CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With Lozano Golf Center's nine-hole course under construction, Corpus Christi Independent School District's middle school golf teams needed a place to play this year.
The district found a solution. They converted the old Mary Carroll High School athletic fields to a skills-based golf course. The fields were transformed for a CCISD middle school golf tournament that saw 130 golfers across 11 middle schools compete on Saturday.
Paul R. Haas Middle School student Danh Tran walked away from Saturday's competition with a gold medal and said he was proud of his performance.
"It was amazing," Tran said. "I really enjoyed playing in this course. It was really fun."
The old Carroll baseball, softball, football and practice fields were converted to the course. CCISD Assistant Athletic Director Michael Keel said this is the fifth weekend of the competition and awards were handed out on Saturday.
20-year golf coach and Elliott Grant Middle School teacher Edwardo Mata Jr. said the course provided a unique opportunity for students.
"We decided to build a challenge course for the students to hone in to those skills that must of the golfers usually don't get the chance to practice on," Mata Jr. said.
Mata Jr. coached a girls team of 12 golfers that placed first at the tournament. He said the converted golf course makes them more confident when they play on a larger one.
"When they get to the greens and they get out there on the big courses, the flags don't look so far as they do before," Mata Jr. said. "So, it takes away a bit of that anxiety."
Keel said the old Carroll fields were used since Lozano Golf Center's nine-hole course—where they usually play—is under construction. He said this allows kids to keep practicing and safely learn from mistakes.
"It's not as imposing as being on an actual course, and so, they get to come out here and learn the little fundamentals," Keel said.
Kids got four opportunities at each hole and got to keep their two best scores. There was also a quiz at one station so they could learn the rules of golf.
Keel said CCISD plans to have events like this throughout the year, building on what worked well at the old Carroll campus. Those would happen between different middle schools during the week when kids are practicing.
"It'll be, kind of, mini competitions in between the tournaments so that we don't lose the positives that we've gained this year," Keel said.
Keel added that they are looking forward to going back to Lozano Golf Center when construction is over.