By Kurt Kragthorpe
Doug Brown once was just like the young golfers who come to Mulligans in South Jordan, eager to swing a club and see how much they can improve.
Working at a facility such as Mulligans, with a big driving range as the centerpiece of the property, surrounded by two nine-hole courses and other recreational offerings, gives Brown a unique perspective on the game. “I have had the opportunity to see hundreds of kids hit a golf ball for the very first time,” he said. “I have found teaching these beginners to be especially rewarding. Although golf is a very difficult game to play, it is awesome to see these kids be able to succeed and to enjoy the successes as they learn.”
Brown grew up in “a family of non-golfers,” he said, and he marvels about how his mother was willing to drive to Brigham City’s Mountain Golf Course sometimes twice a day to fulfill his developing love of the game. The way pro Chris Marx encouraged youth to hang around the course and practice and play is the kind of atmosphere Brown wants to promote at Mulligans. Tapping into his own life, he convinces non-golfing parents of the value of the game to their children.
And he loves success stories, such as kids who developed into high school or even college golfers from a starting point at Mulligans, describing it as “such a great facility that has a great layout, conductive to promoting junior golf.”