Melreese Country Club may lose golf but youth links program will continue in new location
MIAMI -- Golf is on the back nine of its existence at Melreese Country Club, which is about to make way for construction of Miami Freedom Park.
Even though golf is on the way out, the First Tee Program will continue on in Miami Lakes.
Despite the upcoming changes, the youth golf program will make the transition.
The clock is ticking on golf and the more than 130 acres of green land just east of Miami International Airport.
"To have the relationship and partnership with the city, they've always been great partners and they still are," said Charlie Delucca. "They still help us with everything we need to do with our kids with the golf course. It's been a great run. I don't think too many people can say they've had a 50-year run."
Delucca III is the legacy of his father's work of growing the game of golf through youth programs at a course that opened in 1960.
He said even though changes are coming he's still not bitter about their upcoming move to Miami lakes.
Until then, the show goes on -- along with the memories.
"We've had all sorts of crazy stuff on the golf course," he said. "There was a group of people who lived out here (and) they literally had a huge home built in one of the trees down here."
Tiger Woods has had a presence.
"Tiger Woods came over and did the reopening," he said. "That was the first year in 1997 when he won his first major. He won his first Masters then about four month later his father and my father were starting a junior program together. He did a private clinic for about 150 kids."
"The process of moving from Melreese to Miami Lakes, that's a big undertaking. Whats going to happen the golf course shuts down on the 19th we have the pods we have the classroom desk a lot of stuff we use for programing throughout the year and then it's just moving trucks. it's like moving your house. from point a to point b and go seamless, so the kids don't know the difference we plan on doing programming
immediately."
keeping the first tee program around was vital to the deal to move. there are some 800 full time participants... and up to 9 thousand kids that come through here on a yearly basis. we ran into pga pro erik compton who's love for golf started in these youth programs
" i was part of the dade amature junior golf association which was basically before the first tee. charlie senior was the godfather of junior golf here in south florida and you know his legacy is always standing."
"we do after school tutoring. its all about academics really but we use the game of golf to keep the kids into it. we've got a 30 by 30 trailer being put in at miami lakes right now so there's be a classroom to do studying and we'll be ready to roll.
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that morning on the course - more than 300 special needs childrens made their way to melreese. where staff and volunteers set up different swing stations.
the first tee and school programs aren't the only things relocating.
"a lot of the staff has found jobs already. a bunch of them are still looking. it's change. it's life.
"it's a great shot if its on grass. if you can find it that's half the battle. you're a real great playing partner."
"| gotta imagine your freidns hating playing with you.. no there's a lot of heckling. they enjoy it a lot when i miss a shot"
while we cleaned up our putts it's hard to miss the fact golf operations are still going strong all around us. from averages joes getting mad at themselves... to future pros getting in practice rounds. they were even setting up for a pga qualifier. but unfortunately time is not on their side.
"so obviously there's a lot of memories of this place. how emotional do you think the closing that closing day, closing hours, when that last group goes out on that tee time? there'll be a lot of emtions. it'll make you think about my dad. and all the things we've been to accoplish out here. plus it'll be a lot of the guys i've grown up with. it's one of those things, i was born and raised with a lot of these guys. it'll be fun it's just a matter of moving on to whats next."