Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Friends foundation highlights youth golf camps and volunteer support for Coeur d'Alene public course
Summary
Ben Wolfinger of the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Public Golf Club Foundation described nonprofit efforts to keep green fees affordable, support Lake City High School golf teams, and run youth camps that served about 249 children this summer; he asked for council recognition and volunteer recruitment.
Ben Wolfinger, representing the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Public Golf Club Foundation, told the council the public course opened in 1957, receives no tax dollars and hosted roughly 50,400 rounds this year, attracting players from abroad as well as locally. He said the driving range dispensed 2,401,325 practice balls this season and that the foundation became a nonprofit in 2019 to support youth programs and maintain affordability for working families in Kootenai County.
Wolfinger described partnerships with the Coeur d'Alene Recreation Department and the Boys & Girls Club to offer golf camps for ages 7–13; the foundation provided volunteers, PGA professional instruction, equipment and background-checked coaches. He said the foundation served about 249 children this summer, ran multiple fundraisers to support equipment and unforeseen costs, and encouraged council members and residents to volunteer as coaches.
Council thanked Wolfinger and asked clarifying questions about scholarships and volunteer availability; staff and council members explained scholarship practice varies, with some ad hoc scholarships provided at request by board members and the recreation department handling registrations.
