b'GOLF WASHINGTONYouth on Course leads to Augusta National for Max SoterakopoulosY oung Max started playing golf at age five. It was at the start of COVID (in early 2020), said Chris Soterakopoulos, Maxs dad. We needed to find something for our kids to do. So he and his wife Jayne took their three kidsHelaina, Max and Atticusto the driving range near their Everett, Wash. home. My wife and I are not golfers, Chris said. But at the time, golf was considered a safe activity, so we wanted the kids to give it a try. A natural lefthander, Max initially tried to hit balls with right-handed clubs, but couldnt get the hang of it. Once I got him a set of left-handed clubs, his swing was smooth from the start, Chris says. Max and Helaina took to the game right away, while Atticus, who was just one year old at the time, is now starting to catch on. Chris saw the interest they had for the game and felt this was something he wanted to encourage in them. He began researching various junior golf activities throughout the area, and came across the WA Golf Youth on Course program, which enables kids age 6-18 to play rounds of golf for just five dollars at participating courses. We signed them up for the Youth on Course program right away, Chris says. The mainMax won the regional reason is that it made the game affordable for7-9 division qualifier at us as a family. It made it possible for us to keepChambers Bay. doing it.After playing the game only one year, MaxWA Golfs Youth on competed in the 2021 U.S. Kids Golf WorldCourse program has Championship, finishing 14th. He then competedallowed Max and his in that championship in 2022 and 2023, and alsosister Helaina to nurture competes in Washington Junior Golf Associationtheir enjoyment of the tournaments. Helaina, now 11 years old, alsogame. Both of them have competes in WJGA tournaments. Both kids playgone on to compete in four and five times a week.Washington Junior Golf Association events as Max, now nine years old and in the thirdwell as national events. grade, had entered the qualifiers for the Drive, Chip and Putt competition starting at age six. Continued on page 10MAR 2024|GOLF WASHINGTON9'