Local golf professional Nate Kitt, right, works to instruct junior golfers at Bend Golf Club in Bend on April 19.

It did not take much for Nate Kitt to become hooked on the game of golf at an early age. He vividly recalls his grandmother’s condo on an executive course in Florida.

In the evenings, he and his father would grab an iron that had been cut down and try to hit balls they had found in her yard over the nearby water hazard. At the age of 13, he started caddying at a local club near his home in New York and never looked back.

Fast forward to 2023, and Kitt has become a fixture in the Central Oregon golf community. After working as the First Assistant Professional at Tetherow from 2014 through 2016, and the Teaching Professional at Broken Top from 2017 to 2021, he is now in his second year as the Junior Golf Director at Bend Golf Club. In this role, he oversees all junior golf activities, separating his instruction into three different classes.

His Learn to Play class is meant for children ages 3 to 7. In this beginning class, the emphasis is on allowing kids to explore golf through freedom of movement and development of self-awareness.

The Play to Learn class is for children ages 6 to 11. Here, juniors experience collaborative competition with the emphasis again on freedom of movement, or “play” as Kitt calls it.

Kitt’s most advanced class is Play the Game. It is meant for juniors between 8 and 12 years old. Kids in this class have decided that golf is something they want to pursue. They learn the rules of the game and begin to develop the skills necessary to achieve personal scoring goals.

While most of his instruction is with kids, he also organizes classes for adults.

With all his instruction, Kitt emphasizes the importance of understanding the motivations of his students, not just disseminating technical information about how the game should be played.

“Making golf fun isn’t enough,” Kitt says. “The game needs to be emotional and consequential in a way that makes sense for the group or individual.”

Kitt is also the Tournament Director for the Central Oregon Junior Golf Association. Not only is he charged with organizing and executing the organization’s 10 yearly junior tournaments, but he is responsible for planning and running the Girls Golf Initiative. This program empowers girls to learn the game while fostering community and strong social ties.

New for this year under the COGJA umbrella are Free Golf Days. These events offer youth exposure to golf in a carnival-like environment where the emphasis is on playing the game, not rigid instruction. Events will be held in Bend, La Pine, Redmond, Prineville, and Madras in 2023.

During Central Oregon’s shoulder season, Kitt serves as the Tournament Director for the Central Oregon Winter Series. Throughout the fall, winter, and early spring, golfers of all abilities can compete in team competitions at different area courses, with the chance to win merchandise credit. Proceeds from the tournament series benefit COJGA’s philanthropic initiatives.

Kitt is passionate about the game of golf. Sharing that passion with others is at the core of what he does as a PGA Professional.

“Bringing an 18th century game into the 21st century is at the heart of everything I do,” he explains. “Golf is so many different things to so many different people, and it’s my job to help them build emotional resilience, create space for personal growth, and find enjoyment.

Hitting a ball with a stick just happens to be the vehicle with which I try to make that happen.”

For more information about Kitt’s background, instructional offerings, and teaching philosophies, golfers can visit TheModernGolfClub.com.