'Everyone is welcome': Ex-Marysville girls golfer runs youth program at Elks Golf Club

PORT HURON — Despite being in the prime of her collegiate golf career, Madeline Blum is already giving back to the next generation of athletes.

And she's doing it at the course where she grew up.

The former Marysville girls golf star, who's currently a junior on the Western Michigan University women's team, is preparing for her third year as the youth camp and tournament coordinator at Elks Golf Club in Port Huron.

"It's really cool to watch these kids grow together over the summer," said Blum, a Port Huron native who graduated from Marysville High School in 2020. "Everyone is welcome. The only thing we say is to bring your own clubs. "

Camps begin June 19 and run through Aug. 7. Sessions are held every Wednesday and last 90 minutes. Registration is open to anyone, regardless of membership or experience.

"We have the junior program and the advanced program," Blum said. "For the junior program, it's more for kids that are beginner or intermediate and are trying to learn about the game ... the advanced program is more of a tournament prep series."

In addition to Blum, attendees will work with other current and former high school golfers from the Blue Water Area.

"(Blum) loves teaching," said Jeff Bassett, who is the club's pro shop manager. "At that age, it's pretty remarkable to see the amount of work she puts in ... I've been a member at this course for 12 years. I remember five, six, seven years ago, she'd be out practicing every single day as a young kid. So, to see how much passion she has for golf, she seems to have carried that as she's grown up."

When the Elks' previous youth coordinator left for another job in 2022, the program's future was uncertain. So, Blum volunteered to take over. She went through the program as a child and had already helped with it in the past.

"At first, we had just shy of 50 kids that summer," Blum said. "It was definitely a learning process. I was pretty anxious. Because there were lots of kids to work with and you've got to keep them on their toes — it's a summer camp. Then you're working with other other instructors trying to get them on the same page.

"But it ended up being amazing. It was one of the best things that I had ever done. Combining golf and kids together was fantastic ... we just had such positive feedback. Those kids were so much fun to work with that I 100% wanted to come back and do it again."

When registration increased for 2023, a third session was added to meet the demand.

"We had 73 kids in the camp last summer," Blum said. "It's cool to see how much it's grown and the impact that it's making."

The junior program is $110 per participant, while the advanced is $175. Payments must be made inside the pro shop.

The first two sessions are already full, but 16 spots remain in the third as of Sunday. Those interested should call Elks Golf Club at 810-984-1204 for more information.

"Everyone has been so welcoming of my return and they are so excited for me and this program," Blum said. "Obviously, without the Elks, I couldn't make it possible. But without the love and support from members of the community, I couldn't do it either. I just owe them a huge thank you, too."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Ex-Marysville girls golfer runs youth program at Elks Golf Club