Golf pros give free lessons to Omaha Home for Boys

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A group of seven young men from the Omaha Home for Boys hit the range to work on their swing and learn from the golf director at Oak Hills Country Club.

“For them to make some laughs and jokes, that’s what it’s about,” Bobby O’Keefe the director of golf said. “I mean it seems like everything is stressful in the world today with a lot of stuff and to get out here and play golf on the perfect day that we got, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

The free lessons were given ahead of the Fair Deal Open, a charity golf tournament sponsored by Gregg Young Automotive that supports The Omaha Home for Boys.

The group learning today is a part of the residential living program.

“Oftentimes they’re just so consumed with where they’re going to sleep that night, where their next meal is going to come from,” RaeAnn Knoell, the brand strategy director for the Omaha Home for Boys said. “Of course, they don’t have time to participate in any kind of fun extracurricular activities. So we really like to be able to expose them to different experiences.”

This is the fourth year lessons like these have gone on but for some of the boys, like 15-year-old Sean McClement, they’ve never even thought about hitting the driving range.

“It’s amazing, it’s cool. It’s just nothing I never seen myself doing, you know,” McClement said.

Hunter Urwiller, 17, has golfed once before, and he’s liking the tips he’s learning this go-around.

“I play baseball so I tend to bring my hands off the club, but he said to keep both hands on the club, get in your ready-position, and just hit the ball,” Hunter said.

As we were speaking with Hunter, the young man behind him sent his club flying down the range — maybe he should have listened to what Hunter was saying.

In the past, the Fair Deal Open tournament has raised about $30,000 for Omaha Home for Boys. This year, with 127 golfers participating, they’re hoping to raise $50,000.

Copyright 2021 WOWT. All rights reserved.