By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
A total of 48 young golfers participated in the 2025 Lake Panorama National Junior Golf School with 24 in each of the June and July sessions. Young people ages 5 to 16 are eligible to attend the annual school, held on three Wednesdays each session.
This year’s junior golf sessions were free in honor of Dick Zapf, who passed away in late February. Zapf was a longtime supporter of junior golf programs at Lake Panorama National. Financial gifts given in Zapf’s memory made it possible to offer this year’s golf schools at no cost.
Rob Riggins, LPN head golf professional, and Michael Kleinwolterink, LPN pro shop manager, led the school. The juniors learned full swing, pitching, chipping and putting fundamentals along with golf etiquette and rules of golf. Participants were divided into age groups, and rotated between the putting green, chipping area and driving range.
At the end of the first two days, the juniors headed to Spikes to choose a free drink. The third week of each session was held at Panorama West, with the juniors playing a few holes on the golf course before a pizza party and receiving a gift bag.
Each student received five sleeves of golf balls, packages of golf tees and $25 gift cards to The Captain’s Pick restaurant to be used by the young golfers for items on the kids menu and ice cream. Sponsor funds also were used to purchase the bucket golf wiffle ball game plus beverages at Spikes.
Assisting Kleinwolterink and Riggins with the 2025 LPN junior golf schools were Austin Block, Joel Cooper, Maddox Hammerstrom, Zander Hammerstrom, Panorama girls golf coach Melissa Hochstetler, Ethan Olsen, Keegan Laferriere, and Coon Rapids golf coach David Van Ahn.
Mike Kleinwolterink, LPN pro shop manager, talks with a group of young boys about the proper setup for chip shots.
Rob Riggins, LPN head pro, works with a young golfer on his setup and backswing for short iron shots.
Melissa Hochstetler, Panorama girls golf coach, was one of several people helping with the LPN junior golf school. Here she talks with a group of young girls on the driving range about golf swing fundamentals.
Maddox Hammerstrom offers advice to a junior golfer on the putting green.
Golfers who participated in the July LPN Junior Golf School are shown with their instructors after a golf tournament and pizza party at Panorama West.