By Brad D. Bates
C & G Sports Writer

RAY TOWNSHIP — Pick any golf course in metro Detroit and chances are someone has a swing that’s been influenced by Paul Moran.

As a PGA professional, Moran has been teaching golfers for 22 years. So when he started hosting the Macomb Township Parks and Recreation golf clinics at Wolcott Mills Golf Course, the students were in good hands.

“I’ve been teaching on this side of town for the last 17 years,” said Moran, the former pro at Wolverine Golf Course. “I’ve had programs at River Bends (Park) and Stony Creek (Park), but this is my first year here. It’s nice to see how it’s developing.”

Moran, who wrapped up his fifth junior clinic July 28, has had good turnout for his clinics, which restrict class size to a 10-person maximum.

“Having fun is the main thing,” Moran said. “More experienced golfers take it more seriously, but the kids just like being here, especially on the green.

“They love the accomplishment of getting the ball in the hole, and that’s what it’s all about.”

While Moran is experienced in helping golfers of all age and experience levels, he especially enjoys molding a young golfer’s swing and game.

“You’d be really shocked at how much a beginner can learn in four weeks,” Moran said. “It’s like riding a bike. The stuff they learn now will stick with them forever.”

Aside from putting and working on their swing, Moran introduces young golfers to the finer points of the game, including the rules and course etiquette.

“When you play golf in high school, experience in etiquette and the rules is above everything else,” Moran said. “That’s part of growing up — honesty and integrity. You try to instill that at a young age.”

By focusing on everything from chipping to ground rules, everyone, even the parents of the campers, come away with a better understanding of the game.

“They’ve been going to the driving range a lot, and he loves to see how far he can hit it,” Kerry Beauvais of Macomb Township said of her 9-year-old son, Jack.

“He comes home and wants to go to the driving range and says he needs to hit his driver. I didn’t even know what that meant, so I guess I’m learning too.”

More golf clinics, for juniors and adults, get under way Aug. 4. For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Department at (586) 992-2900.

You can reach Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1029.