Forest Hills Golf Course and Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation Expand Commitment to Junior Golf By Brian Weis

Forest Hills Golf Course and Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation Expand Commitment to Junior Golf

Complimentary golf lessons available to juniors in La Crosse throughout the summer

By Brian Weis

Complimentary golf clinics through the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports youth golf in the La Crosse area, are underway for the summer at Forest Hills Golf Course. Junior golf clinics began on June 7 and run through August. Owned by the City of La Crosse and managed by KemperSports, Forest Hills has partnered with the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation since 2011 to bring golf programming to the community. Forest Hills already has more than 50 junior golfers participating in clinics this summer, and the course anticipates continued interest in this program.

"The team at Forest Hills Golf Course is proud to support the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation's efforts to provide local juniors in the La Crosse community the opportunity to experience the game of golf free of charge," said general manager and head golf professional Keith Stoll. Stoll was elected to the board of directors of the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation four years ago. "Junior golfers have the chance to use our updated range, which opened last summer, play all 18 holes plus the bonus 19th play-off hole, and meet other kids their age while enjoying the game and improving their skills."

Juniors in 6th - 9th grades who live in the La Crosse School District are invited to partake in complimentary golf lessons and unlimited complimentary golf at Forest Hills throughout the summer. To be eligible to participate in this program, kids must pass a simple golf skills test which includes asking questions on proper etiquette, rules and pace of play and a playing test on Forest Hills' 19th play-off hole.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization, the purpose of the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation is to raise funds to support and advance youth golf in the La Crosse area. Currently, youth golf programs are supported and funded by the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation. These programs include the La Crosse Middle School Golf Team, a fall competitive program, complimentary golf clinics at Forest Hills and complimentary golf at five area courses including Forest Hills. The foundation has also built a storage shed at the golf course for juniors to store their golf clubs.

While the program was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, free golf was still available to eligible participants, which resulted in more than 45 rounds last year. In 2019, 84 kids participated in the summer program.

"As a community golf course, Forest Hills is committed to growing the game of golf among all people, including junior golfers," said Jared Flick, recreation & facilities supervisor at the City of La Crosse. "Our partnership with the Russ Hiser Memorial Foundation gives us the opportunity to provide an outlet for deserving youth to learn and play the game of golf who may not otherwise have had the access or family income to do so."

If you know a junior who would be interested in participating in the summer golf clinics, please visit https://russhisermemorial.org/youth-golf-summer-program/ for more information and to register.

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Revised: 07/07/2021 - Article Viewed 2,984 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.