You might disagree with the statement, but Wednesday was a day spent at Pete Brown Golf Course (formerly Grove Park Golf Course), in northwest Jackson. About 50 children mostly from inner-city neighborhoods were there, smiling, laughing and playing. They also learned the basics of golf. It was sure that Pete Brown, Jackson’s late golf legend, would have loved it. What does that have to do with “it takes village”? The Mississippi Urban League, First Tee of Central Mississippi and 100 Black Men of Jackson have all joined forces to make this program a reality. On Wednesday, Luther Thompson, a former Jackson fireman, was able to put the children through chipping drills. He is also a First Tee volunteer coach and an accomplished amateur golfer. They played tic-tac toe, chipping into squares. Henry Davis, an instructor after-school for the Mississippi Urban League’s youth programs, taught the golf swing to another group of neophyte players who hit (and missed!) golf balls through hoops. A third group of children was coached by Ken Lindsay, a former president of PGA of America. Ali Miller, the First Tee’s program director, worked with another group. They learned how to grip a club and how to swing it. Perhaps most importantly, they learned that golf is the only sport where players can keep track of their scores and take penalties. Integrity is a key component of golf. This wasn’t just about golf. Children did balance exercises, stretching and calisthenics. The coaches were always available to share a lesson from the game that could be applied to everyday life. Beneta Burt is the president and CEO of Mississippi Urban League. She stated that the “core values” of the game of golf can also be applied to life. Each year, the Mississippi Urban League runs a summer program to ensure inner-city kids have healthy meals, educational and cultural enrichment activities, as well as a safe and secure place to spend their time. Margo Coleman, the executive director of First Tee Central Mississippi, met Burt recently and they have teamed up to enhance the youth golf program at Pete Brown. First Tee of Central Mississippi already offered instruction at LeFleur’s Bluff Golf Course, northeast Jackson, Sonny Guy Municipal, in west Jackson, Deerfield Golf Club and Canton Country Club, in Madison County, Bay Pointe Resort and Golf Club, and The Refuge, in Rankin County. Coleman stated that the program does not aim to make you a great golfer. Instead, it teaches you how to set goals and learn responsibility, respect, and integrity. You will learn all the life skills that you need to become a successful young adult and young person. First Tee emphasizes nine core values: integrity, honesty, sportsmanship and respect. These are the core values Jackson native Pete Brown understood and exhibited throughout the course of his career. While not all of these children will be as successful as Pete Brown, and most likely not, any one can benefit from the lessons that golf teaches. Soon, the Summer First Tee of Central Mississippi will be held at several Jackson-area courses. See thefirstteecentralmississippi.org for details. *** Rick Cleveland, a sports columnist, is on the First Tee of Central Mississippi Board of Directors.