By David E. Lavoie

The game of golf is currently enjoying "a big boom" says Woostock golf enthusiast Jeff Wright.

Wright, NBCC Woodstock photography instructor, says it's the newer generation of golfers who are making the game so exciting.

"You just have to look at how golf hass taken off over the last three or four years, compared to maybe 20 years ago," says Wright, who got his start in golf when he was six years old.

He attributes the increasing popularity of golf to such present day pro players such as long ball hitters Tiger Woods, John Daly and Phil Mickelson. Players like these, says Wright bring the younger golfers out to the golf clubs.

Wright, who's in his early 30's, has been president of the Woodstock Golf and Curling Club "four of the last five years," and says he likes to see junior golfers out on the course having fun.

Sometimes there are 70 of them out there just beating the ball around having a great time," says Wright.

Wright, who grew up just yards from the first green at the course, says his father had a little part in his starting to play the game, but it ws his grandfather who encouraged him the most.

"My grandfather was an avid golfer, and he showed me a lot about the game before he died," says Wright.

Coming up through the junior program, Wright was able to collect a fe trophies along the way, including the junior club championship and the junior Old Home Week golf tourney. Wright even tried out for the New Brunswick junior golf team as well.

"The best I ever did there was 17th or 18th. I figure my placements were pretty good considering I was competing against the best junior golfers in the province."

As an adult golfer, Wright continues to enjoy success. In the run of a golfing season Wright estimates he plays an average of four of five tournaments. Last year "was a pretty good year," as he came out of every tournament he played in with a prize.

I played in a trounament in St. Andrews and I won my division."

He also played in a tournament in Hartland and tied for first place in the second division.

Wright says that, as with any sport, the more you play the better you get. He compares it to playing pool saying "the more you play the better your eye gets."

One thing Wright is looking forward to is teaching his new son Matthew to play the game he grew up loving. His wife has also recently taken up the sport, so he hopes in time it will become a family affair.

It's a sport that if you take it up as a young person, it's something you can continue to play into retirement. There aren't a lot of sports that many of us can still do when we are 50 years old. Golf is one of those sports you can play right into your 80's and 90's.