Thirty-five years ago, Dan Pierce was introduced to golf.

“A friend wanted to go,” so Pierce went with him.

“The first 20 years I spent teaching myself [how to play],” he said. “Now, I want to teach others.”

In light of that, Pierce, program director for the newly formed nonprofit Maine Golf Learning Center at Hampden Country Club, is hosting a “Hook a Kid on Golf” program July 7-11 at Hampden to help introduce to the game youngsters ages 8-15 who have never played before.

The clinic, which will run 8:30 a.m. to noon each day, is also designed to help kids learn other life skills such as etiquette, nutrition, drug awareness and setting goals.

“Hook a Kid on Golf” is part of the National Alliance of Youth Sports, which helps people around the country conduct youth clinics in a variety of sports.

The United States Golf Association awarded Maine Golf Learning Center a $2500 grant, which helps supplement the donations of major sponsors Camerota Truck Parts of Bangor and Field of Dreams Daycare of Hampden.

That money, plus contributions by some of the Hampden Country Club members, means 22 boys and girls will be able to take part in the weeklong clinic.

“We wanted to keep it under 24,” said Pierce. “It’s such an intense program that you need to keep the ratio at one volunteer for every five kids.”

That goal was looking difficult at first, but a plea for volunteers on the Women’s Maine State Golf Association Web site brought immediate results.

“They all want to be involved,” said Pierce. “It should be real good.”

Golf pro Mark Hall will be one of the guest speakers, along with Hampden pro John Russell, a member of the Hampden Police Department who will speak on the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program and others.

When the clinic finally arrives next month, it will be the culmination of work he started several months ago.

“I’ve been working on this, here and there, since December,” he said.

He was going to go with a different program at first, but he didn’t feel comfortable with it.

“Then I decided to go with this one, and it’s been fantastic,” Pierce said. “It’s gone almost like clockwork.”

That clockwork includes ordering on Friday the new set of clubs, golf bag, balls, tees, shirt and hat each participant will receive at no charge.

“I had to make sure I had all the correct sizes,” said Pierce, who pointed out the kids will get to keep the equipment once the clinic is over.

In addition, the Maine State Golf Association donated rulebooks for each participant.

The open range

The Union Street Driving Range has opened beside the Airport Mall on the site of previous one.

The range has been open since April 26, but word has only been slowly getting around.

“Some people think we’re still closed,” said owner Colby Clendenning.

Turnout has still been good, he said.

The reason he opened the range was simple enough.

“I have mortgage payments,” he said with a laugh. Clendenning is part of a corporation that originally bought the land and rented it to the former owners of Golf Country, including his son Mike.

“Where the facility was there, I thought I might as well use it,” he said.

Future plans may include building a sand bunker.

“We’ve been asked a number of times about that,” he said. “It’s just in the thought process right now.”

Prices are $5 for a small bucket (40-42 balls, according to Clendenning) and $10 for a large one (100-105 balls).

They also have club rentals and do club repair, he said.

Gary Rees of the Maine Indoor Golf Center will also be conducting lessons there.

“We promote him and he promotes us,” said Clendenning with another laugh.

dbarber@bangordailynews.net

990-8170