Explosion to catapult kids into golf

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Jim Cammaert loves to blow things up. He’s pulled the trigger on cars, trucks and houses, and in a week’s time the special effects fanatic will put on a spectacle at the Strathmore Golf Course when he creates a massive fiery blast on a shipping boat in hopes of causing an explosive increase to junior golf memberships.
The Jim and Audrey Put a Kid on the Course Fund, the first of its kind, raises money by providing the opportunity for golfers to attempt to hit a 100 yard target – a fishing boat – to reap the glory of exploding the vessel if successful. Cammaert and his wife Audrey have been members of the club since the early 1980s, and are spearheading the initiative to allocate the money to children up to the age of 18 unable to afford the sport.
“I’ve been involved with kids for a long time, and I find that kids that hang around the golf course grow up with a set of values that are unmatched in other sports,” said Cammaert. “It’s honesty and integrity. There’s a whole bunch of other things around the sport of golf that makes people better people. For kids to have access to that I think is important.”
The father of three and owner of the Fireworks Factory, coordinated special effects for 26 motion pictures including some work with Steven Spielberg. While the fireworks expert hasn’t worked with movies since 2002, his skills are now being put to good use closer to home.
With fluctuating junior memberships, lulls over certain years can contribute to repercussions in future years. Josh Witty, the assistant golf professional at the Strathmore Golf Course, started playing the sport over a decade ago, and started working in the back of the shop before advancing to manage the pro shop and becoming assistant pro. Because golf has paved the road for the 21-year-old, he understands there are a number of benefits to increasing the junior memberships at the club.
“We’re trying to get more kids that maybe would golf if they had the money, because the thing is with your membership base, if you have no kids then you’re not going to have those when they become adults,” said Witty.
“The golf course is part of the community. Anyone can play whether you’re 70 year old or five years old. If you have a busy prospering golf course it’s going to help sports in general in town. It shows that sports is always beneficial to kids.”
Although the course hosts roughly 10 fundraisers, silent auctions, and special tournaments a year, an event of this magnitude has never been attempted before. Community members will have a chance to try and hit the fishing-boat target, which will be located out on the lake at the golf course, for $20 a shot or $50 for three tries. Starting at 5 p.m. a foghorn will signal when a ball hits the boat, and those individuals will be entered into the final round starting at 6 p.m. Through a random order, the first finalist to hit the vessel, which contains a sensor to pick up vibrations, will set off the much-anticipated remote-controlled explosion.
“I haven’t blown up a boat yet, this is my first,” Cammaert said. “We want to make golf accessible to kids that it’s not accessible to today. It can be an expensive sport, so we’re going to try and help some kids get on the course. Anything we can do to help them out, we’re going to do.”
The Jim and Audrey Put a Kid on the Course Fund will take place on April 27 at 5 p.m. on the Strathmore Golf Course. The final round will begin at 6 p.m.