to spearhead the autistic lessons, and he does all the home-school stuff," Bowers said. "It's really an award for the academy. I get the accolades, but I couldn't do it without him or the support of Desert Willow."

As modest as she is, though, Bowers still likes the attention of an international award.

"To be acknowledged by your peers professionally, it's a big deal," she said. "It feels like a big pat on the back, a stamp of approval."