By Nitin Rajagopalan
Eisenhower Park, NY — On October 13, 2024, at Eisenhower Park, Nassau County NY, over 50 Long Islanders participated in a Golf Clinic called ‘Beyond Mini Golf’. I organized this clinic through the Gita Vicara Leadership Program (GVLP) of the Young Indian Culture Group (YICG). Ms. Rathi Raja and Ms. Madhu Allu are the key leaders and mentors of the YICG - GVLP program. One of the key Seva (service) initiatives of the GVLP Program is the ReWild Long Island Project, which keeps to the ‘Be Local Do Local’ spirit. The idea and concept of “Golfing for a Greener Tomorrow” was initiated by GVLP, as a way to bring together our passion for golf with the spirit of giving back to the land we enjoy. Through this successful Golf Clinic, we raised more than $1,400 for Rewild Long Island!
(Photo provided by author)
I designed this event to create a passion for golf for its participants and successfully did that for many children, teens, and adults. Participants could learn the basics of golf through four coaching stations, where they could learn and practice putting, chipping, approach shots, and full swings. At the end of the event, there was a competition involving all aspects of the game. More than half of all the participants were teens, allowing this clinic to bring golf to a younger audience.
The event would not have been possible without the help of the First Tee and its volunteers, our Young Lead Coaches (Arjun Rajagopalan, Naren Ranganathan, and Vishwa Vasudevan), assistant coaches, and other volunteers. Lastly, I highly appreciate Rajiv Rudra’s generous donation to the ReWild cause. ReWild promotes planting plants that are native to Long Island, reducing the impact of invasive species and increasing biodiversity; and it is a great way to make small, yet meaningful improvements to our surroundings.
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“I had a great time learning how to play golf and I learned so many new things!” “I had an incredible time! I loved learning golf in-depth and I thoroughly enjoyed it!” “This was an enriching experience! I had a great time!” Thank you all for such a great experience! All the coaches were truly amazing and it was so much fun to bond with everyone through golf!!” “The golf clinic was very fun, and I really enjoyed learning how to play golf for the first time.” “Such a pleasure and privilege to be part of this charitable effort.” “I attended GVLP camp yesterday at Eisenhower Park… I was most impressed to see so many girls 12-18 years old participate! Nitin and his team were incredible to organize this event” |
Nitin Rajagopalan is a Junior at Syosset High School and he aspires to study Computer Science. He loves to help the less fortunate, mentor others, and play golf.
Krishiv Shah coordinated the article submission for the column.
