The Pops and Jr. Youth Golf Program Team

Cheyanne Stewart was already a sophomore in high school before she took her first swing with a golf club.  Her father introduced her to the game that would eventually become a passion and a career for her.  Cheyanne learned about hard work and dedication from watching her father take up and excel at golf later in life than most.  She and her father basically started at the same time.  They played together all around the valley and she quickly became quite good, good enough to earn a spot on the golf team at Mesa CC and then at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical Institute.

Cheyanne decided to take part in organized golf because she was having trouble meeting people and sports are a great way to make friends. She was shy back then and her family had just moved from California to Mesa.  Any move is tough on kids, but a move from California to Arizona could be especially hard for a high school kid trying to break into the social groups and cliques already in place.

Because of her introduction to the game and her desire to meet people, Cheyanne has been blessed with opportunities to travel around the country, meet new people and learn life-lessons from participation.  Cheyanne believes that, when her father introduced her to the game, he opened the door to endless opportunities--not necessarily to participate and compete, but to connect with great people, make life-long friends and share her love for others.

Her greatest memories as a golfer center around love. She recalls a story at the end of her college career; she had been teaching her coach’s nephew how to play.  His nephew would call the coach and ask about Cheyanne and tell him how much he looked forward to spending time with her on the course.   “I was not just teaching him how to play golf, but most importantly, how to become independent, have fun, and how to love.  That will always be my favorite golf memory.

Cheyanne is now the Lead Junior Golf Instructor at Dobson Ranch Golf Course and one of the key members of the Pops and Junior Youth Golf teaching team.  Her hope is that the kids who take part in the program will not just learn about golf, but will also find a community where they can stretch and grow in ways they never imagined possible.